Metformin Inhibited Proliferation and Metastasis of Colorectal Cancer and presented a Synergistic Effect on 5-FU

Abstract EN

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of metformin or the combination of metformin and 5-FU on the growth and metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC).

For the in vitro experiments, HCT 116 and SW1463 cell lines were treated with metformin or the combination of metformin and 5-FU.

Cell proliferation and invasion were analyzed by CCK-8, colony formation, and transwell assay, respectively.

For the in vivo experiments, the CRC xenograft nude mice model was used to observe the effects of metformin or combined with 5-FU on tumor growth and metastasis.

Metformin significantly inhibited the proliferation and invasion of HCT116 and SW1463 cells in vitro, which showed synergetic effects to 5-FU.

In CRC xenograft nude mice, metformin alone and metformin combined with 5-FU treatment significantly inhibited tumor cell proliferation and tumor metastasis.

In summary, metformin played an inhibitory role in the proliferation and metastasis of CRC and had a synergistic effect with 5-FU.

Metformin may be a potentially effective anti-metastatic drug or an anticancer adjuvant agent for treating CRC.