BackgroundDose-related toxicity is the major restriction of cisplatin and cisplatin-combination chemotherapy, and is a challenge for advanced gastric cancer treatment. We explored the possibility of using Paris saponin I as an agent to sensitize gastric cancer cells to cisplatin, and examined the underlying mechanism.Material/MethodsGrowth inhibition was detected by MTT assay. The cell cycle and apoptosis were detected using flow cytometry and Annexin V/PI staining. The P21waf1/cip1, Bcl-2, Bax, and caspase-3 protein expression were detected using Western blot analysis.ResultsThe results revealed that PSI sensitized gastric cancer cells to cisplatin, with low toxicity. The IC50 value of cisplatin in SGC-7901 cell lines was decreased when combined with PSI. PSI promoted cisplatin-induced G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis in a cisplatin concentration-dependent manner. Bcl-2 protein expression decreased, but Bax, caspase-3, and P21waf1/cip1 protein expression increased with PSI treatment.ConclusionsThe underlying mechanism of Paris saponin I may be related to targeting the apoptosis pathway and cell cycle blocking, which suggests that PSI is a potential therapeutic sensitizer for cisplatin in treating gastric cancer.
Acquired resistance to epidermal growth factor inhibitors has been reported to be associated with cross‑resistance to radiation. Paris Saponins (PSs) exert a wide range of pharmacological activities, including cell apoptosis induction, multidrug resistance inhibition, angiogenesis inhibition and tumor cell migration by modulating various signaling pathways. The present study aimed to investigate the radiosensitization effects of PSII, PSVI and PSVII in a gefitinib‑resistant PC‑9‑ZD lung adenocarcinoma cell line, and the possible mechanism underlying their function. A clonogenic assay was performed to determine the effects of PS radiosensitization on the PC‑9‑ZD cell line. The cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytometry, and cell apoptosis was analyzed with Annexin V/propidium iodide and Hoechst staining. Protein expression levels were detected by western blotting. The results of the present study revealed a significant increase in PC‑9‑ZD cell line radiosensitivity following treatment with PSs. PSs induced G2/M cell cycle phase arrest and apoptosis of the irradiated PC‑9‑ZD cells. Notably, the expression levels of B cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl‑2) were downregulated, and those of caspase‑3, Bcl‑2‑associated X protein (Bax) and p21/Waf1/Cip1 were upregulated following treatment with PSs. The present results demonstrated that PSs induced radiosensitivity in gefitinib‑resistant cells by inducing G2/M phase arrest and by enhancing the apoptotic response via the modulation of caspase‑3, Bax, Bcl‑2 and p21/Waf1/Cip1 expression.
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