Coptis Chinensis affects the function of glioma cells through the down-regulation of phosphorylation of STAT3 by reducing HDAC3

Background Glioma remains the most common cause of brain cancer-related mortality. Glioma accounts for 50–60% of brain cancer. Due to their low toxicity and infrequent side effects, traditional herbs have been increasingly popular. Coptis Chinensis is commonly used in cancer treatment in combination with other Chinese Medicine herbs. However, little is known about its biological functions and mechanisms in glioma cells. Methods In this study, the anti-glioma cell effect of Coptis Chinensis was determined using the 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) method, plate clone test, scratch tests, flow cytometry, western blotting and a glioma xenograft tumor model. Results The results showed that Coptis Chinensis significantly suppressed glioma cell proliferation, tumor formation, migration and tumor growth, and prolonged the survival time of glioma cell-bearing mice. The flow cytometry result showed that Coptis Chinensis induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in glioma cells. Western blotting showed that Coptis Chinensis down-regulated the Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) phosphorylation levels and reduced the expression of Histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) and caspase 3. Conclusions Coptis Chinensis can inhibit various aspects of glioma cell functions. This study provides favorable scientific evidence for the potential use of natural products such as Coptis Chinensis in the clinical treatment of patients with glioma.