Salinomycin inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of Gleevec-resistant chronic myeloid leukemic cell line K562/Glv

AIM: To study the effect of salinomycin on inhibiting proliferation and inducing apoptosis of Gleevec-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia cell line K562/Glv. METHODS: The inhibitory effect of salinomycin on the growth of K562/Glv cells was detected by CCK-8 assay in vitro. Flow cytometry was used to observe apoptosis, mitochondria membrane potential (ΔΨ_m), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the concentration of intracellular Ca²⁺ ([Ca²⁺]_i) in K562/Glv cells. The activity of caspase-3, -8 and -9 was measured by the method of colorimetry. The levels of cytochrome C, Bcl-2, Bax, β-catenin and phosphorylated low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 (p-LRP6) were determined by Western blotting. RESULTS: Salinomycin inhibited the growth of K562/Glv cells in a dose-dependent manner. Salinomycin at concentration of 0.2 μmol/L inhibited the growth of the cells with the inhibitory rate of (36.70±2.31)%. The cell apoptotic rate was (19.66±2.23)%. Salinomycin at concentration of 0.2 μmol/L decreased the level of ΔΨ_m, and increased the levels of ROS, cytochrome C and[Ca²⁺]_i in the cells. Salinomycin also increased the activity of caspase-3, -8 and -9 in the cells, reduced the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax, and attenuated the levels of β-catenin and p-LRP6. CONCLUSION: Salinomycin induces the apoptosis of Gleevec-resistant myeloid leukemia cell line K562/Glv via Bcl-2/Bax and mitochondria-dependent pathways, and inhibits the cell growth through Wnt signal pathway.     

Salinomycin promotes the apoptosis-inducing effect of gefitinib on human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549

AIM: To investigate the effect of salinomycin alone or in combination with gefitinib (an inhibitor of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase) on the growth and apoptosis of human non-small-cell lung cancer cell line A549. METHODS: The inhibitory effect of salinomycin on the growth of A549 cells was tested by MTT assay. The cell apoptosis and the level of mitochondrial membrane potential were determined by flow cytometry. The activity of caspase-3, -8, and -9 was measured by the method of colorimetry. The protein levels of cytochrome C, Bcl- 2, p-EGFR, p-Akt and p-ERK were detected by Western blotting. RESULTS: Salinomycin or gefitinib alone inhibited the growth of A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Salinomycin or gefitinib also induced apoptosis of the cells. Salinomycin combined with gefitinib produced stronger inhibitory effect on the cell proliferation, and a significant increase in cell apoptosis was also observed. Compared with control group, salinomycin alone significantly reduced mitochondrial membrane potential, transitorily increased the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), cytoplasmic cytochrome C and Ca2+, and increased the activity of caspase-3, -8 and -9 in A549 cells. Gefitinib alone inhibited the protein expression of p-EGFR, p-Akt and p-ERK, but no obvious effect on the release of cytochrome C and the activity of caspase-3, -8 and -9 was found. The combination of salinomycin and gefitinib significantly reduced the protein levels of Bcl-2, p-EGFR, p-Akt and p-ERK, but the protein levels of EGFR, Akt and ERK were not obviously changed. CONCLUSION: The synergy of salinomycin and gefitinib is observed. Salinomycin inhibits the growth and induces apoptosis of human lung carcinoma A549 cells through Bcl-2 pathway and mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Salinomycin also increases the sensitivity of A549 cells to gefitinib.     

