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Synthesized Pheophorbide a‐mediated photodynamic therapy induced apoptosis and autophagy in human oral squamous carcinoma cells
Author(s) -
Ahn Mee Young,
Yoon HyoEun,
Kwon SeongMin,
Lee Jun,
Min SeungKi,
Kim YongChul,
Ahn SangGun,
Yoon JungHoon
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of oral pathology and medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.887
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1600-0714
pISSN - 0904-2512
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0714.2012.01187.x
Subject(s) - autophagy , pheophorbide a , photodynamic therapy , apoptosis , annexin , reactive oxygen species , cancer research , squamous carcinoma , chemistry , necrosis , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , biochemistry , carcinoma , genetics , organic chemistry
Background: Pheophorbide a (Pa) is a chlorine‐based photosensitizer derived from an ethnopharmacological herb, and our group recently synthesized Pa by the removal of a magnesium ion and a phytyl group from chlorophyll‐a. In this study, the effect of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with synthesized Pa was examined in a human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells. Methods: Cells were treated with PDT with Pa, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial membrane potential [ΔΨ (m)] were examined. Apoptosis was measured using annexin V staining and immunoblot. Autophagy was characterized by the increase in LC3B‐II and the formation of autophagosome and acidic vesicular organelles (AVOs). Results: Pa‐PDT inhibited the proliferation of OSCC cells in a dose‐dependent manner. Pa‐PDT increased the number of apoptotic cells by inactivating ERK pathway. Pa‐PDT also induced autophagy in OSCC cells evidenced by the increased levels of LC3 type II expression and the accumulation of AVOs. The inhibition of autophagy enhanced Pa‐PDT‐mediated cytotoxicity through an increase in necrosis. Conclusions: These results suggest that synthesized Pa‐PDT exerts anti‐tumor effects by inducing apoptosis and autophagy and provide novel evidence that Pa‐PDT induces autophagy, and autophagy inhibition enhances Pa‐PDT‐mediated necrosis in OSCC cells.