Enhancement of the efficacy of 5-fluorouracil by amygdalin in HT29 colorectal cancer cells via increased expression of the p53 protein

Abstract

Introduction: Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world and causes many deaths in the world every year. The first-line treatment for this type of cancer is the drug 5-fluorouracil. The most important weaknesses of this drug are numerous side effects and resistance to this drug. Amygdalin, abundantly found in the seeds of fruits such as apples, apricots, and bitter almonds, is a cyanide compound traditionally consumed by people suffering from cancer. Antitumor effects of amygdalin have been reported in different types of cancer cells. The present study aimed to investigate the cytotoxic effects of amygdalin in combination with 5-fluorouracil on cell death and the expression of P53 protein in the colorectal cancer cell line HT29 .Methods: The cell viability of HT29 cells after treatment with different concentrations of amygdalin and 5-fluorouracil individually and in combination was evaluated by the MTT test. The expression level of P53 protein was measured by the Western blot method.Results: HT29 cell viability was inhibited by amygdalin and 5-fluorouracil in a dose-dependent manner. The concurrent use of the combination of amygdalin and 5-fluorouracil showed that amygdalin enhances the lethal effects of 5-fluorouracil. Furthermore Also, amygdalin at a concentration of 10 mg/ml intensified the effects of a 100 μM concentration of 5-fluorouracil on the expression level of P53 protein .Conclusion: The concurrent use of amygdalin-5-fluorouracil may be a valuable candidate for colorectal cancer patients. However, more studies are needed to confirm these results.