Baicalein enhances cisplatin sensitivity in cervical cancer cells by promoting cuproptosis through the Akt pathway

Resistance to cisplatin presents a major obstacle in managing advanced-stage cervical cancer. Cuproptosis, a newly identified form of cell death induced by copper ions, has potential in overcoming chemoresistance. But the application of cuproptosis in cervical cancer resistant to cisplatin has not yet been reported. In this study, treatment with Elsm-Cu in cervical cancer cells induced cuproptosis, affecting cell proliferation and apoptosis was found. Moreover, cuproptosis in cervical cancer cells was significantly induced by baicalein. The combination of baicalein and cisplatin exhibited a synergistic effect on cervical cancer cells by promoting apoptosis and inhibiting cell viability via the induction of cuproptosis. Animal experiments demonstrated that this combination significantly suppressed tumor growth. Upon treating cells with SC79 (Akt agonist), a significant inhibition of the expression of cuproptosis-related proteins SDHB and FDX1 were observed, indicating that baicalein induced cuproptosis through the Akt pathway. These results indicated that baicalein, mediated through the Akt pathway to induce cuproptosis, had the potential to improve the sensitivity of cervical cancer cells to cisplatin.