Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cell function is critical for controlling initial tumor growth and determining chemosensitivity of the tumor. A synergistic relationship between rapamycin and cisplatin in uterine endometrial cancer (UEC) in vitro has been reported, but the mechanism and the combined therapeutic strategy for endometrial cancer (EC) are still unknown. We found a positive correlation between the level of IL-27 and the differentiated stage of UEC. The increase of IL-27 in uterine endometrial cancer cell (UECC) lines (Ishikawa, RL95-2 and KLE) led to a high cytotoxic activity of NK cells to UECC in the co-culture system. Exposure with rapamycin enhanced the cytotoxicity of NK cells by upregulating the expression of IL-27 in UECC and IL-27 receptors (IL-27Rs: WSX-1 and gp130) on NK cells and further restricted the growth of UEC in Ishikawa-xenografted nude mice. In addition, treatment with rapamycin resulted in an increased autophagy level of UECC, and IL-27 enhanced this ability of rapamycin. Cisplatin-mediated NK cells' cytotoxic activity and anti-UEC activation were independent of IL-27; however, the combination of rapamycin and cisplatin led to a higher cytotoxic activity of NK cells, smaller UEC volume and longer survival rate in vivo. These results suggest that rapamycin and cisplatin synergistically activate the cytotoxicity of NK cells and inhibit the progression of UEC in both an IL-27-dependent and -independent manner. This provides a scientific basis for potential rapamycin-cisplatin combined therapeutic strategies targeted to UEC, especially for the patients with low differentiated stage or abnormally low level of IL-27.