Reversing effect of naringin on cisplatin resistance in human lung cancer A549/DDP cells

AIM: To investigate the effect of naringin (NRG) on cisplatin (DDP) resistance in human lung cancer A549/DDP cells and its possible mechanism. METHODS: A549/DDP cells were cultured in vitro and treated with NRG and/or DDP at different concentrations for 24 h, and then the cell viability were measured by CCK-8 assay. The combination index (CI) of NRG and DDP were analyzed by Chou-Talalay method. The apoptosis rate was analyzed by flow cytometry. Western blot was performed to detect the protein levels of P-glycoprotein (P-gp), multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP1), p-Akt, CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4), cleaved caspase-3, Bcl-2 and Bax.RESULTS: The protein levels of P-gp, MRP1, p-Akt and CXCR4 in the A549/DDP cells were higher than those in the A549 cells (P<0.05). The cell viability was remarkably reduced in a dose-dependent manner when A549/DDP cells were exposed to NRG and/or DDP (P<0.05), and the IC₅₀ values of NRG and DDP were 36.92 μmol/L and 129.77 μmol/L, respectively. When the inhibition rate exceeded 15%, NRG in combination with DDP produced a synergistic effect (CI<1). Combination treatment with NRG and DDP significantly induced apoptosis (P<0.05), up-regulated the protein levels of cleaved caspase-3 and Bax, and down-regulated the protein level of Bcl-2 (P<0.05). Meanwhile, NRG remarkably down-regulated the protein levels of P-gp, MRP1, p-Akt and CXCR4 in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: NRG may enhance the sensibility of A549/DDP cells to DDP most likely via up-regulating the protein level of Bax and down-regulating the protein levels of Bcl-2, P-gp, MRP1, p-Akt and CXCR4.     

Effects of Buzhong Yiqi decoction-medicated serum on drug resistance of human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549/DDP to cisplatin

AIM:To investigate the effects of Buzhong Yiqi decoction-medicated serum on the drug resistance of human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549/DDP to cisplatin. METHODS:Medicated serum containing Buzhong Yiqi decoction was prepared. The optimal dose of the medicated serum was selected by MTT assay. The A549 cells and A549/DDP cells were treated with the optimal medicated serum and cisplatin at different concentrations. The IC 50, resistance index and reversal index were determined. The cells were divided into control serum group, optimal medicated serum group, LY294002 group, LY294002 + optimal medicated serum group (combination group) and negative group. The expression of PI3K and Akt at mRNA and protein levels was detected by the methods of immunocytochemistry, Western blotting and real-time PCR. RESULTS:Treatment with 10% middle dose of medicated serum for 48 h was the optimal dose and time for medicated serum. The sensitivity of A549/DDP cells to cisplatin was obviously enhanced when the cells were exposed to the optimal medicated serum with the reversal index of 2.46. The expression of PI3K and Akt at mRNA and protein levels in optimal medicated serum group and combination group was significantly decreased. CONCLUSION:Buzhong Yiqi decoction decreases the resistance index by reducing the expression of PI3K in A549/DDP cells, thus increasing the sensitivity of A549/DDP cells to cisplatin.     

Effect of rapamycin on proliferation,invasion, adhesion,apoptosis and autophagy of human lung adenocarcinoma A549 and resistant A549/DDP cells treated with cis-diamminedichloroplatinum

AIM: To study the effect of rapamycin (Rap) on the proliferation, invasion, adhesion, apoptosis and autophagy of human adenocarcinoma A549 and resistant A549/DDP cells treated with cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (DDP). METHODS: Human adenocarcinoma A549 and resistant A549/DDP cell lines were cultured. The inhibitory effects of Rap alone or combined with DDP on A549 and resistant A549/DDP cells were detected by MTT assay. The in vitroinvasion abilities of the 2 cell lines treated with Rap alone or combined with DDP were detected by Transwell methods. The in vitroadhesion abilities of the 2 cell lines treated with Rap alone or combined with DDP were detected by adhesion experiments. The apoptosis of A549 and resistant A549/DDP cells induced by Rap alone or combined with DDP was analyzed by flow cytometry. The cell autophagy marker proteins beclin-1 and LC3 in A549 and resistant A549/DDP cells treated with Rap alone or combined with DDP were detected by Western blotting.RESULTS: Compared with Rap or DDP alone group, the combination of Rap and DDP significantly inhibited the proliferation, invasion and adhesion of A549 and resistant A549/DDP cells in vitro, and promoted the cell apoptosis and autophagy marker proteins beclin-1 and LC3 expression (all P＜0.05).CONCLUSION: Rap enhances the effect of DDP through promoting the cell autophagy, thereby inhibiting the proliferation, invasion and adhesion of A549 and resistant A549/DDP cells and inducing the cell apoptosis with a synergistic effect.     

