Objective: To study the antitumor effects and associated mechanisms of extract of the Smilax china L. rhizome (SCR) on ovarian cancer cells.
Methods: Ovarian cancer cells A2780 were treated with different concentrations of SCR extract (SCRE), and compared with controls. Effects on cell growth were evaluated by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay; proliferation effects by EdU incorporation assay; cell cycle by propidium iodide staining; apoptosis by annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide; cellular distribution of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) by immunofluorescence; protein levels of NF-κB, caspase-3, poly-adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-ribose polymerase (PARP), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), cellular inhibitor of apoptosis (cIAP)-1, anti-X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), B-cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-XL), B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and AKT by Western blotting; and effects of SCRE combined with cisplatin or adriamycin on A2780 cells by CCK-8 assay.
Results: SCRE suppressed A2780 cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05,P<0.01), arrested cells in G2/M phase and induced apoptosis by activating caspase-3, PARP and Bax. SCRE treatment also correlated with inhibition of NF-κB and downregulation of Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, cIAP-1, XIAP and AKT. SCRE can promote chemosensitivity to cisplatin and adriamycin in A2780 cells (P<0.01).
Conclusion: SCR effectively inhibits NF-κB, induces apoptosis and reduces chemoresistance to cisplatin and adriamycin in ovarian cancer cells, which might be its molecular basis for treating ovarian cancer.
Keywords: A2780 cells; G2/M arrest; Smilax china L. rhizome; apoptosis; chemosensitivity; nuclear factor-κB.