Anticancer effect of tetrandrine on primary cancer cells isolated from ascites and pleural fluids.
OBJECTIVE
The present study was designed to examine the effect of tetrandrine on primary cancer cells isolated from the ascites or pleural fluids of patients with metastatic cancers.


METHODS
Primary cancer cells were isolated from the pleural fluids (n=13) or ascites (n=21) of patients. Compared with culture cell lines, the response of these cancer cells to tetrandrine and chemotherapeutic agents commonly used in clinical practice were determined by WST-8 assay. Tetrandrine-induced apoptosis in primary cancer cells was determined by Annexin V-FITC assay. Quantitative RT-PCR was used to examine the role of apoptotic associated genes in the anticancer effect of tetrandrine.


RESULTS
The primary cancer cells isolated from effusions showed sensitivity to tetrandrine with IC50 values of 38.23+/-25.77microM, similar to the IC50 in established cell lines. Patients with gastric cancers were more sensitive to tetrandrine than patients with lung cancers (P=0.04). Four cancer cells isolated from effusions were resistant to tetrandrine, which also had increased tolerance to docetaxel, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil. We also observed a weak but significant correlation between sensitivity to tetrandrine and cellular expression of bcl-2 (P=0.035, r=-0.364).


CONCLUSIONS
Using cancer cells isolated from the ascites or pleural fluids, this study shows the potential anticancer effect of tetrandrine against primary cancer cells.
Liu
Baorui
B
Department of Oncology, Drum Tower Hospital Affiliated to Medical School of Nanjing University and Clinical Cancer Institute of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
Wang
Tingting
T
Qian
Xiaoping
X
Liu
Guangxia
G
Yu
Lixia
L
Ding
Yitao
Y
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D044182:Benzylisoquinolines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D016066:Pleural Effusion, Malignant / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D013997:Time Factors
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D044182:Benzylisoquinolines; C009438:tetrandrine