Abstract

Background As an inorganic compound used to treat various cancers and other diseases, arsenic trioxide (As 2 O 3 ) has been reported to induce cellular apoptosis in certain kinds of cancers including bladder cancer. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the crucial cooperative role of As 2 O 3 and intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) immunotherapy and its ability to protect against bladder cancer by targeting the IER3/Nrf2 pathway. Method Initially, an orthotopic bladder cancer model was established in mice by means of intravesical instillation of the human bladder cancer cell line 5637. The expression of IL-6/IL-8 in dendritic cells (DCs) and the proportion of CD4 + cells and ratio of CD4 + /CD8 + T cells were subsequently determined. RT-qPCR and Western blot assay methods were employed to determine the expressions of IER3, Nrf2 , NQO1, IL-6 and IL-8. Finally, tumor cell apoptosis and the volume and weight of the in vivo tumors were evaluated in an attempt to determine the contributory role of As 2 O 3 in combination with BCG immunotherapy in treating bladder cancer. Results The additive effect of As 2 O 3 and BCG was demonstrated to promote the expressions of IL-6/IL-8 among DCs. Additionally, the proportion of CD4 + cells, ratio of CD4 + /CD8 + T cells and rate of tumor cell apoptosis were all elevated, while decreased in vivo tumor volume and weight were detected. Of importance, we determined the role that ad-shNrf2 (adenoviral vectors expressing shRNA against Nrf2) played in inhibiting the effects of As 2 O 3 on bladder cancer. Conclusion Taken together, the key findings of the present study provide evidence defining the effect of As 2 O 3 on inducing the inhibitory effect of BCG on the development of bladder cancer via the IER3/Nrf2 pathway, highlighting the potential of As 2 O 3 as a treatment option for bladder cancer through its enhancement of intravesical BCG.