Antisense nucleic acid of K-ras inhibits growth of lung adenocarcinoma cancer cell A549

AIM: To explore the mechanism of inhibiting lung adenocarcinoma cancer mediated by antisense nucleic acid of K-ras.METHODS: The expression of K-ras was detected in A549 cells and 6 lung adenocarinoma samples. The antisense expression vector of K-ras was successfully constucted (named antisense- K-ras-pcDNA3.1). After transfection, the growth curve and Apoptosis were determined by MTT assay and Annexin V staining, respectively. Cyclin A, cyclin D1, cyclin E, CDK2, CDK4, P53, Rb and caspase-3 were detected by Western blotting. RESULTS: K-ras was highly expressed in 4 samples of lung adenocarcinoma and A549 cells. In A549 cells transfected with antisense nucleic acid of K-ras, the cell growth was significantly inhibited and the apoptosis was visible.The expression levels of cyclin A, cyclin D1, cyclin E, CDK2 and CDK4 were significantly decreased, and the expression levels of P53, Rb and caspase-3 were significantly increased. CONCLUSION: The growth inhibition in A549 cells mediated by antisense nucleic acid of K-ras is related to the decreases in the expression of cyclin A, cyclin D1, cyclin E, CDK2 and CKD4 , and the increases in the expression of P53, Rb and caspase-3.     

Knock-down of NEDD1 expression inhibits lung adenocarcinoma cell proliferation and migration

AIM: To explore the role of neural precursor cell expression developmentally down-regulated protein 1 (NEDD1) in the development and progression of lung cancer. METHODS: The differences of NEDD1 expression levels between lung cancer tissues and tumor-adjacent tissues were analyzed by the method of immunohistochemistry and TCGA database. Kaplan-Meier curve was used to analyze the correlation between lung cancer prognosis and the expression level of NEDD1. The proliferation of A549 cells was tested by plate colony formation experiment after knock-down of NEDD1 expression. The apoptosis rate and cell cycle distribution were examined by flow cytometry. The migration ability of the A549 cells was detected by Transwell assay. The protein levels of cell cycle-related molecules were determined by Western blot. Database analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between the expression of NEDD1 and cyclin-dependent kinases 2 (CDK2). RESULTS: Compared with the tumor-adjacent tissues, the expression level of NEDD1 in the lung cancer tissues was increased, so as the database analysis, and the higher expression of NEDD1 showed a poorer prognosis. Under light microscope, the A549 cells showed a low proliferation rate after silencing the NEDD1 expression, and the colony formation ability of the cells was also reduced; knock-down of NEDD1 expression induced the apoptosis and inhibited the cell migration; knock-down of NEDD1 expression blocked the cells in G₁/S phase, and the protein levels of p-Rb and cyclinD1 were decreased, while the protein levels of p-Chk1, p-Chk2 and p-p53 were increased (P<0.05). A positive correlation between the expression of NEDD1 and CDK2 was noted by database analysis. CONCLUSION: NEDD1 plays an crucial role in promoting cell proliferation via inhibiting apoptosis and accelerating cell cycle, high expression of NEDD1 in lung adenocarcinoma tissue is related to poor prognosis, thus NEDD1 may be used as a candidate marker molecule for the diagnosis and prognosis of lung cancer.     

