The Effect of Cordyceps sinensis Polysaccharide Combined with Cisplatin on LLC1 Lung Cancer

Although cisplatin (DDP) is commonly used in the clinical treatment of lung cancer, the associated side effects remained serious. Chinese medicine can be used to increase the sensitivity of the body to antitumor drugs while reducing their adverse effects. Cordyceps sinensis polysaccharide (CSP), which is derived from C. sinensis, has already been demonstrated to regulate immune function, but the effects of CSP in combination with DDP have not yet been reported. In this study, we explore the synergistic and attenuated toxicity effects of CSP combined with DDP. Our results revealed that DDP and DDP + CSP combination treatment both induced cytotoxicity in LLC1 lung cancer cells and SK-MEL-28 melanoma cancer cells, and that CSP significantly increased tumor cell death. Moreover, cell toxicity in DDP-treated RAW 264.7 cells was suppressed by CSP. In a mouse model generated on LLC1 tumor-bearing mice, CSP and DDP combination treatment significantly increased DDP-induced tumor cell death. Western analysis revealed that this was achieved via CSP regulation of the expression levels of proteins involved in pyroptosiscaspase-1 and gasdermin D (GSDMD). In addition, CSP reduced oxidative stress levels to help alleviate the acute renal toxicity caused by DDP. In summary, our study provides further evidence of the efficacy of CSP and it lays a foundation for the clinical use of CSP as an adjuvant chemotherapy drug.