Brief Reports
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2005. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jul 21, 2005; 11(27): 4237-4240
Published online Jul 21, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i27.4237
Colchicine sensitizes human hepatocellular carcinoma cells to damages caused by radiation
Chia-Yuan Liu, Hui-Fen Liao, Shou-Chuan Shih, Shee-Chan Lin, Wen-Hsiung Chang, Cheng-Hsin Chu, Tsang-En Wang, Yu-Jen Chen
Chia-Yuan Liu, Shou-Chuan Shih, Shee-Chan Lin, Wen-Hsiung Chang, Cheng-Hsin Chu, Tsang-En Wang, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, China
Chia-Yuan Liu, Hui-Fen Liao, Yu-Jen Chen, Department of Medical Research, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, China Shou-Chuan Shih, Mackay Medicine, Nursing and Management College, Taipei, Taiwan, China
Hui-Fen Liao, Yu-Jen Chen, Graduate Institute of Sports Coaching Science, Chinese Culture University, Taipei, Taiwan, China Yu-Jen Chen, Department of Radiation Oncology, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, China
Hui-Fen Liao, Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, National Chiayi University, Chiayi, 300 Taiwan, China Supported by the MMH grant from Mackay Memorial Hospital, No. 9252
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Dr. Yu-Jen Chen, Department of Radiation Oncology, Mackay Memorial Hospital, 92, Section 2, Chung San North Road, Taipei 104, Taiwan, China. chenmdphd@yahoo.com
Telephone: +886-2-28094661 Fax: +886-2-28096180
Received: November 24, 2004
Revised: December 15, 2004
Accepted: December 20, 2004
Published online: July 21, 2005
Abstract

AIM: We studied the effect of colchicine combined with radiation on the survival of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) HA22T/VGH cells.

METHODS: Twenty-four hours after treatment with 0-8 ng/mL colchicine, HA22T/VGH cells were irradiated at various doses (0, 1, 2, 4, and 8 Gy). Colony assay was performed to assess the surviving cell fraction. Survival curves were fitted by using a linear-quadratic model to estimate the sensitizer enhancement ratio (SER). Flow cytometry was used for cell cycle analysis.

RESULTS: Colchicine at lower concentrations (1 and 2 ng/mL) had obvious synergy with radiation to inhibit HCC cell growth, whereas higher concentrations (4 and 8 ng/mL) had only additive effect to radiation. Pretreatment with 1 and 2 ng/mL colchicine for 24-h enhanced cell killing by radiation with SERs of 1.21 and 1.53, respectively. G2/M arrest was only observed with higher colchicine doses (8 and 16 ng/mL) after 24-h treatment; this effect was neither seen with lower doses (1, 2, and 4 ng/mL) nor with any dose after only 1 h of treatment.

CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that colchicine has potential as an adjunct to radiotherapy for HCC treatment. Lower doses of colchicine possess radiosensitizing effects via some mechanism other than G2/M arrest. Further study is necessary to elucidate the mechanism.

Keywords: Colchicine, Radiation sensitizer, Hepatocellular carcinoma