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Baicalin reduces the stemness potential of hepatoblastoma rather than hepatocellular carcinoma and improves its chemo-sensitivity

  • Guo-Ping He1,
  • Xiao-Zhi Liu2,
  • Na Xue2,
  • Tian Yu2,
  • Yan-Xia Li2,
  • Chun-Yan Zhang2,* and
  • Hua-Qing Wang3,4,*
 Author information 

Abstract

Introduction

Hepatoblastoma (HB) is the most common malignant liver tumor in children. Although surgery and chemotherapy have greatly improved the survival rate of children, the emergence of chemotherapy resistance still threatens the survival of most patients. Baicalin (Ba) is a kind of flavonoid bioactive substance with strong anti-tumor effect, but the effect of Ba on HB remains to be explored. Therefore, studying the effect and mechanism of Ba on HB may provide new opportunities for improving chemotherapy resistance.

Objective

To explore the effect and mechanism of Ba on the anti-tumor effect and cisplatin sensitivity of HB cell line Hep G2 and hepatocellular carcinoma cell line Hep 3B.

Methods

The anti-tumor effects of Ba on Hep G2 and Hep 3B cells and its influence on cisplatin sensitivity were evaluated by phenotypic experiments; Western blotting and colony formation assay are used to detect the influence of Ba on the stemness potential of two cell lines; Finally, the effect of Ba on the sensitivity of Hep G2 tumor-bearing mice to cisplatin was further verified in vivo.

Results

Ba can significantly inhibit the malignant phenotype and stemness potential of Hep G2 in vitro, and increase its sensitivity to cisplatin, but it has no effect on Hep 3B. Further mechanism studies have shown that Ba can inhibit the clone ball formation of Hep G2 cells and down-regulate the expression of Oct4 and Sox2 proteins, but this effect has not been found in Hep 3B cell lines. Further in vivo verification showed that Ba increases the sensitivity of Hep G2 tumor-bearing mice to cisplatin.

Conclusion

Our study confirms the important role of Ba in HB chemotherapy resistance. Ba increases its chemotherapeutic sensitivity to cisplatin by reducing the stemness of HB cells, and this effect is selective for tumor types and has no effect on hepatocellular carcinoma.

Keywords

baicalin, hepatoblastoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, cisplatin, chemotherapy sensitivity, Oct4, Sox2

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He GP, Liu XZ, Xue N, Yu T, Li YX, Zhang CY, et al. Baicalin reduces the stemness potential of hepatoblastoma rather than hepatocellular carcinoma and improves its chemo-sensitivity. Gastroenterol & Hepatol Res. 2021;3(3):13. doi: 10.53388/ghr2021-09-036.
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Article History
Received Revised Accepted Published
September 12, 2021
DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.53388/ghr2021-09-036
  • Gastroenterology & Hepatology Research
  • eISSN 2703-173X
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Baicalin reduces the stemness potential of hepatoblastoma rather than hepatocellular carcinoma and improves its chemo-sensitivity

Guo-Ping He, Xiao-Zhi Liu, Na Xue, Tian Yu, Yan-Xia Li, Chun-Yan Zhang, Hua-Qing Wang
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