Polymer lipid hybrid nanoparticles encapsulated with Emodin reverse multidrug resistance of breast cancer via IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway

Abstract

Abstract Multidrug resistance (MDR) is one of the main reasons affecting the efficacy of chemotherapy in breast cancer (BC). Our previous studies constructed polymer lipid hybrid nanoparticles encapsulated with Emodin (EMO) (E-PLNs) and proved that they can inhibit epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) and reverse MDR in BC. This study aims to explore the mechanisms by which the EMT involved in MDR and the E-PLNs exerted effects. The prepared E-PLNs were characterized by Dynamic light scattering, infrared spectroscopy, X-ray and differential scanning calorimetry. The effects of drugs or treatments were evaluated by detecting apoptosis, invasion, EMT markers, and drug-resistant related proteins of drug-resistant breast cancer cells in vitro. The results showed that IL-6 could promote proliferation, EMT, invasion and MDR of MCF-7/ADR cell by activating the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway, and these effects could be reversed by AG490 or E-PLNs. E-PLNs might be an effective MDR reversal agent for BC.