Thymoquinone Augments Methotrexate-Induced Apoptosis on Osteosarcoma Cells

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pharmacology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Osteosarcoma (OS) is a primary bone cancer with poor survival rates in advanced stages.
• Investigating complementary therapies like herbal medicines can mitigate side effects and improve outcomes.
• Thymoquinone (TQ) and Methotrexate (MTX) are explored for their potential in OS treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the combined effects of Thymoquinone (TQ) and Methotrexate (MTX) on Saos-2 osteosarcoma cells.
• To determine the impact of TQ and MTX on apoptosis and related gene expression in OS cells.

Main Methods:

• MTT assay was used to assess cell viability.
• Real-time PCR measured mRNA expression of apoptosis-related genes (Bax, BCL-2, caspase-9).
• Flow cytometry analyzed apoptosis induction.

Main Results:

• TQ enhanced MTX's cytotoxicity, reducing MTX's IC50 from 26 μM to 15 μM.
• Combined TQ and MTX treatment significantly increased apoptosis to 73%.
• The combination upregulated pro-apoptotic factors (Bax, caspase-9) and downregulated anti-apoptotic factor (BCL-2).

Conclusions:

• Co-treatment with TQ and MTX promotes osteosarcoma cell death.
• The combination therapy upregulates pro-apoptotic factors and downregulates anti-apoptotic factors.
• This synergistic effect presents a potential strategy for improving osteosarcoma treatment.