Effect of IL-8 on mitochondrial fusion and fission gene expression in human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549 during cell migration

AIM: To investigate the changes of migration of lung adenocarcinoma cells promoted by IL-8 and the inner and outer mitochondrial membrane dynamic changes during this process.METHODS: Human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549 was divided into control group and IL-8 group. Cell migration was analyzed by scratch detection and Transwell assay. The secretion of endogenous IL-8 was detected by ELISA. The protein levels of mitochondrial cytochrome C (Cyt C) and mitochondrial outer membrane protein Tom20 was detected by Western blot. The mRNA expression of mitochondrial fusion genes Mfn1, Mfn2 and OPA1 and fission genes Fis1, Drp1 and MTP18 was detected by RT-PCR. The morphological changes of mitochondria were observed by MitoTracker Red CMXRos dye staining and confocal microscopy.RESULTS: The migratory rate of A549 cells and endogenous secretion of IL-8 in A549 cells were higher than those in SPC-A-1 cells. The migratory rate of A549 cells was improved by IL-8 in a time-dependent manner. Compared with control group, the Tom20 protein expression was increased (P<0.05), and the Cyt C protein expression was decreased (P<0.05). The expression of mitochondrial outer membrane fusion genes Mfn1 and Mfn2 was increased (P<0.05), and the expression of mitochondrial inner membrane fusion gene OPA1 was decreased (P<0.05). The expression of fission genes Drp1 and MTP18 were decreased (P<0.05), while the expression of Fis1 was no change (P>0.05). Under confocal microscope, the punctate aggregates in the mitochondria of the A549 cells treated with IL-8 were observed.CONCLUSION: The migratory rate of A549 cells is increased by IL-8, which is related to the changes of mitochondrial fusion genes and the fission genes.     

Anticancer function of Shp2 in lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells and rela-ted molecular mechanisms

AIM: To explore the anticancer function of Shp2 in lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells and the related molecular mechanisms. METHODS: The viability and proliferation of A549 cells treated with Shp2 specific inhibitor Phps-1 or cisplatin (DDP) were measured by CCK-8 assay and EdU assay. Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining was applied to detect apoptotic rate of A549 cells with different interventions. The protein levels of caspase-3-17p, Bcl-2, Bax, p-STAT3/STAT3 and p-ERK/ERK were determined by Western blot. RESULTS: Compared with control group, Phps-1 at the concentration of 20 μmol/L significantly increased the viability of A549 cells after 24 h of treatment (P<0.05). Meanwhile, the proliferation rate of A549 cells in Phps-1 20 μmol/L group was significant increased compared with control group (P<0.05). The apoptotic rate of A549 cells in DDP treatment group decreased from 13.01%±2.62% to 3.67%±0.93% after adding Phps-1 (P<0.05). Phps-1 down-regulated the protein levels of caspase-3-17p, Bax and p-ERK, but up-regulated p-STAT3.CONCLUSION: Shp2 is a tumor suppressor in A549 cells, which may be associated with the activation of STAT3 signal pathway.     

Erianin induces apoptosis of human lung cancer A549 cells via ROS/p38 MAPK pathway

AIM:To investigate the effect of erianin on the viability and apoptosis of human lung cancer A549 cells and its possible mechanism. METHODS:A549 cells and BEAS-2B cells were cultured in vitro and treated with erianin at 10, 20, 40, 80 and 160 nmol/L for 48 h. The cell viability was measured by CCK-8 assay. The apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were analyzed by flow cytometry. The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) was detected by WST-8 method, and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) was detected by barbituric acid method. The protein levels of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase-1 (NQO1), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), p38 MAPK, p-p38 MAPK, caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-3 were determined by Western blot.RESULTS:Erianin remarkably reduced the viability of A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05) with IC₅₀ at 52.64 nmol/L. Erianin also induced apoptosis (P<0.05), increased ROS level and MDA content (P<0.05), diminished SOD activity (P<0.05), and down-regulated the protein levels of Nrf2, NQO1 and HO-1 (P<0.05), in a dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile, erianin up-regulated the levels of p-p38 MAPK and cleaved caspase-3 (P<0.05), and these effects were inhibited by N-acetyl-L-cysteine and SB203580 (P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Erianin may induce apoptosis of human lung cancer A549 cells most likely via inhibiting SOD activity and down-regulating the protein levels of Nrf2, NQO1 and HO-1, thus resulting in an increase in ROS and activation of p38 MAPK.     

