Fe₃O₄ Nanoparticles in Combination with 5-FU Exert Antitumor Effects Superior to Those of the Active Drug in a Colon Cancer Cell Model

Abstract

(1) Background: Colon cancer is one of the most common cancer types, and treatment options, unfortunately, do not continually improve the survival rate of patients. With the unprecedented development of nanotechnologies, nanomedicine has become a significant direction in cancer research. Indeed, chemotherapeutics with nanoparticles (NPs) in cancer treatment is an outstanding new treatment principle. (2) Methods: Fe3O4 NPs were synthesized and characterized. Caco-2 colon cancer cells were treated during two different periods (24 and 72 h) with Fe3O4 NPs (6 μg/mL), various concentrations of 5-FU (4–16 μg/mL), and Fe3O4 NPs in combination with 5-FU (4–16 μg/mL) (Fe3O4 NPs + 5-FU). (3) Results: The MTT assay showed that treating the cells with Fe3O4 NPs + 5-FU at 16 µg/mL for 24 or 72 h decreased cell viability and increased their LDH release (p p p p p p 3O4-NPs + 5-FU, the IL-10 gene was downregulated and PTEN gene expression was upregulated (p p 3O4 NPs exert a synergistic cytotoxic effect with 5-FU on Caco-2 cells at concentrations below the active drug threshold levels.

Keywords

• Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles
• 5-fluorouracil
• Caco-2
• PTEN
• IL-10
• oxidative status