Transcriptomic analyses unveil the mechanism of saikosaponin A in inhibiting human neuroblastoma SK-N-AS cells.

Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common pediatric malignant neoplasm. Saikosaponin A (SSa), a compound with potential therapeutic effects against this disease, inhibits the proliferation, metastasis and invasion of NB cells. However, its molecular mechanism remains elusive. The present study examined changes in gene expression in SK-N-AS NB cells after SSa administration using RNA sequencing. Subsequently, Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins were used to analyze the differentially expressed genes between the treatment and control groups. Quantitative PCR technology confirmed the expression of the identified critical genes. The results identified multiple significant biological processes, including 717 GO terms and 55 KEGG pathways, constructing a 96-gene protein-protein interaction network, with FN1 as the most relevant player in anti-NB mechanisms. The activities of SSa against NB were closely related to the regulations of the following genes: IL24, EGR1, RET, MDK, PDGFRA, HGF, VCAM1, SLIT3, CD34, FN1, COL1A1 and NCAM1. Additionally, the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway was downregulated in the KEGG enriched results. Therefore, the results of the present study improves the critical understanding of the anti-NB mechanism of SSa and lays a foundation for its clinical application against NB.