Open Access

Inhibition of pancreatic cancer stem cells by Rauwolfia vomitoria extract

  • Authors:
    • Ruochen Dong
    • Ping Chen
    • Qi Chen
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: September 18, 2018     https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2018.6713
  • Pages: 3144-3154
  • Copyright: © Dong et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

The poor treatment outcomes of pancreatic cancer are linked to an enrichment of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in these tumors, which are resistant to chemotherapy and promote metastasis and tumor recurrence. The present study investigated an extract from the root of the medicinal plant Rauwolfia vomitoria (Rau) for its activity against pancreatic CSCs. In vitro tumor spheroid formation and CSC markers were tested, and in vivo tumorigenicity was evaluated in nude mice. Rau inhibited the overall proliferation of human pancreatic cancer cell lines with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) ranging between 125 and 325 µg/ml, and showed limited cytotoxicity towards normal epithelial cells. The pancreatic CSC population, identified using cell surface markers or a tumor spheroid formation assay, was significantly reduced, with an IC50 value of ~100 µg/ml treatment for 48 h and ~27 µg/ml for long-term tumor spheroid formation. The levels of CSC-related gene Nanog and nuclear β-catenin were decreased, suggesting suppression of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. In vivo, 20 mg/kg of Rau administered five times per week by oral gavage significantly reduced the tumorigenicity of PANC-1 cells in immunocompromised mice. Taken together, these data showed that Rau preferentially inhibited pancreatic cancer stem cells. Further investigation is warranted to examine the potential of Rau as a novel treatment for pancreatic cancer.
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December-2018
Volume 40 Issue 6

Print ISSN: 1021-335X
Online ISSN:1791-2431

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Spandidos Publications style
Dong R, Chen P and Chen Q: Inhibition of pancreatic cancer stem cells by Rauwolfia vomitoria extract. Oncol Rep 40: 3144-3154, 2018.
APA
Dong, R., Chen, P., & Chen, Q. (2018). Inhibition of pancreatic cancer stem cells by Rauwolfia vomitoria extract. Oncology Reports, 40, 3144-3154. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2018.6713
MLA
Dong, R., Chen, P., Chen, Q."Inhibition of pancreatic cancer stem cells by Rauwolfia vomitoria extract". Oncology Reports 40.6 (2018): 3144-3154.
Chicago
Dong, R., Chen, P., Chen, Q."Inhibition of pancreatic cancer stem cells by Rauwolfia vomitoria extract". Oncology Reports 40, no. 6 (2018): 3144-3154. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2018.6713