Open AccessLiposomes co-loaded with ursolic acid and ginsenoside Rg3 in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma
Author(s) -
Bin Wang,
Qiaoqiao Xu,
Chenjian Zhou,
Yu Lin
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
acta biochimica polonica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.452
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1734-154X
pISSN - 0001-527X
DOI - 10.18388/abp.2020_5608
Subject(s) - ursolic acid , chemistry , ginsenoside , apoptosis , liposome , viability assay , cell growth , cell cycle , flow cytometry , cell , oxymatrine , hepatocellular carcinoma , mtt assay , in vitro , pharmacology , chromatography , biochemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , cancer research , medicine , biology , pathology , alternative medicine , ginseng
Objective: Liposomes co-loaded with ursolic acid and ginsenoside Rg3 (UA+Rg3-LIP) were prepared to study their effects on the proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. Methods: Liposomes were prepared by reverse evaporation, and then UA+Rg3-LIP were prepared by the pH gradient method, and followed by liposome characterization. Next, the effects of UA+Rg3-LIP on the proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle of HepG2 cells were investigated by MTT method and flow cytometry at the cell level. Results: The entrapment efficiency of UA in UA+Rg3-LIP was 78.52% and that of Rg3 was 71.68%, as assayed by low-temperature ultracentrifugation. The in vitro release rates of UA+Rg3-LIP and UA+Rg3 detected by the dialysis membrane method were 1–10 h. The release rate of UA+Rg3 was close to 100%; that of UA+Rg3-LIP was decreased after 10 h and approached 100% after 24 h. It was further confirmed by cell experiments that UA+Rg3-LIP could significantly reduce cells' viability while at the same time increase their apoptosis rate and raise the proportion of cells in the G0/G1 phase. Conclusion: Liposomes co-loaded with ursolic acid and ginsenoside Rg3 could affect cell proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle, thus slowing down the in vitro drug release ability of HCC.