Abstract
AbstractIn this study we investigated the antineoplastic effects of Berberine (BBR)-mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) on HeLa cells and its related mechanisms. The CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry were used to evaluate the proliferation and apoptosis of cells respectively. In addition, changes in protein expression levels were assessed using western blot. BBR at dose of 10 mg/kg was injected intraperitoneally to mice with tumors and PDT treatments were performed 24 hours later.In vivoimaging systems were used to evaluate the fluorescence of BBR.In vitro, PDT significantly enhanced the effects of BBR on inducing cell apoptosis and inhibiting proliferation. Thein vivoresults showed that the fluorescence intensity in the PDT group was decreased compared with that in the BBR group. Tumor weights and tumor size in the PDT group were less than those in the control group; however, when BBR was applied without PDT, no significant differences were observed between the BBR and control group. The results of western blot showed that PDT enhanced the inhibitory effects of BBR on the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, that may partly explain the potential underlying mechanisms.
Highlights
In this study we investigated the antineoplastic effects of Berberine (BBR)-mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) on HeLa cells and its related mechanisms
In vivo fluorescence measurements showed that the fluorescence intensity of BBR was reduced in the BBR-PDT group compared with the BBR group, which indicated that BBR was activated by the 405 nm laser and photobleaching occurred after PDT (Figure 3A)
Tumor size and weight in the BBR-PDT group were significantly reduced compared with the control group (P < 0.05); BBR without PDT showed no significant differences compared with the control groups (Figure 3B,C and D)
Summary
Abstract: In this study we investigated the antineoplastic effects of Berberine (BBR)-mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) on HeLa cells and its related mechanisms. PDT significantly enhanced the effects of BBR on inducing cell apoptosis and inhibiting proliferation. The results of western blot showed that PDT enhanced the inhibitory effects of BBR on the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, that may partly explain the potential underlying mechanisms. The antitumor effects of BBR, including inhibition of tumor cell proliferation, invasiveness and metastasis, induction of apoptosis, and its influence on cell growth cycle and signaling pathways, have been widely observed in various tumor models [1,2,3,4]. The antitumor effects of BBR-PDT on HeLa cells were evaluated in vitro and in vivo using a mouse xenograft model. The effects of BBR on the PI3K (Phosphoinositol 3 kinase)- AKT (protein kinase B)- mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) signaling pathway was investigated
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
