title: Combination therapy increases the efficacy of docetaxel, vinblastine and tamoxifen in cancer cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Developing novel strategies to increase the efficacy of chemotherapy is an urgent need. We investigated the impact of combination therapy with docetaxel, or vinblastine with tamoxifen in inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 and H1299 cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cell proliferation was assessed by MTT assay and the percentage of apoptotic cells was measured using DAPI staining.
  
  
  METHODS
  Statistical analysis was performed by one-way ANOVA using SPSS software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Vinblastine or docetaxel induced higher percentage of apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells than H1299 cells (P < 0.05). Tamoxifen exhibited the highest percentage of cell death in H1299 cells (P < 0.05). Treatment of both cell lines with combination of docetaxel and vinblastine or tamoxifen showed enhanced apoptotic and anti-proliferative effects (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combination therapy of breast and lung cancer cell lines using docetaxel or vinblastine with tamoxifen synergistically increases the anti-proliferative affect of single agents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences; Department of Biochemistry and Clinical Laboratories, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Nasser
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Samadi
authors.forename: Parisa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ghanbari
authors.forename: Mahsa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohseni
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tabasinezhad
authors.forename: Simin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharifi
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nazemieh
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Rashidi
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D000077143:Docetaxel; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000494:pharmacology*; D043823:Taxoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D043823:Taxoids; D013629:Tamoxifen; D000077143:Docetaxel; D014747:Vinblastine