The Serotonin 5-HT2A Receptor Antagonist Ritanserin Induces Apoptosis in Human Colorectal Cancer and Acts in Synergy with Curcumin

摘要

This study investigated the effect ritanserin, a selective serotonin 5-HT2A receptor antagonist, alone andin combination with curcumin on colorectal cancer cell lines. Immunohistochemistry analysis shows theexpression of the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor in colorectal tissues with higher expression in tumour than in normalcolorectal tissues. Ritanserin, in a dose-dependent manner, reduces cell viability and increases apoptosis incolorectal cancer cell lines as analysed by MTT and TUNEL assay, respectively. Moreover, combined withcurcumin (25 μM), ritanserin (25 μM) synergistically increased the number of hypodiploid cells and DNAfragmentation (58.0 ± 2.6 %) and decreased cell viability (48.0 ± 3.4 %) in HT29 colorectal cancer cell line. Thisstudy demonstrates that curcumin and ritanserin have a synergic anti-mitogenic and apoptotic effect oncolorectal cancer cell lines. These results suggest a potential use of serotonin 5-HT2A receptor antagonist in cotreatmentwith curcumin in colon cancer therapy.