Background: Heparin is a polysulfated glycosaminoglycan that has been shown to have antiproliferative and apoptotic effects in addition to its anticoagulant effects.
Materials and methods: The present work investigated the effects of unfractioned heparin (UFH) on cell growth and apoptosis in four oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cell lines and the mechanism(s) underlying its actions using MTT assay, Annexin-V-FITC and Western blotting.
Results: Treatment with UFH resulted in significant reduction in cell viability and increase in apoptosis in three of the four tested cell lines. Further, such treatment resulted in a significant decrease in phosphorylated AKt, and consequently led to activation of the mitochondrial pathway in heparin-sensitive cells. Moreover, pretreatment with UFH significantly increased the apoptosis induced by cisplatin.
Conclusion: These findings indicate that heparin induces apoptosis through suppression of AKt, and suggest a potential utility of heparin for development of less toxic chemotherapy in treatment of oral SCC.