The effect of allicin on cell proliferation and apoptosis compared to blank control and cis-platinum in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) has aggressive clinical behavior with poor prognosis. Allicin plays a tumor-suppressive role in various cancers, although the role of allicin in OTSCC is unknown. We aimed to investigate the effect of allicin on cell proliferation and apoptosis compared to blank control and cis-platinum in OTSCC. METHODS: Tca-8113 and SCC-25 cells were treated with non-stimulated control, 12.5 µg/mL allicin, 25 µg/mL allicin, 50 µg/mL allicin, and 40 µg/mL cis-platinum, which were divided into blank control, allicin 12.5 µg/mL, allicin 25 µg/mL, allicin 50 µg/mL, and cis-platinum 40 µg/mL groups, respectively. Cell proliferation was determined by the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. Cell apoptosis was detected by annexin V/propidium iodide and Western blot assays. RESULTS: In Tca-8113 and SCC-25 cells, cell proliferation was inhibited by 40 μg/mL cis-platinum, 12.5 μg/mL allicin, 25 μg/mL allicin, and 50 μg/mL allicin. Cell apoptosis was promoted by 40 μg/mL cis-platinum, 12.5 μg/mL allicin, 25 μg/mL allicin, and 50 μg/mL allicin, while compared to 40 μg/mL cis-platinum, it was increased by 50 μg/mL allicin. Western blot assay revealed that expression of pro-apoptosis protein Bax and C-Caspase 3 increased, but apoptosis-inhibitory protein Bcl-2 expression decreased with 40 μg/mL cis-platinum, 12.5 μg/mL allicin, 25 μg/mL allicin, and 50 μg/mL allicin, while compared to 40 μg/mL cis-platinum, Bax and C-Caspase 3 expression was increased by 50 μg/mL allicin. CONCLUSION: Allicin was shown to have good efficacy in repressing cell proliferation as well as facilitating cell apoptosis in OTSCC.