Anti-proliferative and anti-migratory activity of licorice extract and glycyrrhetinic acid on papillary thyroid cancer cultures

Jacopo Manso; Loris Bertazza; Susi Barollo; Simona Censi; Decio Armanini; Caterina Mian

doi:10.1530/endoabs.101.PS2-11-01

PS2-11-01

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Endocrine Abstracts (2024) 101 PS2-11-01 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.101.PS2-11-01

ETA2024 Poster Presentations Basic thyroid cancer research-1 (10 abstracts)

Anti-proliferative and anti-migratory activity of licorice extract and glycyrrhetinic acid on papillary thyroid cancer cultures

Jacopo Manso ¹ , Loris Bertazza ² , Susi Barollo ² , Simona Censi ³ , Decio Armanini ⁴ & Caterina Mian ⁵

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Author affiliations

¹Endocrinology and Metabolism Unit, University Hospital S. Maria Della Misericordia, Oncology Area Department, Udine, Italy; ²Department Medicine (Dimed), University of Padova, Department of Medicine (Dimed), Endocrinology Unit, University of Padua, Padua, Endocrinology Unit, Department of Medicine (Dimed), University of Padua, Padua, Italy, Padova, Italy; ³Endocrinology Unit, Department of Medicine (Dimed), University of Padua, Padua, Italy; ⁴Department Medicine (Dimed), University of Padova, Padova, Italy; ⁵Operative Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine (Dimed), Endocrinology Unit, University of Padua, Padua, Department of Medicine, Padova, Italy

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is the 8th most common cancer among women overall. Licorice (Li) contains over 300 active compounds and many of them with anti-cancer properties. Glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) is a major component of Li and a mineralocorticoid receptor agonist. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential anti-proliferative effects of Li and GA on PTC cell cultures. Li extract (LE) was produced from the root and tested on BCPAP and K1 cell lines, as well as GA. We used the MTT test to investigate the anti-proliferative activity, the wound healing test for the migratory activity, and finally we analyzed cell cycle distribution, apoptosis and oxidative stress after LE or GA incubation. Both LE and GA reduced cell viability at 48 h and cell migration at 24 h in both PTC cultures. LE and GA induced cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase in the BCPAP cell line, while only LE induced it in the K1 culture. GA, but not LE, increased the apoptosis rate in both cell lines, whereas LE, but not GA, increased oxidative stress in both cultures. We produced the first evidence in the literature of the in vitro anti-proliferative and anti-migratory activity of LE and GA on PTC. In the future, a better understanding of the molecular pathways associated with LE and GA action on cancer cells will provide new molecular targets, especially in thyroid cancer treatment.