Anti-cancer and Sensibilisation Effect of Triptolide on Human Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Introduction: Advanced ovarian cancer is the main cause of ovarian cancer deaths, and it is important to seek safe and effective phytochemicals to suppress cancer or lower the chemotherapy resistance of ovarian cancer. Methods: This study evaluated the effect of Triptolide (TPL) on the proliferation, cycle distribution, apoptosis, and ultra-structure of COC1/DDP cells in vitro, as well as the anti-cancer effect and sensibilisation effect of TPL in vivo. Results: The results indicated that TPL could significantly inhibit the growth of COC1/DDP cells (P<0.05), and 3 ng/ml TPL and 50 ng/ml TPL made COC1/DDP cells present obvious apoptosis characteristics and arrest 35% and 55% of COC/DDP cells in the G0/G1 phase, respectively (P<0.05). The animal experiments also indicated that 0.1mg/kg.d TPL significantly reduced the tumour weight and the spleen cell transformation rate (SI), and it lowered the inflammatory factors IL-2 and TNF-a in rat serum (P<0.05). Moreover, the significant reduction of p-Akt and p-GSK3β made the TPL+DDP possess the highest apoptosis rate [(51.13±3.325)%] in COC1/DDP cells. Conclusions: TPL used in combination with DDP may produce a synergistic anti-cancer effect that warrants further investigation for its potential clinical applications in the treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer.