The medicinal fungusAntrodia cinnamomearegulates DNA repair and enhances the radiosensitivity of human esophageal cancer cells.
This study investigated the adjunctive effects ofAntrodia cinnamomeamycelial fermentation broth (AC-MFB), a Taiwanese medicinal fungus, in enhancing the radiosensitivity of esophageal cancer cells. Human CE81T/VGH squamous and BE3 adenocarcinoma esophageal cancer cells were used in this study. A colony formation assay showed that pretreatment withAC-MFB decreased the survival of irradiated esophageal cancer cells, with a maximum sensitizer enhancement ratio of 1.91% and 37% survival. A DNA histogram study showed thatAC-MFB pretreatment enhanced cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase, the most radiosensitive phase. An immunofluorescence assay and a Western blotting assay showed thatAC-MFB delayed the abrogation of γ-H2AX, upregulated p21 expression, and attenuated the radiation-induced phosphorylation of ataxia telangiectasia-mutated kinase and checkpoint kinase 2. An in vivo validation study showed thatAC-MFB treatment tended to have a synergistic effect with radiation on the tumor growth delay of CE81T/VGH cells in BALB/c mice. These data suggest that this edible fungus product could enhance the effect of radiotherapy against esophageal cancer.
Department of Oncology, Division of Radiation Oncology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital; School of Medicine, Institute of Traditional Medicine, National Yang Ming University, Taipei; School of Medicine, National Yang Ming University, Taipei.
Yu-Ming
YM
Liu
Department of Chemical and Material Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan City.
Yu-Kuo
YK
Liu
Department of Oncology, Division of Radiation Oncology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital; School of Medicine, National Yang Ming University, Taipei.
Ling-Wei
LW
Wang
Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital; School of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung.
Yu-Chuen
YC
Huang
Department of Oncology, Division of Radiation Oncology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital; School of Medicine, National Yang Ming University, Taipei.
Pin-I
PI
Huang
School of Medicine, Institute of Traditional Medicine, National Yang Ming University, Taipei.
Tung-Hu
TH
Tsai
School of Medicine, Institute of Traditional Medicine, National Yang Ming University, Taipei; Department of Radiation Oncology, MacKay Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
Yu-Jen
YJ
Chen
G2/M; fermentation broth; mycelial; p21; radiosensitization