Synergistic anticancer effect of combined use of Trichosanthes kirilowii with cisplatin and pemetrexed enhances apoptosis of H1299 non-small-cell lung cancer cells via modulation of ErbB3

Background Lung cancer is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. To treat lung cancer, various anticancer drugs were developed and tested, but they failed because of drug resistance. In the present study, we tested herbal medicines, such as TK and CuD, as anticancer drugs to decrease side effects and resistance. Methods Cell viability was measured by an MTT assay. Analysis of cell cycle arrest was performed by flow cytometry. Induction of apoptosis by cucurbitacin D was measured by an annexin V-FITC/PI assay. We performed RTK kit analysis. Levels of p-ErbB3, p-STAT3, p-NF-κB, and caspases were measured by western blot analysis. Nuclear staining of ErbB3 was measured by immunocytochemistry. Transcriptional activity of STAT3 and NF-κB was detected by STAT3 and NF-κB luciferase reporter gene assays. Results We found a synergistic effect of TK with CDDP and PXD in primary culture of human NSCLC tumor cells. The combination of CDDP/PXD and TK or CuD inhibited the proliferation of H1299 cells. The combination of CDDP/PXD and TK or CuD induced sub-G1 and G2/M cell cycle arrest in H1299 cells. The combination of CDDP/PXD and TK or CuD induced apoptosis, regulated apoptotic molecules, caused morphological changes and inhibited colony formation in H1299 cells. We found that TK suppresses p-ErbB3 expression and signaling. The combination of CDDP/PXD and TK or CuD inhibited p-AKT, p-Erk, and p-JNK signaling and suppressed Stat3 and NF-κB transcriptional activity in H1299 cells. More importantly, the combination of CDDP/PXD and TK or CuD inhibited p-ErbB3 and downstream molecules in H1299 cells. The combination of CDDP/PXD and TK or CuD inhibited ErbB2/ErbB3 dimerization. Our results clearly demonstrate that the synergistic effect of CDDP/PXD and TK or CuD inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis by inhibiting ErbB3 signaling. Conclusion The combination of CDDP/PXD and TK or CuD decreases cell proliferation and induces apoptosis by inhibiting ErbB3 signaling in H1299 lung cancer cells. TK or CuD could be useful as a compound to treat lung cancer. Additionally, targeting ErbB3 may also be useful for treating lung cancer.