Objective: To evaluate the antitumor activity of gemcitabine (GEM), cisplatin (DDP) as well as the combination of these two agents in lung cancer cells and mice.
Materials and methods: The cell viability was evaluated by the CCK-8 assay. Cell apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry assay and Hoechst staining. The protein expression of VEGF, VEGFR2, Ang II, AT1R, and ACE2 was examined by Western blotting. The effect of GEM and DDP on tumor growth and survival time was also measured in lung cancer mice in vivo.
Results: The results revealed that alone or combined administration of GEM and DDP could inhibit the growth, induce apoptosis and apoptotic body formation of A549 cells compared with control cells, with the most significance detected in a combination of GEM and DDP administration. It is indicated that combined administration of GEM and DDP could delay the progress of tumor formation in nude mice. The cell apoptosis- and angiogenesis-related proteins expressions were decreased both in A549 cells and lung cancer mice.
Conclusions: GEM plus DDP can be an option for patients with lung cancer treatment. However, further prospective evaluation and randomized trials are to provide more accurate information through clinical trials.