Study of radiation sensitization of artesunate on human HeLa cells of cervical cancer

Objective: To investigate the radiosensitizing effects of artesunate on human HeLa cells of cervical cancer in vitro. Methods: Hela cells irradiated with 60Co γ-rays. The dose rate was 0.635 Gy/min and the radiation dose was 0, 1, 2, 4, 6 Gy, respectively. The anti-proliferation activities of artesunate on HeLa cells were evaluated with MTT assay, to determine the most appropriate drug concentration. The effect of radiosensitivity was observed by using clonogenic assay. The single-hit multi-target model was used to plot the HeLa cell's dose-survival curve, to calculate mean lethal dose, quasi-threshold dose and sensitization enhancement rate, and to evaluate its radiosensitization effect. The apoptosis was analyzed with flow cytometry (FCM) to further test the radiation sensitization of artesunate on HeLa cells. Results: The inhibition of artesunate on HeLa cells increased with concentration. In radiation group, the cell cloning efficiency were 91.67%, 82.02%, 58.06%, 25.01%, respectively, and in artesunate (2.0 μmol/L) + radiation group, the cell cloning efficiency were 74.93%, 60.53%, 22.38%, 5.05%. In radiation group and artesunate (2.0 μmol/L) + radiation group, the mean lethal dose (D0) was 2.95 and 2.07 Gy, respectively, while the qusai-threshold dose (Dq) were 2.01 and 1.24 Gy, respectively, and SER was 1.43. Compared with 2 and 6 Gy radiation group, the apoptosis rate of drug + radiation group increased from 12.26%, 40.08% to 22.71%, 59.92. Conclusions: The inhibiting effect of artesunate on HeLa cells is concentration-dependent. Artesunate has radiosensitizing effect on HeLa cells in vitro. (authors)