Capsaicin and piperine can overcome multidrug resistance in cancer cells to doxorubicin
Background: Multidrug resistance (MDR) can develop in cancer cells after treatment with anticancer drugs, mainly due to the overexpression of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters. We analyzed the ability of two pungent-tasting alkaloids—capsaicin and piperine from Capsicum frutescens and Pipe...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article (Journal) |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2 March 2018
|
| In: |
Molecules
Year: 2018, Volume: 23, Issue: 3 |
| ISSN: | 1420-3049 |
| DOI: | 10.3390/molecules23030557 |
| Online Access: | Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/molecules23030557 Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: http://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/23/3/557 
|
| Author Notes: | Hanmei Li, Sonja Krstin, Shihui Wang and Michael Wink |
| Summary: | Background: Multidrug resistance (MDR) can develop in cancer cells after treatment with anticancer drugs, mainly due to the overexpression of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters. We analyzed the ability of two pungent-tasting alkaloids—capsaicin and piperine from Capsicum frutescens and Piper nigrum, respectively—to reverse multidrug resistance in the cancer cell lines Caco-2 and CEM/ADR 5000, which overexpress P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and other ABC transporters. Methods: The MTT assay was first used to determine the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin, the alkaloids, and digitonin alone, and then their combinations. Furthermore, rhodamine (Rho) 123 and calcein-AM were used to detect the effects of alkaloids on the activity of P-gp. Results: Capsaicin and piperine synergistically enhanced the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin in Caco-2 and CEM/ADR 5000 cells. Furthermore, capsaicin and piperine increased the intracellular accumulation of the fluorescent P-glycoprotein (P-gp) substrates rhodamine and calcein and inhibited their efflux from the MDR cell lines. Conclusion: Our study has demonstrated that capsaicin and piperine are P-gp substrates and have potential chemosensitizing activity, which might be interesting for the development of novel modulators of multidrug resistance. |
|---|---|
| Item Description: | Gesehen am 30.07.2018 |
| Physical Description: | Online Resource |
| ISSN: | 1420-3049 |
| DOI: | 10.3390/molecules23030557 |