THE IMPACT OF HYPERTHERMIC CHEMOTHERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF OVARIAN CANCER. ARE ALL OPTIONS EXHAUSTED?

Abstract

Aim. To evaluate the impact of hyperthermic chemotherapy with cisplatin on the OVCAR-3 ovarian cancer cells in vitro and to determine the differences in its effect with the silencing of HO-1. Methods. Experimental research was conducted at the Institute for Digestive Research, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. The human ovarian adenocarcinoma cell line (OVCAR-3) was chosen for the study. Imitating the typical clinical conditions of HIPEC, OVCAR-3 cells were exposed to hyperthermia and cisplatin by silencing or not silencing HO-1 expression. Viability, apoptosis, and proliferation were investigated. Results. Hyperthermia (< 43 °C) alone had no impact on the viability, nor the apoptosis of OVCAR-3 cells. The impact of cisplatin depends directly on the dose. A temperature of ≥ 43 °C improves the cytotoxic effect of cisplatin in OVCAR-3 cells. The expression of HO-1 increases under the effect of cisplatin in OVCAR-3 cells. The silencing of HO-1 improves the cytotoxic effect of hyperthermic chemotherapy on OVCAR-3 cells. Conclusions. Lower than 43 °C temperature had no significant effect on the viability of ovarian cancer cells neither alone nor in combination with cisplatin. Although hyperthermia did not increase the expression of HO-1, the silencing of HO-1 had the most influence on the compound effect of hyperthermia and cisplatin on the viability and apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells.