Effects of crocetin on radiosensitivity in mice bearing lung adenocarcinoma
10.13491/j.issn.1004-714X.2025.04.009
- VernacularTitle:藏红花酸对肺腺癌荷瘤小鼠放射敏感性的影响
- Author:
Miao HE
1
,
2
;
Like ZHANG
2
;
Lei MA
2
;
Quanxiao XU
2
Author Information
1. Xinxiang Medical College, Xinxiang 453003, China
2. Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Molecular Biology and Medicine, The First People's Hospital of Nanyang City, Nanyang 473000, China.
- Publication Type:OriginalArticles
- Keywords:
Crocetin;
Lung adenocarcinoma;
Radiosensitivity;
HIF-1α;
BCL-2;
Apoptosis
- From:
Chinese Journal of Radiological Health
2025;34(4):523-529
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective To investigate the effects of crocetin on radiosensitivity of lung adenocarcinoma and its potential mechanisms using a nude mouse xenograft model established with A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells. Methods Forty mice bearing lung adenocarcinoma were randomly divided into four groups: control group, crocetin group, radiotherapy group, and crocetin combined with radiotherapy group, and received the corresponding interventions. After 14 days of treatment, all mice were sacrificed and tumor tissues were excised. Tumor weight was measured in each group and the tumor inhibition rate was calculated. Apoptosis of tumor cells was analyzed by flow cytometry. Immunohistochemistry and RT-qPCR were used to detect and compare the expression of genes encoding hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1α) and B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2). Results The mean tumor weight of mice in the crocetin combined with radiotherapy group was significantly lower than that in the radiotherapy group (P < 0.05), and the tumor inhibition rate of the crocetin combined with radiotherapy group was 34.07%. The mean tumor cell apoptosis rate in the crocetin combined with radiotherapy group was significantly higher than that in the radiotherapy group (P < 0.05). HIF-1α expression was significantly lower in the crocetin combined with radiotherapy group than in the radiotherapy group (P = 0.001). Although BCL-2 expression in the crocetin combined with radiotherapy group was lower than that in the radiotherapy group, the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.894). The expression levels of mRNAs of genes encoding HIF-1α and BCL-2 in the crocetin combined with radiotherapy group were significantly lower than those in the radiotherapy group (P < 0.05). Conclusion Crocetin in combination with radiotherapy significantly enhanced the inhibitory effect of radiotherapy on tumor growth in mice bearing lung adenocarcinoma and increased the tumor inhibition rate. The mechanisms may involve the alleviation of radiotherapy-induced overexpression of HIF-1α, thereby improving hypoxic conditions in tumor tissues, as well as suppression of the anti-apoptotic gene BCL-2 to enhance radiotherapy-induced apoptosis of lung adenocarcinoma cells.
