Dual inhibitor of PI3K and mTOR (NVP-BEZ235) augments the efficacy of fluorouracil on gastric cancer chemotherapy

Abstract

Liangqing Li, Shengwei Zhang, Diya Xie, Hui Chen, Xuelan Zheng, Dun Pan Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350005, China Purpose: NVP-BEZ235 is a recently developed dual inhibitor of PI3K and mTOR and shows good inhibitory effects on several types of tumors. However, the efficacy of NVP-BEZ235 on gastric cancer therapy remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the potential of NVP-BEZ235 as a new agent to enhance chemotherapy for gastric cancer. Methods: Human gastric cancer MKN-45 cells or nude mice xenografted with MKN-45 cells were treated by NVP-BEZ235 and fluorouracil (5-FU) alone or in combination. The proliferation, invasion, apoptosis, and chemoresistance of gastric cancer cells were examined in vivo and in vitro. Results: In vitro, combined treatment with NVP-BEZ235 and 5-FU showed synergistic inhibitory effects on proliferation, migration, and invasion and synergistic stimulating effects on apoptosis of MKN-45 cells. In vivo, NVP-BEZ235 and 5-FU synergistically inhibited the growth and induced apoptosis of MKN-45 xenografts. Mechanistically, NVP-BEZ235 inhibited PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling; decreased the levels of Bcl-2, MMP9, and VEGF; but increased the levels of Bax and cleaved caspase-3 in MKN-45 xenografts. Conclusion: NVP-BEZ235 enhances the antitumor efficacy of 5-FU. Therefore, NVP-BEZ235 is a promising agent to enhance chemotherapy for gastric cancer. Keywords: NVP-BEZ235, fluorouracil, gastric cancer, chemotherapy, P13K, mTOR

Keywords

• NVP-BEZ235
• fluorouracil
• gastric cancer
• chemotherapy