[Therapeutic effect of flavopiridol, a small molecular cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, in human ovarian carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the antitumor effect of flavopiridol in ovarian cancer.

METHODS

After the treatment with flavopiridol of AO cells, cell apoptotic rate and cell cycle distribution were detected by flow cytometer and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labelling (TUNEL). Real time PCR was used to detect the expression of cyclin D and active caspase-3 in AO cells. Subcutaneous tumor models and abdominally spread tumor models of human ovarian carcinoma using AO cells in BALB/c nude mice were established. The mouse survival rates were measured for abdominally spread tumor models and the volume of tumor nodules was determined for subcutaneous tumor models following the treatments of flavopiridol. TUNEL was used to detect cell apoptosis, and immunohistochemistry was used to measure microvessel density (MVD) in tumor tissues.

RESULTS

AO cells showed apoptotic rates of 4.1%, 10.7% and 7.6% following the treatments with flavopiridol at 150, 300 and 500 nmol/L respectively, accompanied by an increase in G(1) progression and a decrease in S phase progression. The level of active caspase-3 increased (2.55 vs 2.49) and the level of cyclin D expression decreased significantly (0.25 vs 0.69, P < 0.05) after treatments with flavopiridol. Flavopiridol prolonged mouse survival [mean survival time of (141 +/- 14) days] and suppressed tumor growth significantly (tumor growth suppression rate of 40%), when compared with treatment using phosphate-buffered saline [(106 +/- 11) days, P < 0.05]. Apoptosis was detected in tumor tissues treated with flavopiridol. MVD of tumor tissue was 12 +/- 5 following flavopiridol treatment, significantly higher than that of 35 +/- 10 treated with phosphate-buffered saline (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Flavopiridol results in significant suppression of ovarian carcinoma cell growth and prolongs survival of mice.