Asiaticoside Down-Regulates HIF-1α to Inhibit Proliferation, Migration, and Angiogenesis in Thyroid Cancer Cells

Background: Thyroid cancer (TC), the most prevalent endocrine malignancy, has been subjected to various treatment methods. However, the efficacy of asiaticoside (AC) for treating TC remains uncertain.

Aims: To explore the impact of AC on TC and determine its potential mechanisms of action.

Study design: In vitro and in vivo cell line study.

Methods: We evaluated the effects of AC on human TC cell lines, namely TPC-1 and FTC-133. Both in vitro and in vivo experimental validations were conducted.

Results: AC significantly diminished the viability and proliferation of TC cells based on the CCK-8 assay and Edu staining findings. Migration and invasion assays revealed that AC effectively curtailed the migration and invasiveness of TC cells. The tube formation assay demonstrated that AC substantially impeded TC cell-induced angiogenesis. Western blot assay revealed that AC significantly reduced the expression levels of TRAF6, HIF-1α, and VEGFA, indicating that AC could potentially exert its anticancer effect by inhibiting the TRAF6/HIF1α pathway. Our in vivo experiments, which involved administering AC to BALB/c nude mice injected with TPC-1 cells, demonstrated significant inhibition of tumor growth and reduction in the expression of Ki-67, TRAF6, HIF-1α, and VEGFA.

Conclusion: Our study highlights the significant inhibitory effect of AC on TC, offering fresh insights and potential drug candidates for TC treatment.