Abstract 243
Background
Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy. So far, the clinical therapeutic effect is quite poor under the condition of platinum-based chemotherapy, and enhancing the therapeutic effect of platinum-based drugs (carboplatin, etc) could be important to optimizing treatment.
Methods
In light of the enhanced DNA repair function which offsets the effect of carboplatin to increase the damage of DNA, we examined and discussed emodin, which is the chemical component of rhubarb that could inhibit DNA repair to overcome carboplatin resistance, increasing the sensitivity of cisplatin treatment.
Results
Compared with simple carboplatin treatment, the combination of emodin and carboplatin can significantly reduce the survival rate of SKOV3 in ovarian cancer cells, presenting a dose and time dependence. The Combination Index of the Combination of emodin and carboplatin was calculated (CI < 1), suggesting that they had significant synergistic antitumor activity. And our study found that emodin had an increase in the signals of γ-H2AX, inhibiting the expression of RAD51 in ovarian cancer cells. The further study showed that emodin increased the NADH content, inhibiting oxidative phosphorylation.
Conclusions
This study suggests that emodin could inhibit oxidative phosphorylation, suppress DNA damage repair, and increase the DNA damage of ovarian cancer cells induced by carboplatin. Emodin could be a potential sensitizer to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of carboplatin chemotherapy.
Editorial acknowledgement
Clinical trial identification
Legal entity responsible for the study
Yuhong Ge.
Funding
Has not received any funding.
Disclosure
All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.