ABSTRACT
The purpose of this research is to investigate the effects and mechanisms of paeonol (PL), a phenolic compound found in many traditional Chinese formulations, on reversing drug resistance in the ovarian cancer resistant SKOV3/DDP cells. The results showed that PL had significant drug-resistant reversal effect on SKOV3/DDP cells. Flow cytometry showed that PL could inhibit P-glycoprotein (P-gp) function in a concentration-dependent manner. Fluorescent quantitative PCR and cell immunofluorescence techniques were used to detect mechanisms of action. Results revealed that both the inhibitory effect on MDR1/P-gp and metadherin (MTDH) expression and the induction effect on phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), by 15, 30, and 60 μmol·L-1 PL, were increased with increased concentrations of PL (P P -1 PL treated group; however, the inhibition or induction effect on MTDH or PTEN protein were only comparable to the 15 μmol·L-1 PL treated group. The present study shows that the effect of PL on SKOV3/DDP cells may be related to the inhibition of P-gp function and expression, the inhibition of MDR1, MTDH expression, and the induction of PTEN expression, all which can provide a theoretical foundation for PL as a drug resistance reversal agent on the treatment of ovarian cancer chemotherapy resistance.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE To detect the reversal effect of Guizhi Fuling Wan on cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer SKOV3/DDP cells and its relationship with protein expression of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and metadherin (MTDH). METHODS Guizhi Fuling Wan (GFW) concentrated solution was prepared according to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2015 edition, Wistar rats were given GFW viagavage at 4 g·kg-1·d-1,8 g·kg-1·d-1,16 g·kg-1·d-1,or given saline as blank control for 5 days.Blood samples were taken and the corresponding drug-containing low-dose sera, medium-dose sear, high-dose sera and blank sera were prepared.The XCELLigence RTCA S16 real-time label-free cell analyzer was used to detect the reversal effect by the sera combined with cisplatin or paclitaxel in SKOV3/DDP cells. Annexin V-FITC and PI double-staining were used to detect the apoptosis-inducing effect of the sera in the cells. RT-qPCR and western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression of PTEN and MTDH after the cells treated with the sera. RESULTS The inhibition rate of low-dose sera against SKOV3/DDP cells was less than 5%.After the low-dose sera combined with cisplatin or pacli-taxel, the IC50 of SKOV3/DDP cells against cisplatin and paclitaxel decreased by 3.01 and 1.79-fold, respectively.The total apoptosis rates induced by the low-dose sera,medium-dose sear,high-dose sera and blank sera in SKOV3/DDP cells were 11.08±0.13,19.42±0.30,24.23±0.31,and 3.21±0.24,respec-tively; there was a significant difference between the groups (P<0.01). RT-qPCR results showed that, compared with the blank serum, the sera can up-regulate the expression of PTEN mRNA and down-regulate the expression of MTDH mRNA in a dose-dependent manner. Western blot results showed that the induction effect to PTEN protein and the inhibition effect to MTDH protein by the sera were gradually enhanced with thesera dose increasement. CONCLUSION The resistance reversal effect of Guizhi Fuling Wan on ovarian cancer SKOV3/DDP cells may be related to the inhibition of MTDH, up-regulation of PTEN and induction of apoptosis, providing with an experiment basis for the applica-tion of Guizhi Fuling Wan as a reversal agent for chemotherapy resistance of ovarian cancer.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of medicines for activating blood and reinforcing Qi on the number of new micro-vessels and the protein expressions of VEGF and bFGF in the infarcted myocardium edge area of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) model in rats.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The AMI model of rats was established. After the successful model establishment, rats were randomly divided into the sham-operated group, the model group, the Danshen-Huangqi (1 : 2) group, the Danshen-Huangqi (1 : 1) group, the Chuanxiong-Huangqi (1 : 2) group, the Danshen group, the Chuanxiong group, the Chishao group and the Shexiang Baoxin pill group, with five rats in each group. Rats in each medicated group were orally administered with drugs as per 13.5 g x kg(-1) x d(-1) once everyday for three weeks. The immunohistochemical SP method was adopted to detect the expression of vWF in myocardial tissues, and count the number of micro-vessels (MVC). The protein expression of VEGF and bFGF in myocardial tissues were determined by Western blot.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The new micro-vessels stained by vWF factor could be found in the infarcted myocardium edge area of the sham-operated group, the model group and all of medicated groups. The sham-operated group show unobvious new micro-vessels in myocardial tissues. A small amount of new micro-vessels could be seen in the infarcted myocardium edge area of the model group. Whereas a larger number of micro-vessels could be seen in the infarcted myocardium edge area of all of medicated groups. The differences between the sham-operated group and the model group had statistical significance (P < 0.05). The differences between each medicated group and the model group had statistical significance as well (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The lowest protein expression of VEGF and bFGF was found in myocardium of the sham-operated group, with the statistical significance compared with the model group (P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, each medicated group showed significant increase in the protein expression of VEGF and bFGF, with the statistical significance between them (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The Danshen group, the Chuanxiong group, the Chishao group, the Danshen-Huangqi (1 : 2) group, the Danshen-Huangqi (1 : 1) group and the Chuanxiong-Huangqi (1 : 2) group show the effect in promoting angiogenesis. Their mechanism for promoting angiogenesis may be related to the improvement of the protein expressions of VEGF and bFGF, so as to increase the contents of VEGF and bFGF and promote the angiogenesis of new vessels.</p>