ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE：To study the reversal effect of quercetin on human cervical squamous carcinoma cisplatin-resistant cell line SiHa/DDP. METHODS ：The drug resistance index of cisplatin to SiHa/DDP cells ，and the reversal resistance multiple of quercetin to SiHa/DDP cells were determined. The effects of quercetin （0.005 μg/mL），cisplatin（2.5 μg/mL），cisplatin combined with quercetin （2.5 μg/mL cisplatin+0.005 μg/mL quercetin），quercetin combined with pathway inhibitor（0.005 μg/mL quercetin+ 20 nmol/L rapamycin ）on the apoptotic rate of SiHa/DDP cells were investigated ，as well as its effects on the expression of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）/mammalian rapamycin target protein （mTOR） signaling pathway related proteins （PI3K，Akt，mTOR，P-gp，p70S6K）. RESULTS ：The resistance index of cisplatin to SiHa/DDP cells was 5.19， and reversal resistance multiple of quercetin to SiHa/DDP cells was 4.00. Compared with cisplatin alone and quercetin alone ， cisplatin combined with quercetin ，quercetin combined with rapamycin could significantly increase the apoptotic rate of SiHa/DDP cells（P＜0.05），while decreased the phosphorylation of Akt ，mTOR and p 70S6K protein as well as the expression of P-gp protein （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS ：Quercetin can effectively reverse drug resistance of SiHa/DDP cells to cisplatin ，which may be associated with inhibiting the expression of the protein related to PI 3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.
