Objective To investigate how piceatannol enhances the anti-tumor effect of cisplatin on laryngeal cancer cells and related molecular mechanism.

Methods Laryngeal carcinoma Hep-2 cells were cultured in vitro and then treated with piceatannol and cisplatin. Cell proliferation apoptosis, karyopyknosis ratio and proteins expression of BCL-2 family were detected by CCK8, flow cytometry, Hoechst staining and Western blot, respectively.

Results No effect of 50 μmol/L piceatannol was found on the Hep-2 cell apoptosis or proliferation. Compared with cisplatin, cisplatin combined with piceatannol could significantly decrease the cell proliferation; after 48h, the absorbance of cells treated with cisplatin and piceatannol was decreased for 60%, and the apoptosis ratio was significantly increased (P < 0.05). Hoechst staining revealed the karyopyknosis ratio of Hep-2 cells treated with cisplatin and piceatannol was significantly increased. Western blot showed piceatannol could down-regulate BCL-2 expression and up-regulate BAX expression.

Conclusion The anti-tumor effect of cisplatin on laryngeal cancer cells could be enhanced by piceatannol, and its molecular mechanism is related to the regulatory effect of piceatannol on the key proteins of BCL-2 family.