Overexpression of drug efflux transport ABCB1 is one of the main reasons for multidrug resistance (MDR) in cancer cells. Upregulation of ABCB1 accounts for the resistant recurrence to docetaxel therapy in ovarian cancer with poor survival. Erastin is a novel specific small-molecule targeting SLC7A11 to induce ferroptosis. In the present study, we explored the effect of erastin on docetaxel efficacy in ovarian cancer. We demonstrated that the combination of erastin with docetaxel synergistically decreased cell viability, promoted cell apoptosis and induced cell cycle to arrest at G2/M in ovarin cancer cells with ABCB1 overexpressing. Mechanistically, erastin potently blocked the drug-efflux activity of ABCB1 to increase the intracellular accumulation of ABCB1-substrate agents without alteration of the expression of ABCB1. Consequently, erastin can reverse ABCB1-mediated docetaxel resistance in ovarian cancer, indicating that the combination of erastin and docetaxel may offer a potential effective administration for chemo-resistant patients with ovarian cancers.

Resveratrol (3,4′,5-trihydroxystilbene) is a naturally derived phytoalexin stilbene isolated from grapes and other plants, playing an important role in human health and is well known for its extensive bioactivities, such as antioxidation, anti-inflammatory, anticancer. In addition to resveratrol, scientists also pay attention to resveratrol oligomers, derivatives of resveratrol, which are characterized by the polymerization of two to eight, or even more resveratrol units, and are the largest group of oligomeric stilbenes. Resveratrol oligomers have multiple beneficial properties, of which some are superior in activity, stability, and selectivity compared with resveratrol. The complicated structures and diverse biological activities are of significant interest for drug research and development and may provide promising prospects as cancer preventive and therapeutical agents. This review presents an overview on preventive or anticancer properties of resveratrol oligomers.

Piperlongumine (PL), a natural alkaloid fromPiper longum L., possesses the highly selective and effective anticancer property. However, the effect of PL on ovarian cancer cells is still unknown. In this study, we firstly demonstrate that PL selectively inhibited cell growth of human ovarian cancer cells. Furthermore, PL notably induced cell apoptosis, G2/M phase arrest, and accumulation of the intracellular reactive oxidative species (ROS) in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Pretreatment with antioxidant N-acety-L-cysteine could totally reverse the PL-induced ROS accumulation and cell apoptosis. In addition, low dose of PL/cisplatin or paclitaxel combination therapies had a synergistic antigrowth effect on human ovarian cancer cells. Collectively, our study provides new therapeutic potential of PL on human ovarian cancer.