Polyphyllin I Inhibits Cisplatin Resistance of Cervical Cancer Cells by Inducing Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress

Resistance of cervical cancer to cisplatin chemotherapy compromises the therapeutic efficacy of the treatment. Polyphyllin I, a bioactive compound extracted from rhizoma of Paris polyphyllin, displays a selective inhibitory effect on a variety of tumor cells. Furthermore, it potentiates the chemosensitivity of cisplatin against cisplatin resistant gastric cancer cells and lung adenocarcinoma. However, its role in modulating chemosensitivity of cisplatin resistant cervical cancer cells remains unexplored. To this end, the repressive effect of polyphyllin I on proliferation, invasion and migration of cisplatin resistant cervical cancer cells compared to the parental cervical cancer cells as well as downregulation of mitochondrial membrane potential of cisplatin resistant cervical cancer cells, as well as upregulation of protein kinase R-like ER kinase/translation initiation factor 2-alpha kinase 3, protein-kinase and site-specific endoribonuclease/inositol-requiring enzyme 1, binding immunoglobulin protein, and C/EBP homologous transcription factor proteins. In conclusion, polyphyllin I stimulate mitochondrial dysfunction and endoplasmic reticulum stress to attenuate cisplatin resistance of cervical cancer.