title: Melittin radiosensitizes esophageal squamous cell carcinoma with induction of apoptosis in vitro and in vivo.
abstract: Currently, unresectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is primarily treated by chemoradiotherapy. However, the outcome has not improved significantly because of radioresistance of cancer cells. This study aimed to determine the radiosensitizing effect of melittin, a novel component of bee venom, in ESCC. ESCC cell lines were irradiated with or without melittin. Cell proliferation was detected by Cell Counting Kit 8 assay. Radiosensitization was evaluated by clonogenic survival assay. Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. Results show that melittin potently sensitized ESCC cells to radiation with a sensitization enhancement ratio of 1.15-1.42. Radiosensitization was accompanied with enhanced apoptosis and regulated by apoptosis proteins. The results were confirmed by in vivo studies on tumor-bearing xenografts. In summary, these results provide support that melittin may be a potentially promising radiosensitizer in ESCC radiation therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guanzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, China.
authors.forename: Hongcheng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yangyang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Liangliang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhan
authors.forename: Zheming
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiaochen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Liping
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Hongyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Xinchen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy / Q000379:methods; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008297:Male; D008555:Melitten / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D008555:Melitten