Ultrasound-Targeted Microbubble Destruction Enhances the Inhibitory Effect of Sonodynamic Therapy against Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Purpose: To assess the anticancer effect of microbubbles (MBs) in combination with sinoporphyrin sodium (DVDMS)-mediated sonodynamic therapy (SDT) for the in vitro and in vivo treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: HepG2 cells were used for in vitro experiments. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was detected using 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate and singlet oxygen sensor green in vitro and in solution, respectively. Cytotoxicity was evaluated using a Cell Counting Kit 8 assay and the calcein AM/PI double-staining method. Annexin V-FITC/PI staining was employed to analyze the rate of cell apoptosis. Cell surface calreticulin exposure, high mobility group box 1 release, and adenosine triphosphate secretion were measured to detect immunogenic cell death (ICD). The anticancer effect of the combination therapy was further assessed in Hepa1-6 tumor-bearing mice. Results: Compared with SDT alone, ROS production in the MBs + SDT group was enhanced 1.2-fold (p < 0.0001). The cytotoxic effect of DVDMS-mediated SDT on HepG2 cells was concentration-dependent, and the additional application of MBs increased cytotoxicity. Additionally, MBs augmented the SDT-induced apoptosis rate from 33.26 ± 13.48 to 72.95 ± 7.95% (p < 0.01). Notably, our results demonstrated that MBs can enhance SDT-induced ICD. In in vivo experiments, SDT combined with MBs significantly reduced tumor volume, with negligible differences in mouse body weight. Furthermore, MBs effectively enhanced SDT-induced tumor tissue destruction. Conclusion: The present study indicates that MBs can markedly improve the anticancer effects of SDT in HCC.