Rapamycin promotes the anticancer action of dihydroartemisinin in breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells by regulating expression of Atg7 and DAPK

Liu,Qiujun; Zhou,Xianyao; Li,Chuan; Zhang,Xuemei; Li,Chang  Long

doi:10.3892/ol.2018.8013

Rapamycin promotes the anticancer action of dihydroartemisinin in breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells by regulating expression of Atg7 and DAPK

Authors:
- Qiujun Liu
- Xianyao Zhou
- Chuan Li
- Xuemei Zhang
- Chang Long Li
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Affiliations: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, P.R. China, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, West China School of Preclinical and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
Published online on: February 9, 2018 https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2018.8013
Pages: 5781-5786

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Abstract

There is limited knowledge regarding the influence of autophagy on the anticancer effect of dihydroartemisinin (DHA). The present study aimed to investigate this influence within human breast cancer cells. Changes in cell viability, cell cycle distribution, apoptosis and associated genes were analyzed in MDA‑MB‑231 cells subjected to DHA following alteration in autophagy levels; the autophagy level was decreased following autophagy‑related 7 (Atg7) knockdown or increased using rapamycin. The data indicated that rapamycin had the ability to notably enhance the anticancer effect of DHA on MDA‑MB‑231 cells. Autophagy induction may be key in mediating the anticancer effects of DHA, and rapamycin may regulate the death‑associated protein kinase via the alteration of Atg7 expression, which would influence cell apoptosis. The present study presented a novel insight into enhancing the effectiveness of future treatment regimens for breast cancer using DHA.

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