Melatonin Promotes Apoptosis of Oxaliplatin-resistant Colorectal Cancer Cells Through Inhibition of Cellular Prion Protein.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Drug resistance restricts the efficacy of chemotherapy in colorectal cancer. However, the detailed molecular mechanism of drug resistance in colorectal cancer cells remains unclear.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The level of cellular prion protein (PrPC ) in oxaliplatin-resistant colorectal cancer (SNU-C5/Oxal-R) cells was assessed.

RESULTS: PrPC level in SNU-C5/Oxal-R cells was significantly increased compared to that in wild-type (SNU-C5) cells. Superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were higher in SNU-C5/Oxal-R cells than in SNU-C5 cells. Treatment of SNU-C5/Oxal-R cells with oxaliplatin and melatonin reduced PrPC expression, while suppressing antioxidant enzyme activity and increasing superoxide anion generation. In SNU-C5/Oxal-R cells, endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis were significantly increased following co-treatment with oxaliplatin and melatonin compared to treatment with oxaliplatin alone.

CONCLUSION: Co-treatment with oxaliplatin and melatonin increased endoplasmic reticulum stress in and apoptosis of SNU-C5/Oxal-R cells through inhibition of PrPC , suggesting that PrPC could be a key molecule in oxaliplatin resistance of colorectal cancer cells.