RESERPINE ENHANCES THE GENOTOXIC EFFECTS OF DOXORUBICIN IN HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA CELLS

Objective: Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most frequently diagnosed primary liver malignancy. Despite advances in treatment, challenges such as drug resistance limit the effectiveness of chemotherapy, including doxorubicin. Studies have shown that reserpine, a naturally occurring indole alkaloid, has anticancer properties in various malignancies. The aim of this study was to investigate whether reserpine increases the effectiveness of doxorubicin in hepatocellular carcinoma cells under in vitro conditions. Material and Methods: Human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells were cultured. The IC50 value of reserpine was determined by the MTT method. Doxorubicin and reserpine were applied to HepG2 cells, both separately and in combination. DNA damage was evaluated by the alkaline comet assay. Results: Doxorubicin and reserpine significantly increased DNA damage in HepG2 cells when applied alone (p