Tetrandrine can alleviate inflammation and delay the growth of lung cancer during low-dose radiotherapy of non-small cell lung cancer

Abstract

This study investigated the expression of inflammatory factors in tumour tissues, monocytes and blood of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients taking tetrandrine (Tet) during low-dose radiotherapy. Sixty NSCLC patients underwent surgical resection of lung cancer after low-dose radiotherapy. Thirty patients did not take Tet (control group) and the other thirty patients took Tet during radiotherapy (experimental group). Lung cancer tissues were collected from patients, and tumour-adjacent tissues were collected as controls. Peripheral blood was collected on the morning of radiotherapy for mononuclear cell separation. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to determine mRNA expression, and Western blotting was used to measure protein expression. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine the inflammatory factor contents in liquid samples. Cell proliferation was determined via MTT assay at 24, 48 and 72 h after transfection in A549 cells. Tet reduced COX-2 mRNA in serum and blood monocytes and decreased COX-2 protein expression in monocytes from patients with radiotherapy. It decreased the release of inflammatory factors to blood after radiotherapy. Combined treatment with low-dose radiotherapy and Tet tablets reduced the expression of Ki-67 protein in tumour tissues, and decreased the release of inflammatory factors from NSCLC tissues after radiotherapy. Combined treatment with low-dose radiotherapy and Tet tablets reduced the proliferation of cancer cells possibly through reducing inflammatory factors released by tumour tissues. The study demonstrates that Tet administration during low-dose radiotherapy reduces the release of inflammatory factors by NSCLC tissues, and decreases tumour proliferation. Tet plays an auxiliary role in NSCLC radiotherapy.