The mechanism of Scleromitrion diffusum (Willd.) R. J. Wang ethanol extract combined with carboplatin in treating cervical cancer

Introduction and Objective.Cervical cancer (CC) is a common cancer in women worldwide, imposing a substantial burden on healthcare systems.The aim of the study is to evaluate the effects of Scleromitrion diffusum (Willd.)R.J.Wang (SD) in combination with carboplatin (CBP) on CC cells, and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms.Materials and Method.The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of SD and CBP in HeLa and CaSki cells was determined using the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay.Cell migration and invasion were assessed by Transwell assays.Levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).The expression of arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase (ALOX5) was analyzed via reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR).In addition, the effects of combined SD and CBP treatment, as well as ALOX5 knockdown, on the malignant behaviour of cancer cells were investigated.Results.The results obtained demonstrated that SD effectively inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HeLa and CaSki cells.The combination of SD and CBP exhibited a synergistic effect, leading to further suppression of these malignant phenotypes.Mechanistically, the combined treatment elevated the levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and ROS, and downregulated ALOX5 expression.Notably, knockdown of ALOX5 expression was shown to suppress the malignant behaviours of both HeLa and CaSki cells.Conclusions.The combined application of SD and CBP markedly suppressed malignant phenotypes in HeLa and CaSki cells.