Saffron Crocin and Doxorubicin apoptotic effect on the cellular signaling pathway genes (PTEN / AKT1) on Human Epidermoid Cancer Cells (KB)

Oral cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the world and the second deadliest cancer. One of the main ways to treat this cancer is chemotherapy and immunotherapy. However, some tumors may recur after being treated with chemotherapy. Many scientists believe that using antioxidants at the same time as chemotherapy may counteract the effects of drugs. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of saffron crocin on the anticancer function of doxorubicin on the cellular signaling pathway genes (PTEN / AKT1) on Human Epidermoid Cancer Cells (KB).

In this case-control study, the KB cell was cultured in RPMI 1640 culture medium. Cell proliferation or death of cells treated with crocin and doxorubicin were evaluated using MTT assay. DAPI and DNA-ladder assays were also performed to demonstrate the cell apoptosis. After total RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis, the expression changes of PTEN / AKT1-associated growth and apoptotic genes were assessed using real-time PCR.

Our finding revealed that doxorubicin has an inhibitory effect on oral cancer cells, and it is capable of inducing proapoptotic gene (PTEN) as well as inhibiting AKT1 gene expression. The use of crocin had no significant effect on doxorubicin inhibition. The results also showed that combined use of this natural antioxidant with drug chemistry significantly increased the effects of the drug.

Saffron Crocin as a natural antioxidant can have both antioxidant and anti-cancer effects synergistically with doxorubicin on on Human Epidermoid Cancer Cells (KB).