Tetrandrine sensitizes nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells to irradiation by inducing autophagy and inhibiting MEK/ERK pathway

Abstract Radioresistance was the main reason for local recurrence and metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Tetrandrine is reported as an antitumor drug via inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. In this study, the radiosensitization effects of maximum noncytotoxic doses of tetrandrine in nasop...

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Main Authors: Jun Wang, Zhouzhou Yao, Xiaoping Lai, Hongwei Bao, Yue Li, Shuaixiang Li, Lihong Chang, Gehua Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2020-10-01
Series:Cancer Medicine
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.3356
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author Jun Wang
Zhouzhou Yao
Xiaoping Lai
Hongwei Bao
Yue Li
Shuaixiang Li
Lihong Chang
Gehua Zhang
author_facet Jun Wang
Zhouzhou Yao
Xiaoping Lai
Hongwei Bao
Yue Li
Shuaixiang Li
Lihong Chang
Gehua Zhang
author_sort Jun Wang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Radioresistance was the main reason for local recurrence and metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Tetrandrine is reported as an antitumor drug via inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. In this study, the radiosensitization effects of maximum noncytotoxic doses of tetrandrine in nasopharyngeal carcinoma were analyzed both in vitro and in vivo, using MTT assay, western blot, TUNEL, and HE staining. It was found that the maximum dose of tetrandrine inhibited the phosphorylation of ERK and MEK induced by irradiation, and significantly enhanced irradiation‐induced cell growth inhibition in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells CNE1, CNE2, and C666‐1. The ERK activator and overexpression of ERK reversed the radiosensitization effect of tetrandrine. About 50 mg/kg of tetrandrine which was used as the maximum noncytotoxic dose of tetrandrine in vivo, enhanced the radiosensitivity of the xenograft tumor and increased the apoptosis rate of the xenograft tumor cells caused by irradiation, while did not raise the side effect of the treatment. Moreover, tetrandrine increased autophagy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. These results suggested that the maximum noncytotoxic dose of tetrandrine sensitized nasopharyngeal carcinoma to irradiation by inhibiting MEK/ERK pathway and inducing autophagy.
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spelling doaj-art-609bbaf16f4d4812b2f967b0af0b5d2b2025-08-20T02:50:06ZengWileyCancer Medicine2045-76342020-10-019197268727810.1002/cam4.3356Tetrandrine sensitizes nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells to irradiation by inducing autophagy and inhibiting MEK/ERK pathwayJun Wang0Zhouzhou Yao1Xiaoping Lai2Hongwei Bao3Yue Li4Shuaixiang Li5Lihong Chang6Gehua Zhang7Department of Otolaryngology‐Head & Neck Surgery The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen University Guangzhou ChinaDepartment of Otolaryngology‐Head & Neck Surgery The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen University Guangzhou ChinaDepartment of Otolaryngology‐Head & Neck Surgery The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen University Guangzhou ChinaDepartment of Otolaryngology‐Head & Neck Surgery The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen University Guangzhou ChinaDepartment of Otolaryngology‐Head & Neck Surgery The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen University Guangzhou ChinaDepartment of Otolaryngology‐Head & Neck Surgery The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen University Guangzhou ChinaDepartment of Otolaryngology‐Head & Neck Surgery The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen University Guangzhou ChinaDepartment of Otolaryngology‐Head & Neck Surgery The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen University Guangzhou ChinaAbstract Radioresistance was the main reason for local recurrence and metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Tetrandrine is reported as an antitumor drug via inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. In this study, the radiosensitization effects of maximum noncytotoxic doses of tetrandrine in nasopharyngeal carcinoma were analyzed both in vitro and in vivo, using MTT assay, western blot, TUNEL, and HE staining. It was found that the maximum dose of tetrandrine inhibited the phosphorylation of ERK and MEK induced by irradiation, and significantly enhanced irradiation‐induced cell growth inhibition in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells CNE1, CNE2, and C666‐1. The ERK activator and overexpression of ERK reversed the radiosensitization effect of tetrandrine. About 50 mg/kg of tetrandrine which was used as the maximum noncytotoxic dose of tetrandrine in vivo, enhanced the radiosensitivity of the xenograft tumor and increased the apoptosis rate of the xenograft tumor cells caused by irradiation, while did not raise the side effect of the treatment. Moreover, tetrandrine increased autophagy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. These results suggested that the maximum noncytotoxic dose of tetrandrine sensitized nasopharyngeal carcinoma to irradiation by inhibiting MEK/ERK pathway and inducing autophagy.https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.3356autophagyMEK/ERK pathwaynasopharyngeal carcinomaradiosensitizationtetrandrine
spellingShingle Jun Wang
Zhouzhou Yao
Xiaoping Lai
Hongwei Bao
Yue Li
Shuaixiang Li
Lihong Chang
Gehua Zhang
Tetrandrine sensitizes nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells to irradiation by inducing autophagy and inhibiting MEK/ERK pathway
Cancer Medicine
autophagy
MEK/ERK pathway
nasopharyngeal carcinoma
radiosensitization
tetrandrine
title Tetrandrine sensitizes nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells to irradiation by inducing autophagy and inhibiting MEK/ERK pathway
title_full Tetrandrine sensitizes nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells to irradiation by inducing autophagy and inhibiting MEK/ERK pathway
title_fullStr Tetrandrine sensitizes nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells to irradiation by inducing autophagy and inhibiting MEK/ERK pathway
title_full_unstemmed Tetrandrine sensitizes nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells to irradiation by inducing autophagy and inhibiting MEK/ERK pathway
title_short Tetrandrine sensitizes nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells to irradiation by inducing autophagy and inhibiting MEK/ERK pathway
title_sort tetrandrine sensitizes nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells to irradiation by inducing autophagy and inhibiting mek erk pathway
topic autophagy
MEK/ERK pathway
nasopharyngeal carcinoma
radiosensitization
tetrandrine
url https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.3356
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