Effects of liposome-adriamycin (L-ADM) and thermotherapy on glioma cells: an experimental study

Objective 　To observe the effects of liposome-adriamycin (L-ADM) and thermotherapy on proliferation and apoptosis of SWO-38 glioma cells. Methods 　The SWO-38 glioma cells were cultivated in vitro. The effects of thermotherapy (43℃), ADM chemotherapy, L-ADM chemotherapy, thermotherapy + ADM chemotherapy, and thermotherapy + L-ADM chemotherapy on the cell proliferation and apoptosis were observed. The working concentration of ADM and L-ADM, and the cell proliferation rate were determined by MTT method. The apoptotic rate was determined by flow cytometry. Results 　The proliferation inhibition rate of thermotherapy + L-ADM chemotherapy and thermotherapy + ADM chemotherapy was 80.16%±3.78% and 62.09%±3.05%, respectively, and it was significantly higher than that of L-ADM chemotherapy (40.27%±2.32%), ADM chemotherapy (30.56%±2.03%) or thermotherapy (16.51%±1.26%, P<0.05), and the proliferation inhibition rate of thermotherapy + L-ADM chemotherapy was higher than that of thermotherapy + ADM chemotherapy (P<0.05). The apoptotic rate of thermotherapy + L-ADM chemotherapy and thermotherapy + ADM chemotherapy was 84.19%±2.69% and 60.29%±1.47%, respectively, and it was significantly higher than that of L-ADM chemotherapy (46.72%±2.09%), ADM chemotherapy (35.09%±1.46%) and thermotherapy (17.85%±0.78%, P<0.05), and the apoptotic rate of thermotherapy + L-ADM chemotherapy was higher than that of thermotherapy + ADM chemotherapy (P<0.05). Conclusion 　Thermotherapy can enhance proliferation inhibition and apoptosis induction effect of ADM and L-ADM on SWO-38 glioma cells, and this effect is even stronger with L-ADM.