EGCG Enhances Cisplatin Sensitivity by Regulating Expression of the Copper and Cisplatin Influx Transporter CTR1 in Ovary Cancer

PLoS One. 2015 Apr 30;10(4):e0125402. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0125402. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Cisplatin is one of the first-line platinum-based chemotherapeutic agents for treatment of many types of cancer, including ovary cancer. CTR1 (copper transporter 1), a transmembrane solute carrier transporter, has previously been shown to increase the cellular uptake and sensitivity of cisplatin. It is hypothesized that increased CTR1 expression would enhance the sensitivity of cancer cells to cisplatin (cDDP). The present study demonstrates for the first time that (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a major polyphenol from green tea, can enhance CTR1 mRNA and protein expression in ovarian cancer cells and xenograft mice. EGCG inhibits the rapid degradation of CTR1 induced by cDDP. The combination of EGCG and cDDP increases the accumulation of cDDP and DNA-Pt adducts, and subsequently enhances the sensitivity of ovarian cancer SKOV3 and OVCAR3 cells to the chemotherapeutic agent. In the OVCAR3 ovarian cancer xenograft nude mice model, the combination of the lower concentration of cDDP and EGCG strongly repressed the tumor growth and exhibited protective effect on the nephrotoxicity induced by cisplatin. Overall, these findings uncover a novel chemotherapy mechanism of EGCG as an adjuvant for the treatment of ovarian cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Catechin / analogs & derivatives*
  • Catechin / therapeutic use
  • Cation Transport Proteins / genetics
  • Cation Transport Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cisplatin / therapeutic use*
  • Copper Transporter 1
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / genetics
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Cation Transport Proteins
  • Copper Transporter 1
  • Slc31a1 protein, mouse
  • Catechin
  • epigallocatechin gallate
  • Cisplatin

Grants and funding

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (81472977), Scientific Research Foundation for the Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars, State Education Ministry (HG11–4302), Foundation from Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, and Foundation from Six Big Talent Peak of Jiangsu Province.