Department of Oral Bioscience and Dental Public Health, International College of Dentistry, Walailak University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
Exp Oncol. 2024 Oct 9;46(2):101-109. doi: 10.15407/exp-oncology.2024.02.101.
Chemotherapy of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is associated with significant side effects. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which are naturally occurring defense molecules like defensin-1 and LL-37 found in human secretions, have demonstrated potential in prompting tumor cell apoptosis and enhancing the effect of chemotherapeutic agents. However, the anticancer potential of histatin has not yet been thoroughly examined. The aim of the study was to explore the anticancer activity of histatin, an AMP present in human saliva and used alone or in combination with cisplatin in HNSCC cell lines.
The gene expression of histatin was evaluated in the HSC4 and SCC25 cell lines by qRT-PCR. Cell proliferation was investigated at different concentrations of histatin peptide (His-1), cisplatin, and their combination using an MTT assay.
SCC25 cells expressed both HTN1 (histatin-1) and HTN3 (histatin-3), whereas the HSC4 cell line expressed only HTN1. The combination of exogenous His-1 and cisplatin demonstrated a synergistic anti-proliferative effect against the HNSCC cell lines in a dosedependent manner.
The combination of low-dose cisplatin and histatin inhibits HNSCC cell proliferation. His-1 sensitizes tumor cells to the cytotoxic effects of cisplatin potentially allowing for a reduction in its effective concentration.
头颈部鳞状细胞癌（HNSCC）的化疗会伴随明显的副作用。抗菌肽（AMPs）是人体分泌物中天然存在的防御分子，如防御素-1 和 LL-37，它们具有诱导肿瘤细胞凋亡和增强化疗药物效果的潜力。然而，组蛋白的抗癌潜力尚未得到充分研究。本研究旨在探讨组蛋白（一种存在于人唾液中的 AMP）的抗癌活性，单独或与顺铂联合应用于 HNSCC 细胞系。
通过 qRT-PCR 评估 HSC4 和 SCC25 细胞系中组蛋白的基因表达。使用 MTT 法在不同浓度的组蛋白肽（His-1）、顺铂及其组合下研究细胞增殖。
SCC25 细胞表达 HTN1（组蛋白-1）和 HTN3（组蛋白-3），而 HSC4 细胞系仅表达 HTN1。外源性 His-1 和顺铂的组合以剂量依赖性方式对 HNSCC 细胞系表现出协同的抗增殖作用。
低剂量顺铂和组蛋白的联合抑制了 HNSCC 细胞的增殖。His-1 使肿瘤细胞对顺铂的细胞毒性作用敏感，可能使其有效浓度降低。
