Propolis Component ‘Exerts Antimetastatic Potential’

Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester Inhibits Invasion and Expression of Matrix Metalloproteinase in SK-Hep1 Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells by Targeting Nuclear Factor Kappa B
Genes & Nutrition, Issue Volume 2, Number 4

Abstract: Numerous studies have shown that the levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and/or MMP-9 are associated with the invasive phenotypes of cancer cells.

This study investigated the effects of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), a chemopreventive phytochemical derived from honeybee propolis, on the invasive phenotype of SK-Hep1 human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (SK-Hep1 cells).

CAPE effectively suppressed SK-Hep1 cell invasion in a dose-dependent manner. The constitutive expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in SK-Hep1 cells was almost completely abolished by treatment with 12.5 μM CAPE. CAPE also significantly inhibited nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) DNA-binding activity in SK-Hep1 cells.

These results taken together suggest that CAPE exerts antimetastatic potential through inhibition of MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression, possibly by targeting NF-κB in hepatocellular carcinoma.