Preliminary investigation on the sensitization effect and mechanism of photodynamic therapy in combination with chemotherapy for gastric cancer

CCK8 assay, cell staining, and flow cytometry were usedand the expressions of Caspase-1 and GSDMD (N) were analyzed by Western blotting. Additionally, GC transplant tumor model in mice. PDT can significantly enhance the chemosensitivity of GC cells and substantially reduce the required drug dosage. The chemotherapy combined with PDT group exhibited the highest levels of ROS production and increased expressions of pyroptosis proteins GSDMD-N and Caspase-1, when compared to the chemotherapy alone group. Additionally, the cell death morphology observed in this group was consistent with the typical characteristics of pyroptosis. The combined treatment group exhibited the smallest tumor tissue volume and the most pronounced infiltration of internal inflammatory cells, indicating that it could aggravate acute tissue inflammation and induce pyroptosis in tumor tissue. PDT-sensitized chemotherapy drugs. In this process, the classical pyroptosis pathway involving ROS and Caspase-1/GSDMD is implicated in the PDT-induced cell death of GC cells.