Open Access

Emodin reverses resistance to gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer by suppressing stemness through regulation of the epithelial‑mesenchymal transition

  • Authors:
    • Weitian Wei
    • Jiangfeng Wang
    • Yuqian Hu
    • Sheng Chen
    • Jinshi Liu
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: November 16, 2022     https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2022.11706
  • Article Number: 7
  • Copyright: © Wei et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

The present study aimed to explore the effects and underlying mechanisms of emodin (Emo) on gemcitabine (GEM)‑resistant pancreatic cancer. GEM‑resistant SW1990 cells (SW1990/GZ) were established by successively doubling the concentration of GEM. Cell viability was measured using the CCK‑8 assay and flow cytometry was used to measure cell apoptosis. Cell migration was assessed using a Transwell assay. Sphere and colony‑formation assays were used to evaluate cell self‑renewal. The expression levels of epithelial‑mesenchymal transition (EMT) and stem cell biomarkers were determined using western blotting. Snail family transcriptional repressor 1 gene (Snail) was overexpressed by transfecting cells with pcDNA3.1‑Snail plasmids. A xenograft model was established in nude mice by using SW1990/GZ and Snail‑overexpressing SW1990/GZ cells. Proliferation, migration, self‑renewal and EMT progression of GEM‑treated SW1990/GZ cells were significantly suppressed in vitro by Emo treatment, whereas the overexpression of Snail abolished the aforementioned effects. In in vivo, the antitumor activity of GEM and the inhibitory effect of GEM against EMT progression and stem‑like characteristics were enhanced by treatment with Emo, whilst overexpression of Snail reversed these effects. In conclusion, Emo reversed GEM resistance in pancreatic cancer by suppressing stemness and regulating EMT progression.
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January-2023
Volume 25 Issue 1

Print ISSN: 1792-0981
Online ISSN:1792-1015

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Spandidos Publications style
Wei W, Wang J, Hu Y, Chen S and Liu J: Emodin reverses resistance to gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer by suppressing stemness through regulation of the epithelial‑mesenchymal transition. Exp Ther Med 25: 7, 2023
APA
Wei, W., Wang, J., Hu, Y., Chen, S., & Liu, J. (2023). Emodin reverses resistance to gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer by suppressing stemness through regulation of the epithelial‑mesenchymal transition. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, 25, 7. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2022.11706
MLA
Wei, W., Wang, J., Hu, Y., Chen, S., Liu, J."Emodin reverses resistance to gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer by suppressing stemness through regulation of the epithelial‑mesenchymal transition". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 25.1 (2023): 7.
Chicago
Wei, W., Wang, J., Hu, Y., Chen, S., Liu, J."Emodin reverses resistance to gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer by suppressing stemness through regulation of the epithelial‑mesenchymal transition". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 25, no. 1 (2023): 7. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2022.11706