Rosmarinic Acid Activates AMPK to Inhibit Metastasis of Colorectal Cancer

Abstract

Rosmarinic acid (RA) has been used as an anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and anti-cancer agent. Although RA has also been shown to exert an anti-metastatic effect, the mechanism of this effect has not been reported to be associated with AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). The aim of this study was to elucidate whether RA could inhibit the metastatic properties of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells via the phosphorylation of AMPK. RA inhibited the proliferation of CRC cells through the induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. In several metastatic phenotypes of CRC cells, RA regulated epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) through the upregulation of an epithelial marker, E-cadherin, and the downregulation of the mesenchymal markers, N-cadherin, snail, twist, vimentin, and slug. Invasion and migration of CRC cells were inhibited and expressions of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 were decreased by RA treatment. Adhesion and adhesion molecules such as ICAM-1 and integrin β1 expressions were also reduced by RA treatment. In particular, the effects of RA on EMT and MMPs expressions were due to the activation of AMPK. Moreover, RA inhibited lung metastasis of CRC cells by activating AMPK in mouse model. Collectively, these results proved that RA could be potential therapeutic agent against metastasis of CRC.

Antiobesity Effects of Purple Perilla (Perilla frutescens var. acuta) on Adipocyte Differentiation and Mice Fed a High‐fat Diet

“…Besides PPARγ, AMPK is also known to regulate lipolytic enzymes in adipose tissue (Kim et al., ). Even though the effect of PE on AMPK was not evaluated in our study, previous reports have suggested that rosmarinic acid activates AMPK pathway in different tissues to exert it beneficial effects (Abe, Saito, & Nogata, ; Han, Kee, & Hong, ; Jayanthy, Roshana Devi, Ilango, & Subramanian, ; Vlavcheski, Naimi, Murphy, Hudlicky, & Tsiani, ). Therefore, we presume that the increased mRNA expression of ATGL and HSL, despite of the reduced PPARγ expression will be due to the activation of AMPK pathway.…”

Ethanolic Extract of Ocimum sanctum Leaves Reduced Invasion and Matrix Metalloproteinase Activity of Head and Neck Cancer Cell Lines

“…Moreover, rosmarinic acid was the major phenolic component in our EEOS. Rosmarinic acid inhibited colon cancer invasion (Xu et al, 2010) and colorectal cancer metastasis (Han et al, 2018) by inhibiting MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity. These findings imply that the rosmarinic acid in EEOS may be a key factor in suppressing HNSCC cell invasion and MMP activity.…”

Ethanolic extract of Ocimum sanctum leaves reduced invasion and matrix metalloproteinase activity of head and neck cancer cell lines

“…Moreover, rosmarinic acid was the major phenolic component in our EEOS. Rosmarinic acid inhibited colon cancer invasion [30] colorectal cancer metastasis [31] by inhibiting MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity. These findings imply that the rosmarinic acid in EEOS may be a key factor in suppressing HNSCC cell invasion and MMP activity.…”