The investigation of effects of quercetin and its combination with Cisplatin on malignant mesothelioma cells in vitro

Our plain-English summary of The investigation of effects of quercetin and its combination with Cisplatin on malignant mesothelioma cells in vitro, by A. Demiroglu-Zergeroglu, B. Basara-Cigerim, E. Kilic, et al (Journal of Biomedicine & Biotechnology, 2010).

The study

• Authors: A. Demiroglu-Zergeroglu, B. Basara-Cigerim, E. Kilic, G. Yanikkaya-Demirel
• Journal: Journal of Biomedicine & Biotechnology
• Published: 2010;2010:851589
• Cited by: 22 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

Malignant Mesothelioma (MM) is an aggressive and lethal tumour of the serosal surfaces with poor prognosis. In this study, we have investigated the antiproliferative effect of Quercetin (QU) and its combination with Cisplatin (CIS) on SPC212 and SPC111 cell lines. Our experiments showed that QU significantly reduced the proliferation of cell lines, altered the cell cycle distribution, and increased the level of Caspase 9 (C9) and Caspase 3 (C3) in concentration and time-dependent manner. Additionally, the combination of QU + CIS was found more effective when compared with individual treatment of agents.

In plain English

This laboratory study tested quercetin, a plant compound, alone and with the chemotherapy drug cisplatin, on two human malignant mesothelioma cell lines grown in dishes. SPC111 came from a male patient's pleural effusion and SPC212 from a female patient's tumour. No patients were treated and asbestos was not studied. At 72 hours, quercetin reduced growth of SPC212 cells at 10 μM or more and of SPC111 cells at 50 μM or more. Lower doses increased growth of SPC111 cells. In SPC212 cells, cisplatin plus 50 μM quercetin reduced growth significantly more than either drug alone. In SPC111 cells the combination was not significantly different from the single drugs. With 5 μg/mL cisplatin plus quercetin, 86.7% of SPC212 and 99% of SPC111 cells were held in one phase of cell division (S phase) at 48 hours. Enzymes linked to programmed cell death (caspase 9 and caspase 3) rose in SPC212 cells. In SPC111 cells only the higher-dose combination raised caspase 9, and caspase 3 did not rise. The authors concluded that quercetin, alone and with cisplatin, has anti-proliferative potential on mesothelioma cells.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Laboratory (in vitro) experiment on human malignant mesothelioma cell lines
• Who was studied: Two human malignant mesothelioma cell lines obtained from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. SPC111 was derived from the pleural effusion of a male patient, with mixed histology. SPC212 came from the tumour of a female patient, with mixed histology.
• Exposure: Quercetin (5, 10, 50 and 100 μM), cisplatin (1, 5 and 10 μg/mL), and two combinations (5 μg/mL cisplatin + 50 μM quercetin; 10 μg/mL cisplatin + 50 μM quercetin), applied for up to 96 hours. No asbestos exposure was studied.
• Main results:
  • Quercetin inhibited growth of SPC212 cells at 10 μM or more at 72 hours. The figure legend states the threshold as above 10 μM.
  • Quercetin reduced growth of SPC111 cells only at 50 μM or more. Doses below 50 μM increased growth of SPC111 cells.
  • In SPC212 cells, both cisplatin + 50 μM quercetin combinations significantly decreased proliferation compared with untreated cells and with the individual agents (96 hours).
  • In SPC111 cells, the combinations reduced proliferation compared with untreated cells, but not significantly more than the single treatments (96 hours).
  • 50 μM quercetin alone caused accumulation of SPC212 cells in S phase, with no change in SPC111 cells. With 5 μg/mL cisplatin + 50 μM quercetin, S-phase arrest at 48 hours was 86.7% in SPC212 and 99% in SPC111 cells.
  • In SPC212 cells, caspase 9 activity increased at 48 hours compared with untreated cells and with cells given single doses. Caspase 3 activation was also detected.
  • In SPC111 cells, only 10 μg/mL cisplatin + 50 μM quercetin activated caspase 9, and no treatment activated caspase 3.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that quercetin alone and with cisplatin has anti-proliferative potential on mesothelioma cells, reducing proliferation and altering the cell cycle. They suggested the interaction might provide an approach to combination therapy of mesothelioma.

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Cisplatin, Mesothelioma, Serosal Surface, Prognosis.

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