DIM enhances effect of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum on growth inhibition and apoptosis in human prostate cancer cell PC-3

AIM: To study the effects of the combination of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(DDP) and 3, 3-diindolylmethane (DIM) on the growth and apoptosis of human prostate cancer cell PC-3. METHODS: MTT method was applied to detect the cell growth inhibitory rate. The cell apoptosis was measured by the flow cytometry and acridine orange staining method. The expression of the anti-oncogene p21 was detected by RT-PCR technique. RESULTS: The combination of 60 μmol·L^-1 DIM and 0.4 mg·L^-1 DDP effectively inhibited the growth and induced apoptosis in PC-3 cells. This result was the same as the effect of using 4 mg·L^-1 DDP only. The cell growth inhibitory and apoptosis rates for the combination of DIM and DDP were much higher than those for the individual effect. Both the combination and the single effect of these two medicines (i.e., DIM and DDP) all strengthen p21 mRNA expression significantly, and the effect of combination was more significant. CONCLUSION: DIM significantly enhances the effects of DDP on the growth inhibition and apoptosis induction in PC-3 cells.     

Perifosine inhibits cell proliferation and triggers apoptosis in human gastric cancer cell line SGC-7901 cells

AIM: To investigate the effect of perifosine, a novel inhibitor of Akt, on the cell proliferation and apoptosis in human gastric cancer cell line SGC-7901.METHODS: Cell growth inhibition was detected by MTT assay. Cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytometry. Annexin V-FITC apoptosis detection kit was used to determine apoptosis in the cells. Protein expression was examined by Western blotting.RESULTS: Akt phosphorylation was dose-dependently inhibited by perifosine in SGC-7901 cells. The results of MTT and cell cycle analysis indicated that perifosine inhibited the growth of human gastric cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. Perifosine arrested the cell cycle progression at G₂ phase. Apoptosis induction became more effective with increasing the concentration of perifosine. The caspase cascade and its downstream effector poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) were also activated upon perifosine treatment, and the level of Bcl-2 was down-regulated, whereas the protein level of Bax was up-regulated.CONCLUSION: The small molecule Akt inhibitor perifosine shows substantial anti-tumor activity in human gastric cancer cell line SGC-7901. Perifosine induces caspase-dependent apoptosis, and the key regulators include caspase-3, caspase-9 and Bcl-2.     

Transition of WT1 isoforms inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis of human leukemia cell line HL-60

AIM: To study the potential effects of exogenous Wilms tumor 1 (WT1) isoforms on the proliferation and apoptosis of human leukemia cell line HL-60. METHODS: WT1 (17AA－/KTS－) gene obtained by RT-PCR was cloned into a PCDH1-MCS1-EF1-copGFP plasmid. The recombinant plasmid was confirmed by enzyme digestion and sequencing, and was transfected into HL-60 cells by LipofectamineTM 2000. The stable transformants were selected by G418 screening. WT1(17AA－/KTS－) expression was identified by real-time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting. The proliferation of the cells was measured by MTT assay. The apoptosis of the cells was determined by morphological observation and flow cytometry analysis. RESULTS: The eukaryotic expression vector PCDH1-MCS1-EF1-copGFP-WT1 (17AA－/KTS－) was successfully constructed. The recombinant cells exhibited high mRNA and protein levels of WT1(17AA－/KTS－). The growth of recombinant cells was slower than that of HL-60 cells transfected with control vector and normal HL-60 cells. After exposed to As2O3 at 2 μmol/L for 48 h, both recombinant cells and control cells exhibited the morphological characteristics of apoptosis, but the former was more typical than the latter. The apoptosis was enhanced in the recombinant cells after the cells were exposed to As2O3 for 24 h. CONCLUSION: Exogenous WT1(17AA-/KTS-) isoform inhibits the proliferation and promotes the apoptosis of leukemic cells.     

