Proliferation and invasion effect of astaxanthin on human ovarian cancer and its mechanism

Objective To investigate the effects of astaxanthin on the proliferation and invasion of SKOV3 human ovarian cancer cells and to explore its mechanism. Methods MTT colorimetry was used to investigate the inhibition effect of astaxanthin on SKOV3 cells. Transwell assay was used to investigate the effect of astaxanthin on the invasion of SKOV3 cells. Flow cytometry was used to investigate the cell cycle of astaxanthin on SKOV3 cells. The effect of astaxanthin on cell cycle and invasion-related protein expression was investigated by Western Blot method. Results Astaxanthin had a significant inhibitory effect on cell proliferation and was concentration dependent. The invasive ability of SKOV3 cells was significantly decreased under the treatment of astaxanthin(P<0.05). Compared with control group, the proportion of SKOV3 cells in G1 phase in the astaxanthin-treated group was significantly increased. The protein expression of matrix metallo proteinase 2(MMP-2), matrix metallo proteinase 9 (MMP-9), and cyclin-dependent protein kinase 6(CDK6) and Cyclin A were significantly decreased in astaxanthin-treated SKOV3 cells compared with the control group(all P<0.05). Conclusions Astaxanthin can significantly inhibit the growth of SKOV3 cells and arrest the SKOV3 cell cycle in G1 phase, and can inhibit the growth and invasion of SKOV3 by regulating cell cycle and invasion-related proteins. Key words: Astaxanthin; Ovarian cancer; Proliferation; Invasion; Mechanism research