Antitumor Effects of Self-Assembling Peptide-Emodin in situ Hydrogels in vitro and in vivo

Abstract

Weipeng Wei,1– 3,* Jianhua Tang,4,* Hongfang Li,1– 3 Yongsheng Huang,5 Chengchen Yin,1– 3 Dan Li,6 Fushan Tang1– 3 1Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Guizhou Province and School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, People’s Republic of China; 2Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education and Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, People’s Republic of China; 3Key Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacy of Zunyi City, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, People’s Republic of China; 4Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Cheshire SK10 4TG, UK; 5Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing 100005, People’s Republic of China; 6State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Fushan TangDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Guizhou, People’s Republic of ChinaTel [phone]Fax [phone]Email [email protected] LiCancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaTel [phone]Email [email protected]: To study the in vitro and in vivo antitumor effects of the colloidal suspension-in situ hydrogel of emodin (EM) constructed with the self-assembling peptide RADA16-I and systematically evaluate the feasibility of the delivery system.Methods: The MTT and colony-formation assays were used to determine the viability of normal cells NCTC 1469 and tumor cells Hepa1-6. The uptake of EM in the RADA16-I-EM in situ hydrogel by tumor cells was analyzed by laser confocal microscope and flow cytometry. Flow cytometry was used to detect the cell apoptosis and cell cycle distribution. Transwell assay was used to detect the migration and invasion of tumor cells. The antitumor efficacy of the RADA16-I-EM in situ hydrogel and its toxic effects was further assessed in vivo on Hepa1-6 tumor-bearing C57 mice.Results: The results showed that the RADA16-I-EM in situ hydrogels could obviously reduce the toxicity of EM to normal cells and the survival of tumor cells. The uptake of EM by the cells from the hydrogels was obviously increased and could significantly induce apoptosis and arrest cell cycle in the G2/M phase, and reduce the migration, invasion and clone-formation ability of the cells. The RADA16-I-EM in situ hydrogel could also effectively inhibit the tumor growth and obviously decrease the toxic effects of EM on normal tissues in vivo.Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that RADA16-I has the potential to be a carrier for the hydrophobic drug EM and can effectively improve the delivery of hydrophobic antitumor drugs with enhanced antitumor effects and reduced toxic effects of the drugs on normal cells and tissues.Keywords: self-assembling peptide, emodin, in situ hydrogels, antitumor, drug delivery system

Keywords

• self-assembling peptide
• emodin
• in situ hydrogels
• antitumor
• drug delivery system