Mitomycin C and cisplatin enhanced the antitumor activity of p53-expressing adenovirus in cervical cancer cells

This study investigated the enhanced antitumor activity of Ad5-p53 in combi nation with mitomycin C (MMC) or cisplatin (DDP) in cervical cancer cell li nes SiHa and C-33A. MMC and DDP inhibited the growth of SiHa and C-33A cell s in a dose-dependent manner, and the combination of MMC or DDP with Ad5-p5 3 showed a stronger growth inhibition than those treated with either Ad5-p5 3, MMC or DDP alone. As evidenced by the formation of the similar to 200 bp DNA ladder and the appearance of sub-GI peak, both MMC and DDP induced apo ptosis in cervical cancer cells. Western blot analysis of p53 showed that M MC/DDP did not induce the increase of p53 protein in SiHa cells nor the inc rease of the cellular and nuclear p53 protein in Ad5-p53 transfected Saos-2 cells. Taken together these results suggested that the combination of Ad5- p53 and MMC/DDP may serve as an effective therapeutic regime for human cerv ical cancer treatment.