Cinnamaldehyde Enhances the Sensitivity of Gastric Cancer Cells to Oxaliplatin by Regulating the PI3K/AKT Pathway

Abstract

Gastric cancer is the second leading cause of all cancer-related deaths. While chemotherapy is still the main treatment option for patients with advanced gastric cancer, it at times leads to drug resistance and treatment failure. Therefore, there is an urgent need for better pharmacotherapeutics. Cinnamaldehyde is a bioactive component of cinnamon that has been reported to exhibit a variety of biological functions, including antitumor activity with a variety of cancer types. However, its possible effect on gastric cancer remains to be explored. Herein, we have successfully constructed oxaliplatin-resistant gastric cancer cells and shown that cinnamaldehyde could enhance the inhibitory effects of oxaliplatin on cell viability, and stimulate apoptosis in gastric cancer cells. We further found that cinnamaldehyde could regulate PI3K/AKT pathway, and further enhance the sensitivity of gastric cancer cells to oxaliplatin. Therefore, cinnamaldehyde could serve as a promising therapeutic agent for drug resistant gastric cancer.