Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Carrying Ligustrazine Inhibit Metastatic Properties of Colon Cancer Cells.

Objective: Finding methods that can interfere with Wnt/β-catenin signaling has become an important research direction in inhibiting colon cancer metastasis. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles can efficiently carry and release drugs. Therefore, combining ligustrazine, miR-570, and mesoporous silica nanoparticles as carriers will provide a theoretical basis for development of new therapeutic strategies and drugs.

Methods: We herein prepared mesoporous silica-loaded ligustrazine nanoparticles and used them to culture HT-29 cells; we observed biological behavior of HT-29 and explored the levels of miR-570 and Wnt2/β-catenin.

Results: Mesoporous silica nanoparticles loaded with Ligustrazine were successfully prepared. Ligustrazine inhibited metastasis of HT-29 cells. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles carrying ligustrazine increased the expression of miR-570 and reduced Wnt/β-catenin in HT-29 cells. Moreover, overexpression of miR-570 inhibited HT- 29 cancer cell metastasis and Wnt/β-catenin inhibition led to inhibition of HT-29 cell metastasis, while inhibiting miR-570 expression reversed the effect of mesoporous silica nanoparticles carrying ligustrazine, thereby accelerating HT-29 cell metastasis.

Conclusion: miR-570 can inhibit Wnt/β-catenin expression. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles carrying ligustrazine can promote miR-570 to inhibit Wnt/β-catenin expression, leading to inhibition of HT029cell metastasis.