Original articleIncreased intracellular Ca2+ decreases cisplatin resistance by regulating iNOS expression in human ovarian cancer cells

Previous studies have reported that intracellular Ca2+ signals and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) are involved in cell apoptosis. However, the role of iNOS in cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that SKOV3/DDP ovarian cancer cells were more resistant to cisplatin than were SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells. The expression of intracellular Ca2+ and iNOS was more strongly induced by cisplatin in SKOV3 cells than in SKOV3/DDP cells. TAT-conjugated IP3R-derived peptide (TAT-IDPS) increased cisplatin-induced iNOS expression and apoptosis in SKOV3/DDP cells. 2-Aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB) decreased cisplatin-induced iNOS expression and apoptosis in SKOV3 cells. Thus, iNOS induction may be a valuable strategy for improving the anti-tumor efficacy of cisplatin in ovarian cancer.