Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is currently a serious public health problem in China; thus, it is urgent to identify effective treatment strategies for this disease. Previous studies demonstrated that reactive oxygen species (ROS) serve important roles in the apoptosis of LSCC cells. It has also been indicated that carboplatin (CBDCA), a second-generation platinum compound with broad antineoplastic properties, is able to induce oxidative stress to produce ROS, which in turn promotes apoptosis. Thus, the present study investigated if CBDCA is cytotoxic in LSCC cells due to the oxidative stress caused by ROS. Therefore, an MTT assay was performed to determine the cell viability of HN-3 LSCC cells following treatment with different doses of CBDCA. Subsequently, the expression levels of ROS and the rate of apoptosis/necrosis were evaluated in the cells. Following this, the HN-3 cells were co-treated with CBDCA and glutathione (GSH) or H2O2, followed by an MTT assay, a cell migration assay and western blot analysis. The results demonstrated that CBDCA reduced the viability of HN-3 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner and promoted the production of ROS and apoptosis at certain doses. Additionally, the combination treatment of CBDCA and H2O2 enhanced the inhibitory effects of CBDCA on cell viability and migration ability, and promoted apoptosis in HN-3 cells; whereas the combined treatment of CBDCA and GSH exerted opposite effects. The results of the present study demonstrated that CBDCA promotes the apoptosis of HN-3 cells through accumulation of ROS, which may provide a novel treatment strategy for treating LSCC.
Keywords: apoptosis; carboplatin; laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma; oxidative stress; reactive oxygen species.