Genomic and GeneChip expression profiling reveals the inhibitory effects of Amorphophalli Rhizoma in TNBC cells

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Amorphophalli Rhizoma has been widely used as an adjuvant treatment for advanced or metastatic breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, hepatoma, and malignant lymphoma, but its molecular mechanism of action for treatment of metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is generally poorly understood. Aim of the study: To investigate genomic changes related to the inhibitory effect of Amorphophalli Rhizoma and to elucidate the molecular mechanism of this inhibition in MDA-MB-231 TNBC cells. Materials and methods: Gene chip analysis was employed to explore genomic changes caused by Amorphophalli Rhizoma in TNBC cells. Potential classical signaling pathways, upstream regulators, functions, regulatory effects and gene interaction networks were analyzed by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA). Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and RNA interference (RNAi) assays were used to clarify the roles of potential target genes. Results: In total, 536 significantly upregulated and 648 significantly downregulated genes were identified between the group treated with Amorphophalli Rhizoma extract and that treated with vehicle. Many of these differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in TNBC cells are involved in DNA replication, recombination and repair, the cell cycle, and cellular assembly and organization. Attenuation of KNL1, OLFML2A, RTKN2 and SGO1 gene expression by Amorphophalli Rhizoma significantly induced cell cycle arrest and suppressed cell proliferation and migration. Conclusions: The inhibitory effects of Amorphophalli Rhizoma in TNBC cells likely occur through regulation of the spindle checkpoint, chromosomal and centrosomal instability, and cell membrane stability.