Background and objective: Cisplatin is a standard first-line chemotherapeutic agents for treating advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Unfortunately, the clinical application cisplatin is restricted because it induces serious adverse reaction. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence and probable mechanism of berberine on cisplatin antineoplastic effect on lung cancer A549 cells.
Methods: The total Cx43 protein amount, localization of Cx43 on cell membrane, and gap junction function were observed after the A549 cells were treated with berberine. The influence of berberine on the antitumor action of cisplatin was detected by standard colony-forming assay. Protein kinase C (PKC) protein, which regulates the gap junction, was subsequently determined.
Results: Berberine did not affect cell survival at concentrations of 0 μM to 10 μM in the A549 cells. The gap junction function between the cells was enhanced through increased Cx43 protein expression and localization of Cx43 on the membrane after berberine treatment. The intercellular dye coupling through gap junction increased when the cells exposed to 0.1 μM, 1 μM, 10 μM berberine [33.3% (P=0.002,3), 67.0% (P<0.001), 160.0% (P<0.001)] compared withcontrols. This effect was associated with the PKC activity. The cisplatin-induced inhibition of colony growth was enhanced when berberine was combined with cisplatin.
Conclusions: Berberine can obviously increase the antitumor effect of cisplatin by enhancing the function of the gap junction possibly in A549 cells. .
背景与目的 以顺铂为基础的化疗方案是晚期非小细胞肺癌的一线化疗方案，但是由于顺铂的不良反应严重及耐药性的产生均限制了它的临床应用，本研究采用联合用药的方式观察黄连素对顺铂抗肿瘤作用的影响，并探讨其可能机制。方法 分别观察黄连素对肺腺癌细胞A549细胞中总Cx43蛋白、细胞膜Cx43蛋白的表达以及细胞缝隙连接功能的改变，通过标准细胞集落克隆实验观察黄连素对顺铂细胞毒性的影响；并观察PKC激酶的表达。结果 黄连素在0 μM-10 μM浓度范围内对细胞无毒性，通过增加细胞内总Cx43蛋白和胞膜Cx43蛋白的表达而增强细胞缝隙连接功能，0.1 μM、1 μM、10 μM黄连素可以显著增强细胞间的荧光传递，与空白对照组相比，黄连素预处理后的细胞间荧光传递功能分别增加了33.3% (P=0.002,3)、67.0% (P<0.001)、160.0% (P<0.001)，这种作用与PKC的活性被抑制相关，抑制PKC活性可以进一步增加顺铂对A549细胞的毒性作用。结论 黄连素可通过增加A549细胞的缝隙连接功能而明显增强顺铂的细胞毒性。.