Synergistic effect of TRAIL combined with cisplatin on apoptosis of rhabdomyosarcoma cells

Objective To investigate the synergistic induction of apoptosis by the combination of TRAIL and cisplatin in rhabdomyosarcoma cells.Methods Rhabdomyosarcoma cells were treated with TRAIL,cisplatin,TRAIL+cisplatin for 3 days,respectively.The cytotoxicity was observed by MTT assay.The apoptotic rates and the expression of Fas protein were determined by flow cytometry(FCM).Results In TRAIL group(1.0,10.0 and 100.0 ng/ml),the cytotoxicity index was 18.9%,20.8% and 43.5%,respectively;in cisplatin group(1.0,5.0,and 10.0 μg/ml),the cytotoxicity index was 9.8%,23.4% and 37.1%,respectively.In TRAIL and cisplatin group,the cytotoxicity index increased significantly,the expression of Fas protein of rhabdomyosarcoma cells was upregulated,which is paralleled with the apoptotic rates.Conclusion TRAIL with cisplatin shows a synergistic effect on apoptosis of rhabdomyosarcoma cells,which suggests a potential clinical application in treatment of rhabdomyosracoma.