第四章 結果
第四節 薑黃素與 Yao-ram-2-7 合併使用對肝癌細胞的影響
薑黃素已被證實可透過多種路徑誘發肝癌細胞死亡,包括活化凋 亡相關蛋白、促進細胞週期在 G2/M 期停滯使癌細胞分裂減少、誘發 與細胞自噬相關的細胞死亡(Cheng, et al., 2010; M. Notarbartolo et al., 2005)。為探討薑黃素與癌症臨床用藥合併使用是否能提高藥物敏感 性,我們過去實驗以乳癌臨床用藥 Ixabepilone 與薑黃素合併使用處 理 MCF-7 乳癌細胞,發現對癌細胞存活在合併使用下比單一使用更 為敏感,減少癌細胞存活;而文獻也指出薑黃素與臨床肝癌用藥 Doxorubicin 合併使用具有增加化療藥物敏感性及減少藥物副作用的 傷害(Sadzuka, Nagamine, Toyooka, Ibuki, & Sonobe, 2012)。以上研究 說明薑黃素可能具有輔助化學療法及有化學保護劑的潛力(A. Goel &
B. B. Aggarwal, 2010)。因 Yao-ram-2-7 具有毒殺細胞的效用,未來具 有發開為臨床用藥的可能,所以測試 Yao-ram-2-7 與薑黃素合併使用 對細胞的影響。
以 MTT assay 測試 Yao-ram-2-7、薑黃素及兩者合併使用下對肝 癌細胞 Hep 3B 生長抑制比率,並利用 Jin’s method 公式計算單一藥 物處理及合併處理細胞對細胞存活的影響,計算公式為 q = D1+2/
(D1+D2-D1×D2),D1為第一種藥物對細胞生長的抑制數,D2為第二
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種藥物對細胞生長的抑制數,D1+2則為兩種藥物合併使用,當 q 值大 於 1.15 為兩者協同(Synergism),小於 0.85 時兩者為拮抗(Antagonism),
介於 0.85 到 1.15 之間則為加乘(Additivity)(Zhou, Wang, Tang, & Ma, 1984)。Yao-ram-2-7 使用劑量為 0-10 M,薑黃素為 30 M,藥物處 理時間為 48 小時,以 MTT assay 檢測,計算出細胞生長抑制的比例 並計算 q 值。實驗結果發現(Fig. 8)單獨處理情況下,薑黃素比 Yao-ram-2-7 各濃度效果好,有顯著差異(p < 0.05)。薑黃素與
Yao-ram-2-7 合併使用,效果比單獨使用 Yao-ram-2-7 佳(p < 0.05), 但沒有比單獨使用薑黃素好,不具顯著差異(p > 0.05)。以 q 值計算,
無論 Yao-ram-2-7 的濃度為何,與薑黃素合併使用對毒殺細胞的效用 均為加乘。為進一步了解合併使用是否影響細胞凋亡或細胞週期改變,
選用 Yao-ram-2-7 劑量 10 M 及薑黃素 30 M,處理 Hep 3B 細胞 48 小時,利用 PI 染劑經流式細胞儀分析,並利用 Jin’s method 公式計算 細胞週期各分期的 q 值。實驗結果(Fig. 9)發現 Sub-G1 期百分比,
在單獨使用下,Yao-ram-2-7 比薑黃素產生 Sub-G1 的百分比多(p <
0.05);Yao-ram-2-7 與薑黃素合併使用,Sub-G1 的百分比多於單獨使 用薑黃素(p < 0.05)但少於單獨使用 Yao-ram-2-7(p < 0.05)。分析 細胞週期及計算 q 值(Table 4),在 G0/G1 期的百分比發現單獨使用 Yao-ram-2-7 最低(p < 0.05)。S 期除控制組外,其餘組別沒有統計上
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的差異。在 G2/M 期發現 Yao-ram-2-7 與控制組比較無統計差異(p >
0.05),但在經薑黃素處理後都具有 G2/M 期停滯的特徵。雖然細胞週 期各期在 q 值結果均為拮抗,但細胞毒殺試驗抑制效用為加乘,所以 薑黃素對 Yao-ram-2-7 毒殺癌細胞具有輔助作用,可能是藉由 G2/M 期停滯的影響。
當細胞接受到死亡訊息時,會啟動細胞凋亡,凋亡訊息傳導會活 化許多下游的 initiation protein,其中 caspases 系列蛋白的活化,是引 發細胞凋亡的共同的特徵。在執行凋亡時,caspase 3 是凋亡訊息傳導 中最下游的蛋白。caspase 3 被活化後會裂解,稱為 cleavage-caspase 3,
會直接影響凋亡或再進一步活化其它 caspase 蛋白或促凋亡蛋白,因 此 caspase 3 在凋亡中扮演關鍵角色(Cohen, 1997)。實驗使用
Yao-ram-2-7、薑黃素及兩者合併使用處理細胞,如同前述實驗條件,
收取 whole cell lysates,以 western blotting 方式觀察細胞內 caspase 3 的表現。結果如(Fig. 10)所示,細胞經 Yao-ram-2-7 處理,引起 cleavage-caspase 3 的表現量多於控制組,具有顯著差異(p < 0.05), 此結果也可證實 PI 染色實驗(Fig. 4),Yao-ram-2-7 藉由活化 caspase 3 蛋白以誘發細胞凋亡。但在薑黃素及合併使用這兩組,其
cleavage-caspase 3 的表現量有增多趨勢但與控制組相比並無統計差 異(p > 0.05),結果可能因薑黃素及合併使用這兩組的 Sub-G1 百分
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比較低有關(Fig. 9)。細胞自噬的產生可能左右癌細胞的生存或死亡,
而在執行自噬作用時所形成的自噬體膜上會有 LC3-II 存在,因此 LC3-II 可作為細胞自噬的指標(Tanida, Minematsu-Ikeguchi, Ueno, &
Kominami, 2005)。前節實驗已利用 AO 染劑確認 Yao-ram-2-7 處理 Hep 3B 細胞會產生酸性囊狀胞器。為確認自噬體上的 LC3-II 的表現量及 Yao-ram-2-7 合併使用薑黃素後是否對細胞自噬現象產生影響,實驗 利用 western blotting 觀察 LC3-II 蛋白的表現量。結果發現(Fig. 11),
與控制組相比,單獨 Yao-ram-2-7 處理後使 LC3-II 蛋白表現有變多趨 勢(p > 0.05),薑黃素可引起 LC3-II 表現明顯增加(p < 0.05)。在 Yao-ram-2-7 與薑黃素合併處理後,LC3-II 蛋白表現量比單一處理 Yao-ram-2-7 或薑黃素產生更多,具有顯著差異(p < 0.05)。指出 Yao-ram-2-7 合併處理薑黃素可誘發 Hep 3B 產生更劇烈的細胞自噬現 象。
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Fig. 8 Effect of Yao-ram-2-7 with or without curcumin on Hep 3B cell viability determined by MTT assay and the interaction of
Yao-ram-2-7 and curcumin determined by the value of q. Hep 3B cells
(8 ×103 cells/well) were treated with various concentrations (0, 2.5, 5, 10M) of Yao-ram-2-7 with or without 30 M curcumin for 48 h.
