Silymarin suppresses the PGE2‐induced cell migration through inhibition of EP2 activation; G protein‐dependent PKA‐CREB and G protein‐independent Src‐STAT3 signal pathways

Silymarin has been known as a chemopreventive agent, and possesses multiple anti-cancer activities including induction of apoptosis, inhibition of proliferation and growth, and blockade of migration and invasion. However, whether silymarin could inhibit prostaglandin (PG) E2-induced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) migration and what are the underlying mechanisms are not well elucidated. Here, we found that silymarin markedly inhibited PGE2-stimulated migration. PGE2 induced G protein-dependent CREB phosphorylation via protein kinase A (PKA) signaling, and PKA inhibitor (H89) inhibited PGE2-mediated migration. Silymarin reduced PGE2-induced CREB phosphorylation and CRE-promoter activity. PGE2 also activated G protien-independent signaling pathways (Src and STAT3) and silymarin reduced PGE2-induced phosphorylation of Src and STAT3. Inhibitor of Src (Saracatinib) markedly reduced PGE2-mediated migration. We found that EP2, a PGE2 receptor, is involved in PGE2-mediated cell migration. Down regulation of EP2 by EP2 siRNA and EP2 antagonist (AH6809) reduced PGE2-inudced migration. In contrast, EP2 agonist (Butaprost) increased cell migration and silymarin effectively reduced butaprost-mediated cell migration. Moreover, PGE2 increased EP2 expression through activation of positive feedback mechanism, and PGE2-induced EP2 expression, as well as basal EP2 levels, were reduced in silymarin-treated cells. Taken together, our study demonstrates that silymarin inhibited PGE2-induced cell migration through inhibition of EP2 signaling pathways (G protein dependent PKA-CREB and G protein-independent Src-STAT3). © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.