Investigating the effect of linarin in increasing the sensitivity of osteosarcoma cells to doxorubicin

Abstract

Introduction Recently, various studies have focused on the therapeutic potential of shikonin in various human malignancies, including osteosarcoma. However, the underlying mechanisms in shikonin-mediated anticancer effects are still not fully understood. Therefore, the present study investigated the effect of Linarin on Doxorubicin-induced apoptosis in SAOS-2 cells. Methods SAOS-2 cells were treated with Doxorubicin, Linarin and a combination of both, and cell viability was evaluated by MTT method. The mRNA expression of Bax, Bcl-2, and Caspase-9 was evaluated using qRT-PCR. Apoptosis was also investigated by flow cytometry. Results Doxorubicin resulted in significant inhibition of cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. The combination of doxorubicin and linarin resulted in significant inhibition of proliferation compared to single treatments (P<0.05). Linarin also induced apoptosis through modulating the expression of Bax, Bcl-2 and caspase-9. Furthermore, shikonin increased cisplatin-induced apoptosis in SAOS-2 cells.