Percentage of inhibition on Hep 3B cells was measured by MTT assay.
The value of q indicates synergism when greater than 1.15, antagonism when smaller than 0.85, and additivity when located between 0.85 and 1.15. Data are presented as means ± SEM. Means without a common letter differ, p < 0.05. Results are representative of three independent experiments.
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Fig. 9 The effect of curcumin on Yao-ram-2-7-induced apoptosis.
Hep 3B cells (1×105 cells/well) were treated with 10 M Yao-ram-2-7 in the presence and absence of 30 M cucumin for 48h. After treatment, Hep 3B cells were stained with PI (2g/ml) for 30 min, and 10000 cells were examined by flow cytometry. The percentages indicate the
proportion of apoptotic cells. Data are presented as means ± SEM. Means without a common letter differ, p < 0.05. Results are representative of three independent experiments.
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Table 4 The percentages of cells at different phases of cell cycle in Fig. 9 and the value of q
Time (h) 48
Yao-ram-2-7 (10 M)
- - + +Curcumin (30 M)
- + - +% q
Sub-G1 3.7 ± 0.4
d14.2 ± 2.4
c37.4 ± 0.5
a21.6 ± 1.1
b0.47 ± 0.01
G0/G1 35.9 ± 1.5
a21.6 ± 0.3
b11.6 ± 0.9
c25.3 ± 2.4
b0.71 ± 0.08
S 23.8 ± 1.9
a15.4 ± 0.8
b13.9 ± 1.3
bc9.3 ± 1.5
c0.35 ± 0.08
G2/M 36.6 ± 2.9
b45.6 ± 1.3
a37.1 ± 0.8
b45.3 ± 0.9
a0.69 ± 0.02
The percentages of cells at different phases of cell cycle in Fig. 9 were quantified by WinMDI 2.8 software. The value of q indicates synergism when greater than 1.15, antagonism when smaller than 0.85, and additivity when located between 0.85 and 1.15. Data are presented as means ± SEM. Means in the same cell cycle without a common letter differ, p < 0.05.
Results are representative of three independent experiments.
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Fig. 10 The change of caspase 3 protein expression in
Yao-ram-2-7-treated Hep 3B cells in the presence and absence of curcumin. Hep 3B cells (1×10
6 cells/dish) were treated with 10 M of Yao-ram-2-7 with or without 30 M curcumin for 48 h. Whole celllysates were resolved in SDS-PAGE gel and the proteins were transferred to PVDF membrane. Anti-caspase 3 antibody was served as a probe.
-actin was used as a loading control. Quantification of cleavage-caspase
3 protein expression from independent experiments are presented as means ± SEM. Means without a common letter differ, p < 0.05. Results are representative of three independent experiments.72
Fig. 11 The change of LC3 protein expression in
Yao-ram-2-7-treated Hep 3B cells in the presence or absence of curcumin. Hep 3B cells (1×10
6 cells/dish) were treated with 10 M of Yao-ram-2-7 with or without 30 M curcumin for 48 h. Whole celllysates were resolved in SDS-PAGE gel and the proteins were transferred to PVDF membrane. Anti-LC3 antibody was served as a probe. -actin was used as a loading control. Quantification of LC3-II protein
expressions from independent experiments are presented as means ± SEM.
Means without a common letter differ, p < 0.05. Results are representative of three independent experiments.
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