Berberine inhibits cell growth via Wnt/beta-catenin signaling in glioma

Glioma is a common intracranial tumor, and the prognosis is poor, although much management is put into use. It has been reported that the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway is associated with glioma. In the present study, berberine was investigated as an antineoplastic drug that inhibits Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway in growth of glioma cells in vitro. The results indicate that berberine inhibits cell proliferation and induces cell apoptosis. The expression levels of Wif-1 mRNA and protein in negative control (NC) cells were decreased significantly compared with berberine treated cells. Subsequent investigation revealed that berberine suppressed the activity of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway and beta-catenin/TCF-4 transcription. Furthermore, expression of apoptosis-related protein Bcl-2 indicates cell apoptosis significantly. This study provides the first evidence that berberine reactivates Wif-1 from an inactive state and downregulates the canonical Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway. The findings identify berberine as an effective agent for glioma in vitro and may be a new therapeutic option in vivo.