Berberine inhibits metastasis of ovarian cancer by blocking lipid metabolism, alleviating aging of adipose tissue and increasing tumor infiltrating immune cells

作者：Xiaojie Zhang, Bing Xiong, Yujie Cheng, Jimei Huang, Jiaying Xue, Xiao Li, Wei Lu, Jihui Zhu, Lian Wang, Weihong Yang, Zhongping Cheng · 发表于：Translational Oncology · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1016/j.tranon.2025.102380 · 被引用次数：11 · 研究领域：Berberine and alkaloids research、Cancer, Lipids, and Metabolism、Cancer Mechanisms and Therapy

Extensive peritoneal metastasis and malignant ascites continue to pose substantial challenges in achieving favorable treatment outcomes for ovarian cancer. Berberine (BBR), an active component of numerous traditional Chinese herbs, has demonstrated potent anti - tumor effects across various malignancies, including ovarian cancer. In this study, we comprehensively evaluated the impact of BBR on the growth and metastasis of ovarian cancer both in vitro and in vivo. RNA - sequencing was employed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Specifically, we investigated lipid metabolism and mitochondrial function in ovarian cancer cells and mice, comparing BBR - treated and untreated groups. Additionally, CIBERSORT analysis and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining were utilized to confirm BBR's ability to enhance the infiltration of tumor-infiltrating immune cells into adipose tissue and improve the inflammatory tumor microenvironment. Our findings indicate that BBR significantly inhibits the growth and metastasis of ovarian cancer in vitro and in vivo. The effects can be attributed to two key processes. Firstly, BBR suppresses the lipid metabolism by downregulating lipid uptake related receptor CD36, lipid metabolic enzyme and mitochondrial function. Secondly, BBR alleviates the aging of adipose tissue and adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs), thereby decreasing the secretion of senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). These ultimately lead to the increasing the improvement of t...