AUTHOR=Ativui Selase , Danquah Cynthia A. , Ossei Paul Poku Sampene , Ofori Michael 

TITLE=Palmatine Attenuates Metastatic Lung Colonization of Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2022.853230

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2022.853230

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=Background
Circulating tumor cells have a key role in the metastatic spread of breast cancer to the lungs via the lymphatic or circulatory system. Metastatic breast cancer remains incurable. Alkaloids extracted from medicinal plants exhibit antimetastatic and antiproliferative effects on triple negative breast cancers. This study thus investigated the inhibitory activity of palmatine, a natural alkaloid on the metastatic colonization of triple negative breast cancer cells in the lungs.
Methods
4T1 triple breast cancer cells were transplanted synergically to the thoracic duct of female balb/c mice via the lymphatic system. Palmatine 1, 5 and 10 mg/kg were administered for 28 days. The lungs were analyzed for levels of arterial blood gas, histological damage, immunohistochemical expression of the metastasis-associated protein 1 (MTA1) and tumor suppressor p53 (p53).
Results
Administering palmatine 1-10 mg/kg dose dependently improved hypoxemia, ameliorated metastasis associated lung injury; histology score of 3.33 ± 0.33, 1.67 ± 0.33, 1.33 ± 0.33, decreased lung MTA1 (2.19 ± 0.12, 1.83 ± 0.04, 1.84 ± 0.05) and increased p53 expression (1.99 ± 0.06, 2.27 ± 0.12, 2.34 ± 0.12) respectively.
Conclusion 
Palmatine preserved lung morphology and demonstrated therapeutic potential in aiding treatment of lung metastasis.