To investigate the inhibitory effect of curcumol on the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)cells through sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectin 15(Siglec-15)and its underlying mechanism.

Bel-7402 and HepG2 cells were randomly divided into control group(normal culture), low-dose experimental group (treated with 50 μmol·L^-1 curcumol for 48 hours), and a high-dose experimental group (treated with 100 μmol·L^-1 curcumol for 48 hours). The proliferative, invasive, and migratory capacities of cells were evaluated through a combination of functional assays, including the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) method for cell viability, Transwell and wound healing assays for migration and invasion, and flow cytometry for additional cellular characteristics. The expression levels of Siglec-15, along with key molecules involved in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and protein kinase B (AKT) signaling cascade, were examined at both the messenger RNA(mRNA) and protein levels. For this purpose, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was employed to assess transcript abundance, while Western blotting was used to determine protein expression.

The cell viability rates in the control, low-dose, and high-dose experimental groups of Bel-7402 cells and HepG2 cells were (100.00±0)%, (72.09±1.07)%, (55.65±2.99)% and (100.00±0)%, (57.38±6.97)%, (44.63±6.04)%, respectively; the apoptosis rates in the corresponding groups of Bel-7402 cells and HepG2 cells were (1.87±0.05)%, (2.77±0.08)%, (4.19±0.11)% and (3.52±0.17)%, (5.46±0.11)%, (6.63±0.16)%, respectively; the wound healing rates (horizontal migration rates) in the corresponding groups of Bel-7402 cells and HepG2 cells were (39.06±0.81)%, (19.20±0.59)%, (8.34±0.89)% and (52.25±1.43)%, (21.10±1.95)%, (15.31±0.80)%, respectively; the vertical migration rates in the corresponding groups of Bel-7402 cells and HepG2 cells were (100.00±0)%, (72.40±4.34)%, (62.47±3.08)% and (100.00±0)%, (60.51±2.62)%, (40.47±2.76)%, respectively. In the control group, low-dose experimental group, and high-dose experimental group of Bel-7402 cells and HepG2 cells, the relative mRNA expression levels of Siglec-15 were 1.00±0.18, 0.89±0.01, 0.69±0.07 and 1.00±0.09, 0.90±0.04, 0.88±0.03, respectively; the relative mRNA expression levels of PI3K were 1.00±0.16, 0.80±0.12, 0.75±0.11 and 1.00±0.16, 0.93±0.08, 0.93±0.04, respectively; the relative mRNA expression levels of AKT were 1.00±0.15, 0.73±0.17, 0.52±0.11 and 1.00±0.21, 0.69±0.06, 0.27±0.05, respectively; the relative protein expression levels of Siglec-15 were 1.05±0.07, 0.91±0.09,0.84±0.07 and 0.99±0.05, 0.80±0.02, 0.64±0.04, respectively; the relative protein expression levels of PI3K were 0.96±0.09, 0.49±0.10, 0.17±0.10 and 1.01±0.03, 0.73±0.03, 0.49±0.03, respectively. The relative protein expression levels of AKT were 0.98±0.04, 0.88±0.08, 0.63±0.04 and 1.06±0.04, 0.92±0.02, 0.67±0.03, respectively. In both cell lines, compared with the control group, the differences in the above indicators between each experimental group and the control group were all statistically significant (all P<0.001).

Curcumol exerts anti-hepatocellular carcinoma effects by downregulating Siglec-15 expression and inhibiting the proliferation and migration of Bel-7402 and HepG2 hepatoma cells.