Objective  We investigated the effects of evodiamine (Evo) on the migration, invasion, proliferation, and apoptosis of glioblastoma (GBM) cells and explored the relevant molecular mechanisms.

Methods  Tumor tissue from 26 GBM patients and normal brain tissues from 10 patients resected at the Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University from February 2022 to February 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. RhoA expression in GBM tissues and its relationship with clinicopathological features in GBM patients were evaluated. A-172 and U-118 GBM cells, were used as experimental models. The study included four groups: a control group transfected with empty vector, an Evo group transfected with empty vector and treated with 30 μmol/L Evo, a RhoA group transfected with pcDNA3.1-RhoA, and an Evo+RhoA group given 30 μmol/L Evo and transfected with pcDNA3.1-RhoA. The effect of Evo on the malignant behaviors of A-172 and U-118 cells was analyzed using cell function experiments. Western blot was used to detect the effect of Evo on the protein expressions of RhoA, ROCK, MMP-2 and CyclinD1.

Results RhoA is highly expressed in GBM tissues. Compared with the control group, group Evo significantly inhibited the proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion of A-172 and U-118 cells, induced cell apoptosis, and inhibited the protein expression of RhoA, ROCK, MMP-2 and CyclinD1 (P<0.05). However, group Evo+RhoA could reverse the effect of Evo on the proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis of GBM cells, and reverse the inhibitory effect on the expression of related proteins in GBM cells.

Conclusions Evo has been shown to effectively suppress malignant behaviors of GBM cells. The mechanism may be related to the downregulation of RhoA expression.