1. Academic Validation
  2. Short-term starvation synergistically enhances cytotoxicity of Niraparib via Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in ovarian cancer therapy

Short-term starvation synergistically enhances cytotoxicity of Niraparib via Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in ovarian cancer therapy

  • Cancer Cell Int. 2022 Jan 11;22(1):18. doi: 10.1186/s12935-022-02447-8.
Wang Zhi  # 1 Suting Li  # 1 Yuting Wan 1 Fuwen Wu 1 Li Hong 2
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, 238 Jiefang Road, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China.
  • 2 Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, 238 Jiefang Road, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China. dr_hongli@whu.edu.cn.
  • # Contributed equally.
Abstract

Background: Short-term starvation (STS) has gradually been confirmed as a treatment method that synergistically enhances the effect of chemotherapy on malignant tumours. In clinical applications, there are still some limitations of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi), including understanding their effectiveness and side effects. Here, we sought to investigate the effect and mechanism of the combined use of STS and niraparib in the treatment of ovarian Cancer.

Methods: In in vitro experiments, SKOV3 and A2780 ovarian Cancer cells were treated with STS and niraparib alone or in combination. Cell viability was assessed with CCK-8, and cell cycle, Apoptosis, DNA damage repair and Autophagy were examined to explore the molecular mechanisms. Akt and mTOR inhibitors were used to examine any changes in DNA damage repair levels. Xenograft animal models were treated with STS and niraparib, and HE staining and immunohistochemistry were performed to examine the effects.

Results: The combined use of STS and niraparib inhibited cell proliferation and increased Apoptosis more than niraparib application alone. In addition, compared with the niraparib group, the STS + niraparib group had increased G2/M arrest, DNA damage and Autophagy, which indicated that STS pretreatment enhanced the cytotoxicity of niraparib. In animal experiments, STS did not affect the growth of transplanted tumours, but the combined treatment synergistically enhanced the cytotoxicity of niraparib. In in vivo experiments, STS did not affect the growth of transplanted tumours, but the combined treatment synergistically enhanced the cytotoxicity of niraparib and reduced the small intestinal side effects caused by niraparib chemotherapy.

Conclusion: STS pretreatment can synergistically enhance the cytotoxicity of niraparib. STS + niraparib is a potentially effective strategy in the maintenance therapy of ovarian Cancer.

Keywords

Akt/mTOR; DNA damage; Niraparib; Short-term starvation (STS).

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