Effect of Cordyceps sinensis on TIMP-1 secretion from mouse melanoma cell

Cordyceps sinensis is a Chinese medicinal fungus traditionally used in cancer treatments. In a previous study, we investigated the antimetastatic activity of Cordyceps sinensis (WECS) extract using liver metastatic model mice injected with B16-F0 mouse melanoma cells into the spleen. WECS reduced the number of metastatic nodules of B16-F0 cells in the liver of C57BL/6 mice, and significantly prolonged survival of the mice. Furthermore, we examined the effects of WECS on hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)-accelerated invasion of B16-F0 cells using a chemo-invasion assay in vitro. WECS was shown to significantly reduce HGF-accelerated B16-F0 cell invasion. In the present study, we investigated the effect of WECS on Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 secretion from B16-F0 cells in order to identify clues to the mechanism underlying the anti-invasive action of WECS. As a result, WECS significantly increased the secretion of TIMP-1 from B16-F0 cells. Moreover, we investigated the effect of cordycepin (3′-deoxyadenosine), a component of WECS, on TIMP-1 secretion from B16-F0 cells to potentially identify the pharmacologically active ingredient in WECS extract. Cordycepin was shown to significantly accelerate the release of TIMP-1 from cells. These findings suggest that WECS exerts anti-invasive activity, in part by increasing TIMP-1 secretion from melanoma cells, and that cordycepin potentially functions as the effective component.