Objective To explore the effect of icaritin on proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion of human tongue squamous cell CAL-27 and its possible mechanism.

Methods Human tongue squamous cell CAL-27 was treated with icaritin at concentrations of 0, 10, 20 and 40 μmol/L, respectively. Cell proliferation was detected by CCK-8 assay and clonal formation assay; cell migration was detected by scratch test; the apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry; the Transwell assay was used to detect cell migration and invasion. Molecular docking was used to predict the binding effect of icaritin to the target gene of tongue squamous cell carcinoma, which was verified by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR).

Results The median inhibitory concentration (IC50) of icaritin on CAL-27 cells was 33.37 μmol/L for 24 h and 15.57 μmol/L for 48 h. Compared with 0 μmol/L concentration of icaritin, the clonal formation rate of CAL-27 cells at 40 μmol/L concentration was significantly decreased, and the apoptosis rate was significantly increased (P < 0.001). When icaritin concentration increased, the number of CAL-27 for migration and invasion was dose-dependently inhibited; the relative expression levels of AR, ESR1, PRKACA and PTGS2 decreased in a dose-dependent manner.

Conclusion Icaritin can inhibit the proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis of human tongue squamous cell CAL-27, and the mechanism may be related to the effect of icaritin on the expression of AR, ESR1 and PRKACA in cell CAL-27.