Thermal cycling-hyperthermia in combination with polyphenols, epigallocatechin gallate and chlorogenic acid, exerts synergistic anticancer effect against human pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cells

PLoS One. 2019 May 31;14(5):e0217676. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217676. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Hyperthermia (HT) has shown feasibility and potency as an anticancer therapy. Administration of HT in the chemotherapy has previously enhanced the cytotoxicity of drugs against pancreatic cancer. However, the drugs used when conducting these studies are substantially conventional chemotherapeutic agents that may cause unwanted side effects. Additionally, the thermal dosage in the treatment of cancer cells could also probably harm the healthy cells. The purpose of this work was to investigate the potential of the two natural polyphenolic compounds, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and chlorogenic acid (CGA), as heat synergizers in the thermal treatment of the PANC-1 cells. Furthermore, we have introduced a unique strategy entitled the thermal cycling-hyperthermia (TC-HT) that is capable of providing a maximum synergy and minimal side effect with the anticancer compounds. Our results demonstrate that the combination of the TC-HT and the CGA or EGCG markedly exerts the anticancer effect against the PANC-1 cells, while none of the single treatment induced such changes. The synergistic activity was attributed to the cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and the induction of the ROS-dependent mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. These findings not only represent the first in vitro thermal synergistic study of natural compounds in the treatment of pancreatic cancer, but also highlight the potential of the TC-HT as an alternative strategy in thermal treatment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Catechin / analogs & derivatives*
  • Catechin / pharmacology
  • Cell Cycle Checkpoints / drug effects
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Chlorogenic Acid
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Drug Synergism*
  • Humans
  • Hyperthermia, Induced
  • Mitochondria / drug effects
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / pathology
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Polyphenols / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Polyphenols
  • Chlorogenic Acid
  • Catechin
  • epigallocatechin gallate

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants from Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST 105-2112-M-002-006-MY3 to CYC) and Ministry of Education (MOE 106R880708 to CYC) of the Republic of China. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.