Abstract
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is relatively resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Clear cell RCC (ccRCC) accounts for the majority of RCC, which have mutations or epigenetic silencing of the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) gene. VHL-positive Caki-2 cells are killed by an endogenous anticancer substance, 15-deoxy-Δ12, 14-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2). The MTT reduction assay reflecting mitochondrial succinate dehydrogenase activity was employed for assessment of cell viability. We confirmed anticancer activities of camptothecin (topoisomerase I inhibitor), etoposide (topoisomerase II inhibitor), doxorubicin (topoisomerase II inhibitor) in VHL-positive Caki-2 cells. Combination of topoisomerase inhibitors with 15d-PGJ2 exhibited the synergistic effect in VHL-positive Caki-2 cells. However, 15d-PGJ2 did not increase cytotoxicities of topoisomerase inhibitors on VHL-negative 786-O cells. In addition, the 15d-PGJ2-enhanced antitumor activity of topoisomerase inhibitors was detected in neither VHL-positive nor VHL-negative RCC4 cells. Our finding indicated that 15d-PGJ2 enhanced the antitumor activity of topoisomerase inhibitors independently of VHL.