Fatostatin inhibits the development of endometrial carcinoma in endometrial carcinoma cells and a xenograft model by targeting lipid metabolism.

Endometrial carcinoma is a type of gynecological cancer that originates in the endometrial epithelial tissue. Due to its high proliferation and ability to invade muscle tissue, it is one of the most common malignant tumors in the female reproductive system. Fatostatin is a small molecule non-sterol diarylthiazole derivative that acts as a chemical inhibitor of the sterol regulatory-element binding protein (SREBP) pathway. Previous studies have shown that fatostatin has an anti-tumor effect in some cancers. In this study, we investigated the effect of fatostatin on the growth, proliferation, apoptosis, migration and cell cycle of human endometrial carcinoma cells (HEC-1A and AN3 CA cells) using cholecystokinin (CCK) −8 method, clonogenicity assay, wound closure assay, Transwell migration assay and flow cytometer. We also examined its effect on the expression of apoptosis-associated protein (Caspase-3, Caspase-8 and Caspase-9) and level of lipid metabolism-related proteins, free fatty acid, and total cholesterol in cells. The growth of endometrial carcinoma xenografts was measured to confirm the effect of fatostatin in vivo. Our results showed that fatostatin inhibited the growth and proliferation of human endometrial carcinoma cells, changed their cell cycle and induced apoptosis. Based on the preliminary animal experiments, fatostatin also exhibited antitumor activity. The present study adds a new dimension to our understanding of the antitumor effects of fatostatin and provides an experimental basis for its use, and supports its potential value for clinical application.