Emodin sensitizes paclitaxel-resistant human ovarian cancer cells to paclitaxel-induced apoptosis in vitro.
Ovarian cancer has the highest mortality rate among gynecologic malignancies in the world, and the development of drug resistance is a major impediment toward successful treatment of the desease. Emodin has been reported to sensitize human tumor cells to chemotherapeutic agents. The present study investigated whether emodin could overcome chemoresistance of A2780/taxol cells. Cells were treated with different concentration of emodin alone or combined with paclitaxel, then the cell viability was measured by MTT and the apoptosis was determined by flow cytometric analysis. The changes of mRNA and protein were examined by QRT-PCR and Western blotting. The function of P-glycoprotein was also determined by flow cytometry. The results showed that emodin induced apoptosis alone at a high concentration and increased paclitaxel-induced apoptosis at a low concentration. It enhanced the sensitivity of A2780/taxol cells to paclitaxel with down-regulation of P-glycoprotein, XIAP and survivin. Taken together, the results demonstrated a dual role for emodin in the inhibition of drug resistant ovarian tumor growth by increasing paclitaxel cellular concentration and re-sensitizing the resistant cells to paclitaxel. Our results suggest the possibility of an innovative chemotherapeutic strategy that uses emodin in combination with paclitaxel to increase the sensitivity of tumor cells.
Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Shandong 250012, P.R. China.
Juan
J
Li
Peishu
P
Liu
Hongluan
H
Mao
Ancong
A
Wanga
Xiaolei
X
Zhang
D018435:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B; D020168:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D004642:Emodin / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D000077022:Survivin; D051636:X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein / Q000378:metabolism
C513055:ABCB1 protein, human; D018435:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B; D020168:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1; C107489:BIRC5 protein, human; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000077022:Survivin; D051636:X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein; C496866:XIAP protein, human; D004642:Emodin; D017239:Paclitaxel