Comparative analysis of sorafenib and lenvatinib on HepG2 cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells: Involvement of transforming growth factor-β signaling in their molecular effects

Aim

This study aimed to compare the effects of the molecular targeted drugs, sorafenib and lenvatinib, on the survival, invasion, and angiogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Additionally, we investigated the involvement of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) signaling in their molecular mechanisms.

Methods

To investigate the effects of sorafenib and lenvatinib, we conducted cell viability, invasion, and angiogenesis assays, as well as western blotting analyses.

Results

In human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2), sorafenib demonstrated potent inhibitory effects on cell proliferation, but induced cell invasion similar to TGF-β. In contrast, lenvatinib showed weaker cytotoxicity compared with sorafenib, but suppressed cell invasion induced by TGF-β. The actions of these two molecular targeted drugs were suggested to involve the regulation of the TGFβR2/ERK pathway. Moreover, in human umbilical vein endothelial cells, Sorafenib showed weaker cytotoxicity and enhanced the effects of TGF-β on angiogenesis. Conversely, lenvatinib showed potent cytotoxic abilities and suppressed angiogenesis induced by TGF-β. The actions of these two molecular targeted drugs were suggested to involve the regulation of the crosstalk between TGF-β signaling and vascular endothelial growth factor signaling.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that both sorafenib and lenvatinib possess anticancer abilities by inducing the cytotoxicity of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Furthermore, they show opposing effects on TGF-β-induced cell invasion and angiogenesis, thereby enhancing the understanding of the multifaceted functions of molecular targeted drugs in treating hepatocellular carcinoma.