Boswellic Acid Enhances Gemcitabine’s Inhibition of Hypoxia-Driven Angiogenesis in Human Endometrial Cancer
<i>Background and Objectives</i>: Endometrial carcinoma is among the most common gynecological malignancies, with recurrence and chemoresistance remaining major clinical challenges. This study aimed to evaluate the combined effects of Boswellic acid (BA), a natural pentacyclic triterpene, and Gemcitabine (GEM), a nucleoside analog chemotherapeutic, on hypoxia, angiogenesis, and apoptosis in human endometrial cancer cells. <i>Materials and Methods</i>: ECC-1 cells were treated with BA, GEM, or their combination under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Cell viability (MTT assay); nuclear morphology (NucBlue staining); cell cycle distribution (PI flow cytometry); angiogenesis (VEGF ELISA expression); apoptosis (Caspase-3/7 activity; Bax; Bcl-2 expression); inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β; IL-6; TNF-α); and gene ontology enrichment were analyzed. <i>Results</i>: Both BA and GEM reduced cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner, with the combination producing synergistic cytotoxicity and lower IC<sub>50</sub> values. Hypoxia enhanced drug sensitivity, particularly in combination therapy. BA and GEM significantly suppressed HIF-1α and VEGF expression, with maximal inhibition observed in the combination group. Apoptotic induction was confirmed by increased Bax and Caspase-3 and decreased Bcl-2 expression, together with elevated Caspase-3/7, -8, and -9 activity. Pro-inflammatory cytokine levels were markedly reduced, and gene ontology analysis revealed enrichment of apoptotic, anti-proliferative, and anti-angiogenic pathways. <i>Conclusions</i>: BA + GEM combination synergistically suppresses hypoxia-driven angiogenesis and promotes apoptosis in endometrial cancer cells. These findings support its potential as an adjuvant therapeutic approach, warranting further preclinical and clinical validation.
Authors
- İlhan Özdemır (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9957-0211)
- Mehmet Cudi Tuncer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7317-5467)
- Şamil Öztürk (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9435-8139)
- Yasemin Afşin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-4603-6510)
- Senem Alkan Akalın (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8286-2824)
Institutions
- Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart Üniversitesi (TR)
- Dicle University (TR)
- Batman University (TR)
- Turkish Society of Cardiology (TR)
- Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University (TR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Medicina
- Published
- 2025-12-08
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina61122181
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Pharmacological Effects of Medicinal Plants
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.39