Enhanced anti-tumor effect of liposomal Fasudil on hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro and in vivo

PLoS One. 2019 Oct 3;14(10):e0223232. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223232. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most malignant cancers and the treatment options for this disease are limited and generally not effective. ROCK has been reported to be highly expressed in many cancer types and its inhibitor Fasudil has shown anti-cancer potential. However, its high toxicity and low solubility restrict its clinical application. Here, we report that Fasudil is effective against HCC and that a liposomal formulation (Lip-Fasudil) can enhance the anti-tumor effects of this drug both in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, Fasudil inhibited HCC cell growth with IC50 values of 0.025-0.04 μg/μL, with Lip-Fasudil showing slightly improved cytotoxicity with IC50 values of 0.02-0.025 μg/μL. Cellular mechanistic analysis indicated that Fasudil induced cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and that Lip-Fasudil enhanced this effect. Intriguingly, no apoptosis was detected in Fasudil- or Lip-Fasudil-treated HCC cells. In vivo, Fasudil inhibited the growth of HCC xenografts by 23% in nude mice. However, Lip-fasudil exerted anti-tumor effects (57% tumor inhibition) that were superior to those of Fasudil and similar to those of Topotecan (66%). In addition, Lip-fasudil resulted in an increased distribution of Fasudil in tumor tissues but a reduced distribution in normal organs. In conclusion, our results proved that Fasudil has the potential to be used for HCC treatment and that a liposomal formulation (Lip-Fasudil) could enhance anti-tumor efficacy and reduce systemic toxicity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine / analogs & derivatives*
  • 1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine / pharmacology
  • 1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine / therapeutic use
  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / drug therapy*
  • Cell Cycle Checkpoints / drug effects
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Liposomes
  • Liver Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
  • ras Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Liposomes
  • 1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • ras Proteins
  • fasudil

Grants and funding

This work was financially supported by the National Science Foundation of China (81370058 and 81572723 to Chuanrui Xu, and 81872253 to Lei Li) and Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province of China (2015CFB611 to Ying Zhao). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.