Synergistic antitumor effects of tanshinone IIA and sorafenib or its derivative SC-1 in hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of hepatic malignancy in the world. We aimed to determine the effect of tanshinone IIA (Tan-IIA) in combination with sorafenib or its derivative SC-1 on cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and metastasis in human HCC cells. Materials and meth...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:OncoTargets and therapy 2018-01, Vol.11, p.1777
Main Authors: Chiu, Chien-Ming, Huang, Sung-Ying, Chang, Shu-Fang, Liao, Kuan-Fu, Chiu, Sheng-Chun
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Apoptosis
Cancer
Cancer metastasis
Carcinoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma
Sorafenib
Stem cells
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Summary:Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of hepatic malignancy in the world. We aimed to determine the effect of tanshinone IIA (Tan-IIA) in combination with sorafenib or its derivative SC-1 on cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and metastasis in human HCC cells. Materials and methods: Cytotoxicity was detected by MTT assay. Apoptosis and sub-G1 populations were analyzed by flow cytometry. Cell migration and invasion were evaluated by Transwell assay. Protein expression was detected by Western blot. Results: Tan-IIA combined with sorafenib or SC-1 exerted synergistic cytotoxicity in HCC cells. Elevated proportions of sub-G1 and caspase activation were observed in the combinative treatments; in addition, marked inhibition of cell migration and invasion, which could be mediated by the modulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition was observed. pSTAT3 levels were significantly reduced as well. Conclusion: A combination therapy using Tan-IIA and sorafenib or SC-1 could be a promising approach to target HCC, and further preclinical investigations are warranted to establish their synergetic advantage. Keywords: tanshinone IIA, hepatocellular carcinoma, sorafenib, SC-1, STAT3, metastasis, combination therapy
ISSN:1178-6930
1178-6930
DOI:10.2l47/OTT.S161534