triclosan treatment decreased the antitumor effect of sorafenib on hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Abstract

Man Wu,1,2 Guanren Zhao,2 Xiaomei Zhuang,1 Tianhong Zhang,1 Ce Zhang,2 Wenpeng Zhang,1 Zhenqing Zhang1 1State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, China; 2Department of Pharmacy, The 309th Hospital of PLA, Beijing, China Background: Triclosan is a widely applied antimicrobial agent which affects the endocrine system and homeostasis; it may also promote the cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) growth in a mice model. The exact roles of triclosan in regulating human hepatocellular carcinoma development and treatment remain unknown. Methods: MHCC97-H, a highly aggressive HCC cell line, was treated with indicated concentration of triclosan or sorafenib. The expression of drug-resistance genes was examined by qPCR. The clearance or metabolism of sorafenib was determined by liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometer/mass spectrometer (LC-MS/MS). MTT assay was used to examine the MHCC97-H cell proliferation. Nude mice were used to exam the anti-tumor effect of sorafenib on subcutaneous and intrahepatic growth of MHCC97-H cells. Results: In the present study, triclosan could induce the expression of drug-resistance genes in MHCC97-H cells (a highly aggressive HCC cell line), accelerate the clearance of sorafenib, and attenuate the anti-proliferation effect of this molecular targeted agent in MHCC97-H cells. Triclosan decreased the antitumor effect of sorafenib on subcutaneous and intrahepatic growth of MHCC97-H in nude mice. Conclusion: By discovering the fact that triclosan treatment enhances sorafenib resistance in HCC cells, this work suggests exposure of triclosan is detrimental to HCC patients during chemotherapy. Keywords: HCC, triclosan, sorafenib resistance, drug clearance