Table 3.
Type of cancer | Type of chemotherapeutic agents combined with cucurbitacin B | Experimental model | Main results | Refs. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Breast cancer | Imatinib mesylate |
In vitro MCF-7 cells |
Anticancer synergistic effects ↓cell proliferation ↑apoptosis |
[86] |
Gemcitabine docetaxel |
In vitro MDA-MB-231 cells |
Synergistic effects ↓cell proliferation, ↑apoptosis |
[87] | |
In vivo mice |
↓tumour volume No signs of increased toxicity |
|||
Ionizing radiation |
In vitro 4T1 cells |
Blocks cancer cells in the G2/M phase ↑apoptosis, ↓cancer cells growth ↓p-STAT3, ↓c-Myc, ↓Bcl-2, ↓Bcl-xL, ↑caspase-9, ↑p21, ↑p53 |
[88] | |
Pancreatic cancer | SCH772984, an ERK inhibitor |
In vitro HPAC cells |
↑apoptosis, ↓cancer cells growth ↓EGFR, ↓PI3K/Akt/mTOR, ↓STAT3, ↑Bim, ↓McL-1, ↓Bcl-2, ↓Bcl-xl, ↓survivin, ↑cucurbitacin B sensitivity |
[89] |
In vivo mice |
↓ tumour growth | |||
Colorectal cancer | Gefitinib |
In vitro HT-29, HCT-116 cells |
Cell cycle inhibition ↑apoptosis, ↓EGFR, ↓JAK/STAT |
[90] |
Imatinib mesylate |
In vitro SW480 cells |
↓cell proliferation ↑apoptosis ↓MMP-2, ↑degradation of extracellular matrix |
[86] | |
Ovarian cancer | Cisplatin |
In vitro A2780 cells |
Cytotoxicity against the ovarian cancer cell line | [91] |
Paclitaxel |
In vitro A2780/Taxol cells |
Dose- and time-dependent cytotoxicity effect ↑G2/M phase arrest of the cell cycle, ↑p53, ↑p21, ↓Bcl-2, ↓caspase-3, ↓P-gp |
[92] | |
Osteosarcoma | Methotrexate |
In vitro human osteosarcoma cells |
↓AKT, ↓mTOR | [93] |
↑ increase, ↓decrease, JAK: Janus kinase; McL-1: induced myeloid leukaemia cell differentiation protein 1; Bim: Bcl-2-like protein 11