title: Effect of Combined Treatment Using Wilfortrine and Paclitaxel in Liver Cancer and Related Mechanism.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Liver cancer is a common malignant tumor with high mortality. Currently, effective medicines against liver cancer are still lacking. Paclitaxel is a wide-spectrum anti-tumor agent, while wilfortrine has been shown to have an inhibitory effect on the proliferation of liver cancer cells. This study thus investigated the potential effect of paclitaxel combined with wilfortrine on cultured liver cancer cells and related mechanisms, in order to provide evidence for pathogenesis and treatment of liver cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Liver cancer cell line HpeG2 was divided into control, paclitaxel, wilfortrine, and combined treatment groups. Cell proliferation was tested by MTT, while invasion was detected in Transwell chamber assay. Apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and Bax expression levels were further quantified using real-time PCR and Western blotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both of those 2 drugs can effectively inhibit cancer cell proliferation, depress invasion ability, increase Bcl-2 expression, and elevate Bax expression levels (p<0.05 in all cases). The combined therapy had better treatment efficacy compared to either of those drugs alone (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combined treatment using wilfortrine and paclitaxel can inhibit proliferation and invasion of liver cancer cells via down-regulating Bcl-2 and up-regulating Bax, with better efficacy than single use of either drug.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Shandong Traffic Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Shuzhen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Shandong Traffic Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; C062677:wilfortrine; D017239:Paclitaxel