Inhibition of the mTOR signaling pathway promotes initiation of autophagy. However, recent studies indicate that autophagy is a self-defense mechanism of
cancer cells that are subjected to anti-
tumor agents and that blocking autophagy can trigger apoptosis. Here, we examined the effects of an mTOR inhibitor,
temsirolimus, on a
malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) cell line, Nara-H cells, and the effect of suppressing autophagy on the induction of apoptosis in these MFH cells. In Nara-H cells, we examined the effects of
temsirolimus treatment on cell proliferation using the CellTiter 96® AQueous One
Solution Cell Proliferation Assay and on phosphorylation of mTOR pathway components and autophagy using Western blot-based assays. Furthermore, we examined the effects of
temsirolimus with or without
3-methyladenine (3-MA) on induction of apoptosis using fluorescent microscopic analysis. In Nara-H cells,
temsirolimus treatment inhibited cell proliferation, suppressed phosphorylation of mTOR pathway components, and induced autophagy as assessed by LC-3 II expression. Moreover, treatment with a combination of
temsirolimus and 3-MA induced apoptosis in Nara-H cells. Apparently, simultaneous inhibition of autophagy and mTOR induced apoptosis in Nara-H cells because inhibition of autophagy prevented the cells from protecting themselves from the effects of the inhibition of mTOR. Therefore, a combination
therapy that includes an mTOR inhibitor and an autophagy inhibitor (
temsirolimus and 3-MA, respectively) may effectively treat MFH by inducing apoptosis in
tumor cells.