TCN, an AKT inhibitor, exhibits potent antitumor activity and enhances radiosensitivity in hypoxic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in vitro and in vivo

  • Authors:
    • Qing Guo
    • Jia He
    • Feng Shen
    • Wei Zhang
    • Xi Yang
    • Chi Zhang
    • Qu Zhang
    • Jun‑Xing Huang
    • Zheng‑Dong Wu
    • Xin‑Chen Sun
    • Sheng‑Bin Dai
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: December 20, 2016     https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2016.5515
  • Pages: 949-954
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Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the radiosensitization effect of triciribine (TCN) on human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in normoxia or hypoxia and its mechanism. The cytotoxicity and radiosensitization mechanism of TCN were investigated by Cell Counting Kit 8, clonogenic assay, flow cytometry, western blotting (WB) and immunofluorescence staining of phospho-histone H2A.X, Ser139 (γ‑H2AX) in ESCC in vitro, while the protein expression levels of AKT, phosphorylated (p)‑AKT, hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)‑1α and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were evaluated by WB in vivo. The cytotoxicity of TCN was dose dependent. Upon exposure to TCN, ESCC cells in hypoxia treated with 4‑Gy radiotherapy exhibited an evidently higher apoptotic rate than cells subjected to other treatments. TCN could significantly inhibit the protein expression of p‑AKT, HIF‑1α and VEGF in vitro and in vivo. The present results suggested that TCN can effectively inhibit AKT, p‑AKT, HIF‑1α and VEGF, thus conferring radiosensitivity to ESCC in vitro and vivo. TCN is considered as an adjuvant in radiotherapy of ESCC in clinical application.
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February-2017
Volume 13 Issue 2

Print ISSN: 1792-1074
Online ISSN:1792-1082

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Spandidos Publications style
Guo Q, He J, Shen F, Zhang W, Yang X, Zhang C, Zhang Q, Huang JX, Wu ZD, Sun XC, Sun XC, et al: TCN, an AKT inhibitor, exhibits potent antitumor activity and enhances radiosensitivity in hypoxic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in vitro and in vivo. Oncol Lett 13: 949-954, 2017
APA
Guo, Q., He, J., Shen, F., Zhang, W., Yang, X., Zhang, C. ... Dai, S. (2017). TCN, an AKT inhibitor, exhibits potent antitumor activity and enhances radiosensitivity in hypoxic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in vitro and in vivo. Oncology Letters, 13, 949-954. https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2016.5515
MLA
Guo, Q., He, J., Shen, F., Zhang, W., Yang, X., Zhang, C., Zhang, Q., Huang, J., Wu, Z., Sun, X., Dai, S."TCN, an AKT inhibitor, exhibits potent antitumor activity and enhances radiosensitivity in hypoxic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in vitro and in vivo". Oncology Letters 13.2 (2017): 949-954.
Chicago
Guo, Q., He, J., Shen, F., Zhang, W., Yang, X., Zhang, C., Zhang, Q., Huang, J., Wu, Z., Sun, X., Dai, S."TCN, an AKT inhibitor, exhibits potent antitumor activity and enhances radiosensitivity in hypoxic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in vitro and in vivo". Oncology Letters 13, no. 2 (2017): 949-954. https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2016.5515