Dihydroartemisinin accentuates the anti-tumor effects of photodynamic therapy via inactivation of NF-κB in Eca109 and Ec9706 esophageal cancer cells

Background: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a new treatment for esophageal Cancer which has been shown to be effective in the elimination of tumor. However, PDT could induce the activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) in many photosensitizers based PDT, which plays a negative role in PDT. In addition, our previous results have shown that dihydroartemisinin (DHA), which was the most potent one of artemisinin derivatives, has Anticancer activity in esophageal Cancer cells.

Methods: Cell viability was determined by MTT analysis, and Apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry. Nuclear extract was obtained for determining NF-κB DNA-binding activity, while total protein extract obtained for downstream gene expression by western blot.

Results: We demonstrated DHA enhanced PDT-induced growth inhibition and Apoptosis in both human esophageal Cancer cell lines Eca109 and Ec9706 in vitro. The mechanism was at least partially due to DHA deactivated PDT-induced NF-κB activation, so as to decrease tremendously the expression of its target gene Bcl-2.

Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that DHA augments PDT-induced growth inhibition and Apoptosis in esophageal Cancer cells, and that inactivation of NF-κB activity is a potential mechanism by which DHA sensitizes esophageal Cancer cells to PDT-induced growth inhibition and Apoptosis.