u-PA inhibitor amiloride suppresses peritoneal metastasis in gastric cancer

Abstract

Abstract Background Peritoneal metastasis in gastric cancer represents a ubiquitous human health problem but effective therapies with limited side effects are still lacking. Although previous research suggested that u-PA was involved in some tumor metastasis such as lung-specific metastasis, the role of u-PA for peritoneal metastasis in gastric cancer is still unclear. The aim of this study was to explore whether selective pharmacological blockade of u-PA is able to affect the peritoneal metastasis of gastric cancer both in vivo and in vitro. Methods In the present study, we evaluated the effects and explored the anti-tumor mechanisms of amiloride, a selective u-PA inhibitor, on a panel of gastric cancer cell lines and in a murine model of human gastric cancer MKN45. Results The study showed that amiloride significantly inhibited the tumor growth and prolonged the survival of the tumor-bearing mice. In vitro, compared with controls, amiloride could not only significantly down-regulate the mRNA expression and protein level of u-PA from MKN45 cells with dose dependence but also inhibit the adhesion of HMrSV5 cells, migration and invasion of MKN45 cells. Conclusions The findings in our current report provide evidence that selective u-PA inhibitor amiloride has potent effects against peritoneal metastasis in gastric cancer, suggesting its possible therapeutic value for the treatment of gastric cancer.