Inhibition of autophagy promotes ultrasound‑targeted microbubble destruction-induced apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells.

Abstract

In therapeutic studies of pancreatic cancer, ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD) has shown potential in promoting apoptosis as a safe and non-invasive adjuvant therapy. Autophagy, a regulatory mechanism for cellular stress response and survival, plays a dual role in tumor development, progression, and treatment. However, the role of autophagy in UTMD-induced apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells remains unclear. In this study, chloroquine (CQ), an autophagy inhibitor, was combined with UTMD to treat pancreatic cancer both in vitro and in vivo, with changes in apoptosis assessed through Western blot and TUNEL staining. The results showed that UTMD induced both apoptosis and autophagy in pancreatic cancer cells. Notably, inhibiting autophagy significantly enhanced UTMD-induced apoptosis, while the inhibition of apoptosis did not affect UTMD-induced autophagy. These findings suggest that autophagy reduces the effectiveness of UTMD in treating pancreatic cancer. This study offers a new perspective on UTMD for treating pancreatic cancer, suggesting that combining autophagy inhibitors could be a promising strategy to enhance the effectiveness of pancreatic cancer therapy.