Liensinine inhibits progression of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma by regulating TGF‐β1 /P‐smad3 signaling through HIF‐1a

Abstract Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a high‐grade malignant digestive system tumor with an insidious onset and unfavorable prognosis. Liensinine, a small molecule derived from plants, has been proven to have significant tumor suppressor activity in other cancers. However, there are no reports on whether liensinine can inhibit the proliferation or metastasis of ICC. This study aimed to explore the tumor‐suppressive activity of liensinine in ICC and its underlying mechanisms. The phenotypic changes in ICC cells were monitored in vitro using cell function tests. Western blot and immunofluorescence analyses verified the efficacy of liensinine. Tumor‐bearing nude mice were used to explore the effect of liensinine on tumors and its toxicity and side effects in vivo. Liensinine suppressed ICC cell proliferation and arrested the cell cycle at the G1 phase. The epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) of ICC cells was also inhibited, thereby restraining their invasion and migration of tumor cells. In addition, this study found that the potential mechanism of liensinine inhibiting EMT may be via suppression of the TGF‐β1/P‐smad3 signaling pathway through hypoxia‐inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF‐1a). In vivo experiments showed that liensinine inhibited the growth of Hucc‐T1 transplanted tumors in nude mice. Liensinine restrained the proliferation of ICC cells and suppressed EMT in ICC via the HIF‐1a‐mediated TGF‐β1/P‐smad3 signaling pathway.