Mechanistic Study of Inhibitory Effects of Atorvastatin and Docetaxel in Combination on Prostate Cancer

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the effects and mechanisms of docetaxel and atorvastatin administered individually or in combination on prostate cancer cells.

Materials and methods: Cell growth and apoptosis were determined by the trypan blue exclusion assay and morphological assessment of cells was performed with propidium iodide. NF-κB activity was determined by luciferase reporter gene assay and the western blot assay was used to determine the levels of Bcl-2, phospho-Akt, VEGF, and phospho-Erk1/2.

Results: Results showed that following pre-treatment with cholesterol, resistance of PC-3 prostate cancer cells to docetaxel was increased. The combination of docetaxel with atorvastatin potently inhibited growth and induced apoptosis in PC-3 cells. Mechanistic studies indicated that induction of apoptosis in PC-3 cells was associated with significant decreases in the levels of Bcl-2, VEGF, phosphor-Akt, and phosphor-Erk1/2.

Conclusion: Treatment with cholesterol decreased the sensitivity of prostate cancer cells to docetaxel. Docetaxel in combination with cholesterol-lowering drugs such as atorvastatin may be an effective strategy for inhibiting the growth of prostate cancer.

Keywords: Combination treatment; atorvastatin; docetaxel; prostate cancer.