Morin Inhibits Ovarian Cancer Growth through Inhibition of NF-κB Signaling Pathway.

Ovarian cancer has the highest mortality in gynecological tumors with no effective therapeutic drugs as a result of drug-resistance for long-term utilization. Morin has been reported to possess powerful anti-tumor effects in several cancers. The present study aims to investigate whether Morin could influence ovarian cancer growth and the underlying mechanisms.Morin was administered to cultured cells in vitro and formed tumors in vivo. MTT and colony formation assays were conducted to explore the effects of Morin on proliferation and colony formation of OVCAR3 and SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells. Western blot, RT-qPCR, immunofluorescence as well as ELISA were used to detect protein and mRNA expression of target factors. Tumor formation was performed to investigate the tumorigenesis ability of drug-treated cells.The proliferation and colony size of OVCAR3 and SKOV3 were significantly decreased after Morin administration. The expression of NF-κB and inflammatory cytokines IL6/8 induced by TNF-α can be inhibited by Morin. Furthermore, Morin inhibited the volume of ovarian cancer tumor in nude mice.Morin effectively alleviates ovarian cancer growth, inhibits inflammatory response and reduces tumor size via modulation of NF-κB pathway.