Pro-apoptotic and cell cycle arrest effect of Aspongopus chinensis decoction on hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related death. Aspongopus chinensis is an edible and medicinal insect that exhibits anti-cancer activity. We aimed to explore the inhibitory effect of A. chinensis decoction (ACD) on HCC cell growth and the action mechanism. ACD significantly decreased HepG2 cell proliferation in a time- and dose-dependent manner. After RNA sequencing, 33 upregulated and 43 downregulated miRNAs, together with 754 upregulated and 863 downregulated mRNAs were identified. ACD regulated target gene expression via miRNAs. Enriched signalling pathways included axon guidance, Hippo, MAPK, Rap1, and Ras. ACD significantly inhibited cell cycle progression, increased cell apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner, and inhibited tumour growth in mice. In conclusion, miRNAs might play a prominent role in the ACD-induced inhibition of HCC by regulating cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. These findings could inform further clinical studies on ACD as a treatment for HCC.