Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Arctigenin-induced reversal of drug resistance in cisplastin-resistant cell line A549/DDP, and the mechanism involved

Jiaping Li^1,2, Xinlu Tao², Zheng Tao², Yan Zhang², Shiying Zheng¹

¹Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, Jiangsu; ²Department of Thoracic Surgery, Yijishan Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu 241000, Anhui, China.

For correspondence:- Shiying Zheng Email: kzsyz2@163.com

Accepted: 28 November 2019 Published: 31 December 2019

Citation: Li J, Tao X, Tao Z, Zhang Y, Zheng S. Arctigenin-induced reversal of drug resistance in cisplastin-resistant cell line A549/DDP, and the mechanism involved. Trop J Pharm Res 2019; 18(12):2545-2550 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v18i12.12

© 2019 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the drug resistance reversal effect of arctigenin (ARG) on cisplatin-insensitive A549/DDP cancer cells, and to elucidate the underlying mechanism(s).

Methods: Four groups of cells: control, DDP, ARG and ADP were used. The degrees of inhibition of proliferation, drug resistance and apoptotic changes were measured using MTT assay, CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry, respectively. expressions of PTEN and STAT3 proteins were determined by Western blotting.

Results: At ARG concentration of 5 μmol/L, A549/DDP cells were significantly inhibited (p < 0.05). The combination therapy was more effective in reversing A549/DDP cells resistance than the single therapy. The expression level of PTEN protein increased with increase in ARG concentration, while STAT3 protein expression decreased with increase in ARG concentration. ADP group up-regulated PTEN but decreased STAT3 expression levels.

Conclusion: ARG regulates drug resistance in A549/DDP cells, possibly via a mechanism involving reduction of A549/DDP cell sensitivity to DDP, thereby regulating the stress pathways associated with PTEN and STAT3. The combination of ARG and DDP effectively reduces A549/DDP cells resistance.

Keywords: Arctigenin, Non-small cell lung cancer, Drug resistance