Combination therapy with low-frequency ultrasound irradiation and radiofrequency ablation as a synergistic treatment for pancreatic cancer

Abstract

We aim to evaluate the efficacies of combination therapy with low-frequency ultrasound-stimulated microbubbles (USMB) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) on suppressing the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cell and treating Panc02 subcutaneous xenograft mice. The proliferation of HPDE6-C7 and Panc02 cells after the treatment of USMB and RFA alone or combination were evaluated by CCK-8 assay. Scratch test was performed to assess the cell migration capability. Panc02-bearing mice were received 14-day treatment of USMB and RFA alone or combination. Tumor size and survival rate were recorded once two days. The serum levels of immune-related factors and changes of apoptosis- and autophagy-related factors were detected by ELISA and western blotting methods. As a result, CKK-8 assays revealed significant inhibition on Panc02 cell proliferation in combination therapy with USMB and RFA relative to other groups (all p < 0.05). Strong synergistic effect of USMB combined with RFA was confirmed via the calculated combination index (CI) <0.4. In addition, combination therapy of USMB and RFA significantly inhibited the migration of Panc02 cells. Moreover, combined treatment remarkably inhibited the size and width of xenograft and improved the survival in Panc02-bearing mice. Furthermore, 14-day combination therapy of USMB and RFA in Panc02-bearing mice significantly facilitated the apoptosis and autophagy of tumor cells. In summary, combination therapy of USMB and RFA showed synergistic anti-tumor efficacies on Panc02 cells attributing to the promotion on apoptosis and autophagy in Panc02 subcutaneous xenograft mice.

Prognostic value of albumin-bilirubin score in pancreatic cancer patients after pancreatoduodenectomy with liver metastasis following radiofrequency ablation

“…However, as a result of the serious adverse reactions, damage the quality of life, not all patients can benefit from chemotherapy [ 38 , 39 ]. Some studies have pointed out that RFA was an appropriate choice for patients with solitary liver metastasis of malignant tumors, and could effectively inhibit the growth and metastasis of cancer cells [ 40 , 41 ]. However, the effectively predictors which used to evaluate the prognosis of pancreatic cancer was still not clear.…”

Research Progress on the Anticancer Molecular Mechanism of Targets Regulating Cell Autophagy

“…However, the specific molecular mechanism is not yet completely clear. Low-intensity ultrasound combined with radiofrequency ablation significantly upregulates the expression of ATG5 and Beclin1 in pancreatic cancer cells, exerting anticancer effects by enhancing the autophagy of these cells and inducing their autophagic death [134]. In addition, low-intensity ultrasound induces autophagy and autophagy-dependent cell death by the upregulation of the expression of Beclin-1, ATG5, and LC3-II in prostate cancer cells as well [135,136].…”