Pathophysiological Responses Associated with Exposure to TQ and EGCG Using CAOV-3 Ovarian Cancer Like Cells

Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer and the leading cause of mortality among the gynecologic cancers. Ovarian cancer is a very devastating disease it is rarely diagnosed in its early stages, and it is usually quite advanced by the time diagnosis is made leading to very poor outcomes. It is believed that in advanced stage ovarian cancer cells produce a protein that enables the tumor cells to proliferate and become resistance to conventional drug treatments. Development of new treatment options strongly relies on understanding the ovarian carcinoma ability to proliferate and to attack the cells using combination drug treatments that are synergistic. Recent studies in our laboratory have indicated that the exposure of Thymoquinone (TQ) and Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) to adenocarcinoma of the prostate, colon, and pancreas. This study was executed to investigate the effectiveness of TQ and EGCG on reducing early stage ovarian cancer cells. A total of 72 wells were plated with (105) Caov-3 ovarian cancer cells according to standard lab protocols. Each group was subdivided into 4 groups. Group 1 served as control and groups 2, 3, and 4 were treated with TQ (16 µM), EGCG (3 µM), and TQ + EGCG, respectively. Biomarkers and morphological evaluations were performed following standard lab techniques. The results of the study revealed: (1) an increase in nitric oxide following administration of EGCG and the combination at 24 and 48 hours (p<0.05) and (2) no membrane or cellular damage to the cells at all phases. The results of this study suggest used in combination have shown to be more effective method for manipulating Caov-3 ovarian cancer cells than when used alone.