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Synergistic Effects of Arsenic Trioxide and Silibinin on Apoptosis and Invasion in Human Glioblastoma U87MG Cell Line

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Abstract

Patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) have poor therapeutic outcomes despite their current therapy. In an attempt to increase the efficacy of therapy for GBM, we studied the efficacy of arsenic trioxide (ATO), a newly introduced treatment for glioma, combined with silibinin, a natural polyphenolic flavonoid, in the GBM cell line, U87MG. The combination therapy synergically inhibited metabolic activity, cell proliferation, and gelatinase A and B activities; it also increased apoptosis. Additionally, it decreased the mRNA level of cathepsin B, uPA, matrix metalloproteinase-2 and 9, membrane type 1-MMP, survivin, BCL2, CA9; it increased mRNA level of caspase-3. Altogether, these results showed that ATO and silibinin in some cases improved and/or complemented the anticancer effects. This study may supply insight into the design of new combination cancer therapies to cells intrinsically less sensitive to routine therapies and suggested a new combination therapy for the highly invasive human glioma treatment.

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Acknowledgment

The authors would like to acknowledge Majid Momeny for his assistances and advices. This study was supported by a grant from Hematology, Oncology and stem cell therapy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

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None declared.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Shariati Hospital, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Majid Zaki Dizaji, Mohsen Malehmir, Ardeshir Ghavamzadeh, Kamran Alimoghaddam & Seyed H. Ghaffari

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  1. Majid Zaki Dizaji
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  2. Mohsen Malehmir
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  3. Ardeshir Ghavamzadeh
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Correspondence to Seyed H. Ghaffari.

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Dizaji, M.Z., Malehmir, M., Ghavamzadeh, A. et al. Synergistic Effects of Arsenic Trioxide and Silibinin on Apoptosis and Invasion in Human Glioblastoma U87MG Cell Line. Neurochem Res 37, 370–380 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-011-0620-1

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