Effect of bFGF on glucose regulated protein 78 expression and apoptosis in human ovarian cancer CAOV3 cells

AIM: To evaluate the effect of bFGF on the apoptosis and the expression of glucose regulated protein 78 (GRP78) in ovarian cancer CAOV3 cells.METHODS: Starvation induced cell apoptosis was conducted. After treatment with bFGF, the cell cycle and apoptosis were determined by FACS analysis and Annexin V/PI staining, respectively. The expression of protein kinase B (PKB) and GRP78 were detected by Western blotting and RT-PCR. RESULTS: Compared to starvation group, the cells treated with bFGF were still viable and increased activation of PKB and high expression of GRP78 were observed, which were prevented by PKB inhibitor wortmannin effectively (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: bFGF plays a critical role in anti-apoptosis and proliferation in human ovarian cancer through PKB signal transduction pathway, partly by upregulating the expression of GRP78.