Evodiamine Suppresses Survival, Proliferation, Migration and Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition of Thyroid Carcinoma Cells

Background/aim The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of evodiamine alone or in combination with chemotherapeutic agents on thyroid carcinoma cells. Materials and methods TPC-1 and SW1736 thyroid carcinoma cells were used. Cell viability, cytotoxic activity, apoptosis and migration were examined by applying appropriate methods. Drug combination analysis was performed. Results Evodiamine treatment of cells decreased cell viability, and Bcl2 and phospho-AKT protein levels. Cytotoxic activity and the percentage of apoptotic cells increased. After co-treatment of wortmannin, cell viability, and phospho-AKT and Bcl2 protein levels decreased, and cytotoxic activity increased. In transforming growth factor-β-treated cells, evodiamine attenuated variations in morphology, growth and migration, and increased p21 and p53 protein levels, and decreased β-catenin, N-cadherin, vimentin, phospho-AKT, matrix metalloproteinase-2 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 protein levels. When cells were treated with both evodiamine and chemotherapeutic agents, all combination index values were lower than 1.0. Conclusion Evodiamine was cytotoxic towards thyroid carcinoma cells, and repression of AKT reinforced evodiamine-induced cytotoxicity. Furthermore, evodiamine ameliorated proliferation, migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and synergized with chemotherapeutic agents.