Icaritin (SNG162) promotes apoptosis and inhibits proliferation by regulating IL-6/STAT3 signals in a novel preliminarily identified canine malignant melanoma cell line

Abstract Background Malignant melanoma is one of the most common tumors in canines. Although there are radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments, clinical outcomes for most patients remain poor. To change this situation, novel study models are needed for understanding the biology of malignant melanoma and developing new chemotherapy drugs. Canine cancer cell lines constitute crucial scientific tools, but there are few canine melanoma cell lines available. Icaritin (SNG162), an active compound from Epimedium, has anticancer functions against breast cancer, lung cancer, glioblastoma and leukemia in humans, while its anticancer effects on canine melanoma remain unclear. Methods In this study, we preliminary characterize a novel canine melanoma cell line, Melan-C, and explore the anti-canine melanoma effects and potential mechanisms of SNG162. Results The Melan-C cell line comprises fast-growing cells with a population doubling time (PDT) of 52.5 h. In Melan-C, CDH1 expression was significantly low or even absent, while Melan-A expression was dramatically high. The mRNA of IL-6 and STAT3 were higher in Melan-C than in MDCK and CMT7364. Next, we investigated the cytotoxicity of SNG162 to Melan-C cells. The results showed that SNG162 effectively inhibited the growth of the cells in vitro within a certain concentration range. Additionally, SNG162 was able to induce Melan-C cell apoptosis and activate caspase-3 to increase the expression of cleaved caspase-3. Conclusions The anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects of SNG162 are likely mediated by the inhibition of IL-6/STAT3 pathways. Therefore, the isolation and establishment of the Melan-C cell line is of great importance for screening such drugs as SNG162 considered in the present study.