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Melatonin Sensitizes OVCAR-3 Cells to Cisplatin through Suppression of PI3K/Akt Pathway

Sahar Baghal-Sadriforoush1, Morteza Bagheri2, Isa Abdi Rad3

  • 1Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. sbaghalsadriforoush@yahoo.com.

Cellular and Molecular Biology (Noisy-Le-Grand, France)
|August 21, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Melatonin enhances cisplatin

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Ovarian cancer remains a significant health challenge.
  • Understanding molecular pathways like PI3K/Akt is crucial for treatment.
  • Melatonin's role in cancer therapy is an area of active research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate melatonin's effects on oxidative stress and apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells.
  • To determine melatonin's impact on the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.
  • To evaluate combination therapy with cisplatin and melatonin.

Main Methods:

  • Ovarian cancer cells (OVCAR3) were treated with cisplatin, melatonin, or both.
  • Reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were measured.
  • Protein expression and signaling pathway activity (PI3K/Akt) were analyzed via Western blot.

Main Results:

  • Melatonin increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and caspase 3 cleavage, indicating enhanced apoptosis.
  • Melatonin decreased Akt phosphorylation, suggesting PI3K/Akt pathway inhibition.
  • Combined cisplatin and melatonin therapy amplified apoptosis and oxidative stress.

Conclusions:

  • Melatonin potentiates cisplatin's anti-cancer effects in OVCAR3 cells.
  • The combination therapy inhibits the PI3K/Akt pathway and increases oxidative stress.
  • Melatonin shows promise as an adjuvant therapy for ovarian cancer.

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