Patients with ovarian cancer (OC) may be treated with surgery, chemotherapy
and/or radiation therapy, although none of these strategies are very effective.
Several plant-based natural products/dietary supplements, including extracts
from
Emblica
officinalis
(Amla), have
demonstrated potent anti-neoplastic properties. In this study we determined that
Amla extract (AE) has anti-proliferative effects on OC cells under both
in vitro and in vivo conditions. We also
determined the anti-proliferative effects one of the components of AE,
quercetin, on OC cells under in vitro conditions. AE did not
induce apoptotic cell death, but did significantly increase the expression of
the autophagic proteins beclin1 and LC3B-II under in vitro
conditions. Quercetin also increased the expression of the autophagic proteins
beclin1 and LC3B-II under in vitro conditions. AE also
significantly reduced the expression of several angiogenic genes, including
hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) in OVCAR3 cells. AE acted synergistically
with cisplatin to reduce cell proliferation and increase expression of the
autophagic proteins beclin1 and LC3B-II under in vitro
conditions. AE also had anti-proliferative effects and induced the expression of
the autophagic proteins beclin1 and LC3B-II in mouse xenograft tumors.
Additionally, AE reduced endothelial cell antigen – CD31 positive blood vessels
and HIF-1α expression in mouse xenograft tumors. Together, these studies
indicate that AE inhibits OC cell growth both in vitro and
in vivo possibly via inhibition of angiogenesis and
activation of autophagy in OC. Thus AE may prove useful as an alternative or
adjunct therapeutic approach in helping to fight OC.