Chewing areca nut is closely associated with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The current study aimed to investigate potential associations between areca nut extract (ANE) and cisplatin toxicity in OSCC cells. OSCC cells (Cal-27 and Scc-9) viability and apoptosis were analyzed after treatment with ANE and/or cisplatin. The expressions of proteins associated with autophagy and the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling network were evaluated. We revealed that advanced OSCC patients with areca nut chewing habits presented higher LC3 expression and poorer prognosis. Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated autophagy was induced after pro-longed treatment of ANE (six days, 3 μg). Cisplatin toxicity (IC50, 48 h) was decreased in OSCC cells after ANE treatment (six days, 3 μg). Cisplatin toxicity could be enhanced by reversed autophagy by pretreatment of 3-methyladenine (3-MA), N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC), or Compound C. Cleaved-Poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase (cl-PARP) and cleaved-caspase 3 (cl-caspase 3) were downregulated in ANE-treated OSCC cells in the presence of cisplatin, which was also reversed by NAC and Compound C. Collectively, ANE could decrease cisplatin toxicity of OSCC by inducing autophagy, which involves the ROS and AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway.
Keywords: AMPK/mTOR signaling; areca nut extracts; autophagy; cisplatin; oral squamous cell carcinoma; reactive oxygen species.