Co-delivery of Docetaxel and Resveratrol by liposomes synergistically boosts antitumor efficiency against prostate cancer
Lu Zhang, Zhao‐Min Lin, Yuan Chen, Dongfang Gao, Peng Wang, Yuxing Lin, Yongmei Wang, Fang Wang, Ying Han, Huiqing Yuan
Abstract
Combination therapy is frequently used in cancer treatments. Delivery of combined anticancer agents loaded in a nanocarrier would be a promising option for combination therapy. Here, we designed PEGylated nano-liposomes for co-delivery Docetaxel (Doc) and Resveratrol (Res) to evaluate antitumor efficiency of the combined drugs in prostate cancer. The average diameter of the liposomes was 99.67 nm with a spheral-like shape. Drug release studies showed that both drugs could synchronously leak from the liposomes in a sustained release behavior. Cellular uptake results demonstrated that liposomes could effectively deliver more cargos into cells than other formulations. Moreover, co-loaded liposomes with Doc/Res in a molar ratio of 1:2 exhibited significantly higher cytotoxicity than a mixed solution containing both drugs on cancer cells. In the study of caspase 3, we found that the combination of Doc and Res could significantly increase the activity of caspase 3 enzyme compared with Doc alone. Animal studies revealed that co-encapsulated Doc/Res in liposomes predominantly inhibited tumor growth in PC3 bearing Balb/c nude mice, as evidenced by a change in cell proliferation and apoptosis parameters. Importantly, little toxicities and prolonged survival time were observed in mice treated with liposome-loaded Doc/Res than control group exposed to liposome-free Doc/Res. These results provided evidence that loading of Doc/Res in a nano-liposome is an efficient delivery formulation for synergistic treating prostate cancer.