Effect of Combined Sorafenib/Cisplatinum Treatment on the Autophagy and Proliferation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma hepG2 Cells in Vitro.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the effect of combined Sorafenib/ cisplatinum treatment on the autophagy and proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells in vitro.

METHODS

HepG2 cells were cultured and treated with different concentrations of Sorafenib, cisplatinum, or a combination of both over a 24-hour period. Cell proliferation was evaluated using a CCK8 assay, and the mRNA expression of the autophagy-related proteins AKT, mTOR, and LC3 were detected using quantitative PCR (qPCR). AKT, pAKT (Ser473), mTOR, pmTOR (Ser2448), LC3I, and LC3II protein expression levels were evaluated by western blot.

RESULTS

We found that the survival rate of HepG2 cells was 47.42% when treated with Sorafenib (10 μmol/L) monotherapy, and 46.04% when treated with cisplatinum (10 mg/L) monotherapy. When Sorafenib(10 μmol/L) was combined with cisplatinum (10 mg/L), the cellular proliferation and survival rate was only 16.71% ( P <0.05). qPCR and western blot revealed that a combination of Sorafenib (10 μmol/L) and cisplatinum (10 mg/L) reduced the transcription and protein expression of autophagy-related AKT and mTOR but increased that of LC3 (P <0.05).

CONCLUSION

Combining Sorafenib and cisplatinum can effectively induce cell autophagy and reduce cellular proliferation via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signal pathway.
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