In the current study, nine amide alkaloids, including two new dimeric amides and a new natural product, were identified from Piper nigrum. Among them, seven compounds sensitized paclitaxel-resistant cervical cancer cells HeLa/PTX to paclitaxel. Piperine was a major component obtained from Piper nigrum, and its sensitization mechanism was investigated. Combination treatment enhanced cell apoptosis, which was mediated by downregulation of phospho-Akt and Mcl-1. Piperine (50 μM) combined with paclitaxel (200 nM) downregulated Mcl-1 protein expression with a decrease of 35.9 ± 9.5% ( P < 0.05). Moreover, overexpression of Mcl-1 attenuated the inhibitory effect of this combination. Furthermore, combination treatments of six dimeric amide alkaloids and paclitaxel all downregulated Mcl-1 protein expression with a decrease ranging from 23.5 ± 9.7% to 41.7 ± 7.2% ( P < 0.05). We reveal, for the first time, that dimeric amide alkaloids from plants possess a remarkable sensitization effect on cancer cells to paclitaxel.
Keywords: Mcl-1; alkaloid; apoptosis; chemoresistance; paclitaxel.