Open Access

Anticancer effects and the mechanism underlying 2‑methoxyestradiol in human osteosarcoma in vitro and in vivo

  • Authors:
    • Xiaoyan Tang
    • Fenghua Tao
    • Wei Xiang
    • Yingchun Zhao
    • Lin Jin
    • Hai Tao
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: July 29, 2020     https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2020.11925
  • Article Number: 64
  • Copyright: © Tang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Osteosarcoma (OS) occurs in both children and adolescents and leads to a poor prognosis. 2‑methoxyestradiol (2‑ME) has a strong antitumor effect and is effective against numerous types of tumor. However, 2‑ME has a low level of antitumor effects in OS. The present study investigated the effects of 2‑ME on the proliferation and apoptosis of human MG63 OS cells. The potential biological mechanisms by which 2‑ME exerts its biological effects were also investigated in the present study. The results of the present study demonstrated that 2‑ME inhibited the proliferation of OS cells in a time‑ and dose‑dependent manner, induced G2/M phase cell cycle arrest and early apoptosis. The expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), Bcl‑2 and caspase‑3 were measured via western blotting and reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR. As the concentration of 2‑ME increased, the RNA and protein expression levels of VEGF and Bcl‑2 decreased gradually, whereas the expression of caspase‑3 increased gradually. In addition, tumor growth in nude mice was suppressed by 2‑ME with no toxic side effects observed in the liver or kidney. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that the expression levels of Bcl‑2 and VEGF were significantly lower, and those of caspase‑3 were significantly higher in test mice compared with the control group. TUNEL staining of xenograft tumors revealed that with increased 2‑ME concentration, the number of apoptotic cells also gradually increased. Thus, 2‑ME effectively inhibited the proliferation and induced apoptosis of MG63 OS cells in vitro and in vivo with no obvious side effects. The mechanism of the anticancer effect of 2‑ME may be associated with the actions of Bcl‑2, VEGF and caspase‑3.
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October-2020
Volume 20 Issue 4

Print ISSN: 1792-1074
Online ISSN:1792-1082

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Spandidos Publications style
Tang X, Tao F, Xiang W, Zhao Y, Jin L and Tao H: Anticancer effects and the mechanism underlying 2‑methoxyestradiol in human osteosarcoma <em>in&nbsp;vitro</em> and <em>in&nbsp;vivo</em>. Oncol Lett 20: 64, 2020
APA
Tang, X., Tao, F., Xiang, W., Zhao, Y., Jin, L., & Tao, H. (2020). Anticancer effects and the mechanism underlying 2‑methoxyestradiol in human osteosarcoma <em>in&nbsp;vitro</em> and <em>in&nbsp;vivo</em>. Oncology Letters, 20, 64. https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2020.11925
MLA
Tang, X., Tao, F., Xiang, W., Zhao, Y., Jin, L., Tao, H."Anticancer effects and the mechanism underlying 2‑methoxyestradiol in human osteosarcoma <em>in&nbsp;vitro</em> and <em>in&nbsp;vivo</em>". Oncology Letters 20.4 (2020): 64.
Chicago
Tang, X., Tao, F., Xiang, W., Zhao, Y., Jin, L., Tao, H."Anticancer effects and the mechanism underlying 2‑methoxyestradiol in human osteosarcoma <em>in&nbsp;vitro</em> and <em>in&nbsp;vivo</em>". Oncology Letters 20, no. 4 (2020): 64. https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2020.11925