Mechanism of emodin enhancing chemosensitivity of pancreatic cancer cells / 中华消化外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate whether emodin enhances chemosensitivity of pancreatic cancer cells and the mechanism. Methods Normal human skin fibroblasts and pancreatic BXPC-3 cells were divided into control group, cisplatin (5 mg/L) treatment group, gemcitabine (0.5 μmol/L) treatment group, emodin (50 μmol/L)+ cisplatin (5 mg/L) co-treatment group and emodin (50 μmol/L) + gemcitabine (0.5 μmol/L) co-treatmentgroup. The cell viability was detected by MTT assay, the cell apoptosis rate by flow cytometry, the expression of the multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 ( MRP1 ), MRP2, breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) and P-glycoprotein (P-gp) mRNA in different cell lines was determined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.All data were analyzed using the t test. Results The cell viability and apoptosis rate of pancreatic BXPC-3 cells after treatment were 62.44% ± 3.42% and 27. 10% ± 4.24% in the cisplatin treatment group, and they were 30.53% ±0.05% and 66.33% ±9.37% in the emodin + cisplatin co-treatment group. There were significant differences in cell viability and apoptosis rate between the two groups (t = 13.20, 5. 35, P < 0.05 ). The cell viability and apoptosis rate of pancreatic BXPC-3 cells after treatment were 79.82% ±2.83% and 13.48% ± 1.65%in the gemcitabine treatment group, and they were 45.65% ± 2.46% and 62.74% ± 10. 18% in the emodin +gemcitabine co-treatment group. There were significant differences in cell viability and apoptosis rate between the two groups (t = 12.89, 8.28, P < 0. 05 ). There was no significant difference in the viability of normal human skin fibroblasts between the cisplatin treatment group and the emodin + cisplatin co-treatment group, and also between the gemcitabine treatment group and the emodin + gemcitabine co-treatment group (t = 2. 08, 0. 64, P >0.05 ). Expression of MRP1 mRNA was detected in pancreatic BXPC-3 cells, whereas the expression of MRP2,BCRP and P-gp mRNA was undetectable. The expression of MRP1 mRNA in pancreatic BXPC-3 cells was significantly down-regulated in the cisplatin treatment group, and cisplatin + emodin co-treatment had an additive effect on down-regulating the expression of MRP1 mRNA. Conclusion Emodin may enhance chemosensitivity of pancreatic cancer cells to cisplatin by down-regulating the expression of MRP1 mRNA.