Afrormosin exerts an anticancer effect via MAPK and AKT signaling pathways in B16F10 cells

Abstract

Melanoma is a deadly skin cancer with high mortality, and its incidence is increasing every year. Although numerous anticancer drugs have been developed, these treatments have various side effects, such as skin rash, fatigue, diarrhea, cough, and muscle pain. Therefore, there is a need for research on novel anticancer drugs with low cytotoxicity and few side effects. In this study, we investigated whether afrormosin (7-hydroxy-4′,6-dimethoxyisoflavone), a member of the isoflavonoid family, could have the potential as a novel anticancer drug. Afrormosin decreased the viability of B16F10 melanoma cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. We also found that the afrormosin-induced decrease in cell viability was caused by the reduction of cell proliferation through Go/G1 arrest and the induction of apoptosis in B16F10 melanoma cells. Furthermore, afrormosin decreased the metastatic activity (cell invasion and migration) of B16F10 melanoma cells. At the molecular level, afrormosin reduced the levels of Bcl-2, an anti-apoptotic protein, and augmented the levels of Bax, a pro-apoptotic protein, and p53, a tumor suppressor. Additionally, procaspase-3 levels were reduced by afrormosin treatment. When we examined the signaling pathways affected by afrormosin, we found that the AKT/ERK pathways were inhibited and the p38/JNK pathway was activated by afrormosin. Collectively, these results suggest the potential anticancer effect of afrormosin, making it a prospective candidate for development as an anticancer drug.