Effect of β-Eudesmol on NQO1 suppression-enhanced sensitivity of cholangiocarcinoma cells to chemotherapeutic agents

Background: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), an epithelial malignancy of the biliary tree, is one of the aggressive cancers with poor prognosis and unsatisfactory response to chemotherapy with acquired resistance. NAD(P)H-quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), an antioxidant/detoxifying enzyme, plays important roles in chemo-resistance and proliferation in several cancer cells. The study aimed to investigate the inhibitory effect of β-eudesmol on NQO1 enhanced chemotherapeutic effects of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and doxorubicin (DOX) in the high NQO1-expressing human CCA cell line, NQO1-KKU-100. In addition, the molecular events associated with the inhibition of the cell proliferation, cell migration, and induction of apoptosis were investigated.

Methods: Human CCA KKU-100 cells were exposed to β-eudesmol at various concentrations. NQO1 enzyme activity and protein expression were measured by enzymatic assay and Western blot analysis, respectively. Sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay and wound healing assay were performed to detect the inhibitory effect of β-eudesmol on cell proliferation, cell migration, and sensitivity to 5-FU and DOX. Apoptotic induction was detected by flow cytometry with annexin V/PI and DAPI nuclear staining. Caspase 3/7 activation was determined by fluorescence microscopy. The mechanism of enhanced chemo-sensitivity was evaluated by Western blot analysis.

Results: β-Eudesmol significantly suppressed NQO1 enzyme activity (both in KKU-100 cells and cell lysates) and protein expression in KKU-100 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. β-Eudesmol exhibited potent cytotoxicity on KKU-100 cells with mean ± SD IC₅₀ values of 47.62 ± 9.54 and 37.46 ± 12.58 μM at 24 and 48 h, respectively. In addition, it also potentiated the cytotoxic activities and inhibitory activities of 5-FU and DOX on cell migration through induction of cell apoptosis and activation of caspase 3/7. Western blot analysis suggested that β-eudesmol enhanced chemosensitivity was associated with the suppression of NQO1 protein and activation of Bax/Bcl-2 protein expression ratio in CCA cells.

Conclusions: β-Eudesmol may serve as a potential anti-CCA candidate particularly when used in combination with conventional chemotherapeutics. The mechanisms involved may be mediated via NQO1 suppression-related apoptosis pathway.