Triptolide circumvents drug-resistant effect and enhances 5-fluorouracil antitumor effect on KB cells.
Triptolide, a diterpenoid triepoxide derived from the Chinese herb Tripterygium wilfordii, exerts an antitumor effect in KB cancer cells through the induction of apoptosis. In this study, we show that triptolide possesses an anticancer effect on drug-sensitive parental KB cells and multidrug-resistant KB-7D and KB-tax cells that overexpress multidrug resistance protein and MDR, respectively. Our data revealed that triptolide decreases the expression of multidrug resistance protein and MDR in both KB-7D and KB-tax cells. It also induces apoptosis in these multidrug-resistant cancer cells by activating caspase-3, and decreasing Mcl-1 and XIAP. Triptolide not only inhibits tumor growth but also induces apoptosis of these drug-resistant cancer cells in xenograft mouse models. Moreover, we also show that triptolide combined with 5-fluorouracil could be an alternative strategy for chemotherapy enhancement. These results indicate the therapeutic value of triptolide on multidrug-resistant cells, and when combined with 5-fluorouracil for the enhancement of cancer therapy.
Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Yuan-Wu
YW
Chen
Gu-Jiun
GJ
Lin
Yi-Ping
YP
Chuang
Wei-Tso
WT
Chia
Dueng-Yuan
DY
Hueng
Chih-Kung
CK
Lin
Shin
S
Nieh
Huey-Kang
HK
Sytwu
D020168:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D004224:Diterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / Q000187:drug effects; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004852:Epoxy Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007624:KB Cells; D064549:Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein; D010616:Phenanthrenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D051636:X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism
D020168:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1; D004224:Diterpenes; D004852:Epoxy Compounds; C579094:Mcl1 protein, mouse; D064549:Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein; D010616:Phenanthrenes; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051636:X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein; C001899:triptolide; D053148:Caspase 3; D005472:Fluorouracil