Abstract:Objective To investigate the effect of noscapine combined with oxaliplatin on proliferation and apoptosis of human tongue squamous cell carcinoma Tca8113 cells. Methods Tongue squamous cell carcinoma Tca8113 cells cultured in vitro were randomly divided into control group, oxaliplatin group, noscapine group and combination group. CCK-8 assay was used to determine cell viability. The morphological changes of apoptosis were observed by Hoechst33342 fluorescence staining. Apoptosis rate was detected by flow cytometry. Western blotting was used to detect the expression levels of Bax, Bcl-2, PARP, Cleaved Caspase-9 and Cleaved Caspase-3 in each group. Results The results of CCK-8 assay showed that the survival rate of Tca8113 cells in tongue squamous cell carcinoma in the combined treatment group was significantly lower than that in the noscapine group and oxaliplatin group (P < 0.05), noscapine group, oxaliplatin group and combined treatment group were significantly lower than that in the control group. The results of Hoechst33342 staining showed that the morphology of nuclei in each treatment group showed characteristic changes of apoptosis compared with the control group. Flow cytometry analysis indicated that noscapine group, oxaliplatin group, combined group noticeably induced apoptosis (P < 0.05). Western blotting analysis showed that the expressions of Bax, PARP, Cleaved Caspase-9 and Cleaved Caspase-3 protein were up-regulated and the expression of Bcl-2 protein was significantly down-regulated in oxaliplatin group and noscapine group compared with the control group; the expressions of Bax, PARP, Cleaved Caspase-9, Cleaved Caspase-3 in combination group were significantly higher compared with oxaliplatin group and noscapine group (P < 0.05); Bcl-2 in combination group was lower than that in oxaliplatin group and noscapine group (P < 0.05). Conclusions Noscapine and oxaliplatin has synergistic effect on inducing apoptosis of tongue squamous cell carcinoma Tca-8113 cells, the mechanism of which may be related to the regulation of apoptosis-related protein expression.