Study the effects of thymoqinone on sensitivity of Saos-2 cancerous cells to methotrexate

Abstract

Recently, various studies have focused on the therapeutic potential of thymoquinone, a natural polyphenol, in various human malignancies, including osteosarcoma. However, the underlying mechanisms in the thymoquinone-mediated anti-cancer effects are still not completely understood. Therefore, the present study evaluated the effect of thymoquinone on the metotherxarte induced- apoptosis in Saos-2 cells. Methods Saos-2 cells were treated with methotrexate, thymoquinone, and combination of both, and cellular viability was assessed by MTT assay. The mRNA expression of apoptosis markers including Bax, BCL-2, and caspase-9 was evaluated via using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Results Methotrexate led to significant inhibition of cellular proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. The combination of thymoquinone and thymoquinone led to significant inhibition of proliferation in comparison to monotreatments (P<0.05). Thymoquinone also induced apoptosis through upregulating pro-apoptotic markers including Bax and caspase-9 and downregulating anti-apoptotic mediators including BCL-2. In addition, thymoquinone increased methotrexate-induced apoptosis in Saos-2 cells.