Gemcitabine combined with gum mastic causes potent growth inhibition and apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells

• Published in: Acta pharmacologica Sinica Vol. 31; no. 6; pp. 741 - 745
• Main Authors: Huang, Xin-yu, Wang, Hong-cheng, Yuan, Zhou, Li, Ang, He, Mei-lan, Ai, Kai-xing, Zheng, Qi, Qin, Huan-long
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.06.2010; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic - pharmacology; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - pharmacology; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - therapeutic use; Apoptosis - drug effects; Bax蛋白; bcl-2-Associated X Protein - metabolism; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Blotting, Western; Cell Line, Tumor; Deoxycytidine - analogs & derivatives; Deoxycytidine - pharmacology; Flow Cytometry; Genes, bcl-2; Growth Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Humans; I-kappa B Proteins - metabolism; Immunology; Internal Medicine; Mastic Resin; Medical Microbiology; NF-kappa B - metabolism; Original; original-article; Pancreatic cancer; Pancreatic Neoplasms - drug therapy; Pancreatic Neoplasms - pathology; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Resins, Plant - pharmacology; Resins, Plant - therapeutic use; Vaccine; Western印迹法; 生长抑制; 细胞凋亡; 细胞增殖; 胰腺癌; Bcl-2; pancreatic cancer; gum mastic; Bax; apoptosis; gemcitabine; NF-kappaB
• ISSN: 1671-4083; 1745-7254
• DOI: 10.1038/aps.2010.54

Aim： To investigate the antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of gemcitabine combined with gum mastic and the underlying mechanisms in human pancreatic cancer cell lines. Methods： Cell proliferation and apoptosis were examined using the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium （MTT） assay and propidium iodine staining, respectively. The expression of Bcl-2, Bax, NF-KB p65 subunit, and IKBC（ protein was measured using Western blotting. Results： Gemcitabine 0.01-100 pg/mL inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in both pancreatic cancer BxPC-3 and COLO 357 cells. Gum mastic 40 pg/mL significantly potentiated the antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of gemcitabine 10 μg/mL after 72-h treatment. When cells were treated with gemcitabine in combination with gum mastic, the IKBα level was increased, whereas NF-κB activation was blocked; the expression of Bax protein was substantially increased, but Bcl-2 protein was down-regulated. Conclusion： Gemcitabine combined with gum mastic causes potent apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells. The combination may be an effective therapeutic strategy for pancreatic cancer.