β-Sitosterol enhances the anti-tumor efficacy of sorafenib in hepatocellular carcinoma via the FXR/LXR/ SREBP1/ FASN pathway.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To investigate whether β-Sitosterol (SIT) enhanced the anticarcinogenic effects of sorafenib on HCC.

Methods

The anti-tumor effects in vitro were detected using a Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, 5-ethynyl-29-deoxyuridine assay, flow cytometry, wound healing assay and tube formation assay. Blood samples were collected for in vivo biochemical and metabolomic analyses. Anticarcinogenic activity was evaluated by Masson's trichrome staining in conjunction with hematoxylin and eosin staining. Bioinformatics analyses were conducted to investigate the potential associations between lipid metabolism and HCC. Finally, the lipid- related protein expression was detected by immunohistochemical staining (IHC) and western blot (WB) analysis.

Results

In vitro studies demonstrate

SUBMITTER: Yan A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12681865 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature