Coadministration of Paclitaxel and Curcumin in Nanoemulsion Formulations To Overcome Multidrug Resistance in Tumor Cells

• Published in: Molecular pharmaceutics Vol. 6; no. 3; pp. 928 - 939
• Main Authors: Ganta, Srinivas, Amiji, Mansoor
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 01.06.2009
• Subjects: Antineoplastic Agents - administration & dosage; Antineoplastic Agents - pharmacology; Apoptosis - drug effects; Blotting, Western; Cell Line, Tumor; Curcumin - administration & dosage; Curcumin - pharmacology; Drug Resistance, Multiple - drug effects; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm - drug effects; Flow Cytometry; Humans; In Situ Nick-End Labeling; Molecular Structure; NF-kappa B - antagonists & inhibitors; Paclitaxel - adverse effects; Paclitaxel - pharmacology; nanoemulsions; paclitaxel; combination therapy; Multidrug resistance; SKOV3 ovarian adenocarcinoma cells; curcumin
• ISSN: 1543-8384; 1543-8392
• DOI: 10.1021/mp800240j

Development of multidrug resistance (MDR) against a variety of conventional and novel chemotherapeutic agents is a significant challenge in effective cancer therapy. Over the last several years, we have focused on a multimodal therapeutic strategy to overcome tumor MDR by enhancing the delivery efficiency to the tumor mass and lowering the apoptotic threshold by modulation of the intracellular signaling mechanisms. In this study, we have examined augmentation of therapeutic efficacy upon coadministration of paclitaxel (PTX) and curcumin (CUR), an inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) as well as a potent down-regulator of ABC transporters, in wild-type SKOV3 and drug resistant SKOV3TR human ovarian adenocarcinoma cells. PTX and CUR were encapsulated in flaxseed oil containing nanoemulsion formulations. The results showed that the encapsulated drugs were effectively delivered intracellular in both SKOV3 and SKOV3TR cells. CUR administration was shown to inhibit NFκB activity and down regulate P-glycoprotein expression in resistant cells. Combination PTX and CUR therapy, especially when administered in the nanoemulsion formulations, was very effective in enhancing the cytotoxicity in wild-type and resistant cells by promoting the apoptotic response. Overall, this cotherapy strategy has significant promise in the clinical management of refractory diseases, especially in ovarian cancer.