Quercetin Inhibits Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma by Inducing Ferroptosis and Inhibiting Invasion via the NF-κB Pathway

Abstract

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a rare, highly fatal hepatobiliary malignancy, with very limited treatment options and, consequently, a poor prognosis. Recently, emerging evidence has suggested the potential of quercetin (QE) for use in cancer therapy. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether QE could inhibit ICC. The effects of QE on the proliferation, apoptosis, and invasion of ICC were analyzed in vitro. The inhibitory effect of QE on ICC was also verified in vivo. The RNA sequence was applied to explore the mechanism of QE. Functional verification was also performed after RNA sequencing using activators and inhibitors of nuclear factor-kappa-B (NF-[Formula: see text]B) and ferroptosis. The results showed that QE could inhibit the proliferation and survival of ICC cells, induce the arrest of ICC cells in the G1 phase, promote the apoptosis of ICC cells, and inhibit the invasion of ICC cells. Furthermore, QE could promote ferroptosis in ICC cells by inhibiting the NF-[Formula: see text]B pathway. In conclusion, QE is a new ferroptosis inducer and NF-[Formula: see text]B inhibitor that can not only induce ferroptosis, but also inhibit the invasion of ICC cells, providing a prospective strategy for the treatment of ICC.