Fig. 5
Shikonin Sensitizes Cells to Chemotherapy and Improves TACE Response In Vitro: (a) Relative decrease in the doxorubicin and cisplatin area under the curve when cells are treated concomitantly with shikonin in hypoxia when treated at two fold dilutions at starting concentration of 10 μM to control (b) Combination index of non-responder like cells at multiple cytotoxic effects demonstrating a trend towards a synergistic effect with a doxorubicin to shikonin ratio of 1:1 whereas cisplatin and shikonin demonstrate an additive effect at a ratio of 4:1 (c) Relative decrease in the cisplatin area under the curve when cells are treated concomitantly with shikonin in hypoxia when treated at two fold dilutions at starting concentration of 40 μM (d) Combination index of non-responder like cells at multiple cytotoxic effects demonstrating a trend towards an additive effect with a cisplatin to shikonin ratio of 4:1 (e) In vitro TACE assay measuring cellular proliferation at 72 h in hypoxia after the administration of doxorubicin at cell specific IC50 with the addition of shikonin at cell specific IC50(f) Relative change in cellular proliferation demonstrating therapeutic reprogramming in TACE non-responders with the addition of shikonin