Gemcitabine combined with gum mastic causes potent growth inhibition and apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells.

AbstractAim:To investigate the antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of gemcitabine combined with gum mastic and the underlying mechanisms in human pancreatic cancer cell lines.Methods:Cell proliferation and apoptosis were examined using the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay and propidium iodine staining, respectively. The expression of Bcl-2, Bax, NF-κB p65 subunit, and IκBα protein was measured using Western blotting.Results:Gemcitabine 0.01−100 μg/mL inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in both pancreatic cancer BxPC-3 and COLO 357 cells. Gum mastic 40 μg/mL significantly potentiated the antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of gemcitabine 10 μg/mL after 72-h treatment. When cells were treated with gemcitabine in combination with gum mastic, the IκBα level was increased, whereas NF-κB activation was blocked; the expression of Bax protein was substantially increased, but Bcl-2 protein was down-regulated.Conclusion:Gemcitabine combined with gum mastic causes potent apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells. The combination may be an effective therapeutic strategy for pancreatic cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]