Lupeol-Loaded Nanoparticles Enhance the Radiosensitivity of Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Inhibiting the Hyperactivation in Raf/Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase and Phospatidylinositol-3 Kinase/mTOR Pathways

J Biomed Nanotechnol. 2021 Nov 1;17(11):2247-2258. doi: 10.1166/jbn.2021.3194.

Abstract

Radioresistance limits the effectiveness of radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma. Raf and PI3K signaling cascades promote the formation of radioresistance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Lupeol has anticancer activity despite itspoor solubility in water and is toxic effect on normal tissue. In this study, nanoparticles (lupeol-NPs) were constructed using PEG-PLGA diblock copolymer vector, and results revealed that Lupeol-NPs reversed the radioresistance of hepatocellular carcinoma by inhibiting cellular proliferation and cell-cycle progression and promoting cellular apoptosis through blocking Raf/MAPK and PI3K/Akt signal transduction in radioresistant Huh-7R cells. In vivo, Lupeol-NPs combined with radiotherapy inhibited the growth of radioresistant hepatocellular carcinoma in a xenogenic nude mouse model. Ki-67 proliferation index decreased significantly (p < 0.05). We conclude that Lupeol-NPs can increase the sensitivity of radioresistant hepatocellular carcinoma to radiotherapy through inhibiting the Raf and PI3K signal cascades.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* / drug therapy
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Liver Neoplasms* / drug therapy
  • Mice
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
  • Nanoparticles*
  • Pentacyclic Triterpenes
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • Radiation Tolerance
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases

Substances

  • Pentacyclic Triterpenes
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
  • lupeol