Abstract
Cisplatin (DDP) represents one of the common drugs used for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), but side effects associated with DDP and drug resistance lead to the failure of treatment. This study aimed to understand whether tanshinone IIA (tan IIA) and DDP could generate a synergistic antitumor effect on ESCC cells. Tan IIA and DDP are demonstrated to restrain ESCC cell proliferation in a time- and dose-dependent mode. Tan IIA and DDP at a ratio of 2:1 present a synergistic effect on ESCC cells. The combination suppresses cell migration and invasion abilities, arrests the cell cycle, and causes apoptosis in HK and K180 cells. Molecular docking indicates that tan IIA and DDP could be docked into active sites with the tested proteins. In all treated groups, the expression levels of E-cadherin, β-catenin, Bax, cleaved caspase-9, P21, P27, and c-Fos were upregulated, and the expression levels of fibronectin, vimentin, Bcl-2, cyclin D1, p-Akt, p-ERK, p-JNK, P38, COX-2, VEGF, IL-6, NF-κB, and c-Jun proteins were downregulated. Among these, the combination induced the most significant difference. Our results suggest that tan IIA could be a novel treatment for combination therapy for ESCC.
Highlights
Esophageal cancer (EC) represents the sixth most deadly cancer [1]
Tan tanshinone IIA (IIA) and DDP Synergistically Inhibit the Growth of the Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) Cells
C19H18O3 and a molecular mass of 294.344420 g/mol proliferation of ESCC cells, and we found that both tanshinone IIA (tan IIA) and (Figure 1A)
Summary
Esophageal cancer (EC) represents the sixth most deadly cancer [1]. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) accounts for the majority of EC and is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in China [2]. The clinical approach for ESCC is surgical treatment combined with chemoradiotherapy. Chemotherapy is a critical treatment for ESCC and has been shown to provide specific therapeutic effects [3, 4]. Cisplatin (DDP)-based chemotherapy is the standard first-line treatment for ESCC [5]. The 5-year overall survival rate remains very poor, and side effects and acquired drug resistance remain major clinical obstacles that must be overcome in order to achieve successful treatment [6,7,8]
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