Evaluation of the Combined Effects of Rosmarinic Acid and Cisplatin in Gastric Cancer Cells.

OBJECTIVE

Gastric cancer remains a significant global health concern, necessitating investigation into more effective treatment approaches. This study investigates the combined effects of rosmarinic acid, a polyphenolic compound with known anticancer properties, and cisplatin, a conventional chemotherapeutic agent, on human gastric carcinoma (HGC-27) cells.

METHODS

Cell viability was evaluated at different concentrations for rosmarinic acid and cisplatin, and inhibitory concentration (IC)50, IC30, and IC10 values were subsequently determined. IC30 and IC10 doses were selected for combination experiments. Thiazolyl Blue Tetrazolium Bromide assay, colony formation assay, in vitro scratch assay, and 3D tumor spheroid growth assay were performed to evaluate the effects of individual and combined treatments.

RESULTS

Rosmarinic acid and cisplatin individually reduced cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. Both the IC10 and IC30 dose combinations of the two agents demonstrated significant inhibitory effects on colony formation and cell motility, indicating an additive interaction compared with the control and the individual treatments. The combined treatment also inhibited spheroid growth, although the extent of the reduction was similar to that observed with the individual agents.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides initial insights into the potential efficacy of the rosmarinic acid-cisplatin combination. The combination of these agents reduced cell viability, colony formation, and cell motility. The increased cytotoxicity observed in 2D models was not evident in 3D spheroid models, highlighting the importance of 3D systems that more accurately mimic the complex structure of tumors. This finding suggests that differences in drug sensitivity between 2D and 3D models should be considered when evaluating combination therapies.