Association between methylation status of apoptosis-related genes and chemosensitivity of lung adenocarcinoma cell line P15

AIM: To investigate the association between methylation status of apoptosis-related genes and chemosensitivity in the lung adenocarcinoma cell line P15.METHODS: Methylation-specific PCR was applied to detect the methylation status of p73, p14^ARF, p16^INK4a and bax genes of P15 cells in untreated control group and decitabine (DAC) treatment group. RT-PCR was used to detect the expression of p73, bcl-xL, bad, bax, p14^ARF and p16^INK4a at mRNA level. Colony formation assay and cell growth inhibition assay were used to detect the sensitivity of P15 cells to cis-diaminedichloroplatinum (C-DDP) before and after DAC treatment. DAPI staining was used to determine the apoptosis of P15 cells exposed to C-DDP before and after DAC treatment. RESULTS: p73, p16^INK4a and bax were expressed in the methylation status. After DAC treatment, p16^INK4a expression was decreased, and the expression of p73 and bax disappeared. The expression of p73, p16^INK4a and bax in the unmethylated status was weak, but the enhanced expression was observed following DAC treatment. After P15 cells were treated with DAC and C-DDP, the colony formation rate of the P15 cells was significantly decreased as compared with untreated control group. The apoptotic P15 cells in DAC+C-DDP treatment group were significantly higher than those in untreated control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: After treated with DAC, the sensitivity of P15 cells to C-DDP is increased due to the activation of silenced pro-apoptotic genes. DAC and C-DDP synergistically promote tumor cell apoptosis. They have significant anti-tumor effect.     

Effect of HMGB2 on cell cycle and proliferation of lung adenocarcinoma

AIM: To investigate the effect of high-mobility group protein B2 (HMGB2) on cell cycle and proliferation of lung adenocarcinoma cells. METHODS: Cancer RNA-Seq Nexus (CRN) was used to analyze HMGB2 expression in lung adenocarcinoma tissues. OncoLnc was used to analyze the correlation between HMGB2 and prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma patients. Cancer Single-cell State Atlas (CancerSEA) was used to analyze the correlation between HMGB2 and 14 kinds of functional states of lung adenocarcinoma. siRNA was used to inhibit HMGB2 expression in human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. The silencing effects were verified by real-time PCR and Western blot, and the cell proliferation was detected by CCK8 and EdU assays. RESULTS: HMGB2 was over-expressed in the lung adenocarcinoma tissues. The overall survival of the patients with lung adenocarcinoma in HMGB2 high expression group was significantly lower than that of the patients with low expression of HMGB2 (log-rank test P=0.017 3). HMGB2 expression was positively correlated with cell cycle and proliferation of lung adenocarcinoma cells. The viability and proliferation ability of A549 cells after HMGB2 expression knock-down were significantly reduced (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The expression of HMGB2 is positively correlated with the cell cycle and proliferation of lung adenocarcinoma, and it can be used as a potential marker for evaluating the prognosis and therapeutic target of patients with lung adenocarcinoma.     

Effects of sulphated heparin on proliferation and apoptosis of human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2)

AIM:To explore the effect and the mechanism of sulphated heparin on the proliferation and the apoptosis of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.METHODS:The human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG-2) was used to identify the expression ofrasgene protein and to study the effect of sulphated heparin on proliferation and the apoptosisin vitro.RESULTS:The sulphated heparin downregulated the ras protein expression and inhibited the cell growth in HepG2 cells. In the presence of sulphated heparin, the apoptosis rate of HepG2 increased.CONCLUSION:The data suggest that the effects of sulphated heparin on the proliferation and the apoptosis of the human hepatocellular carcinoma cell are correlated with the signaling transduction mediated byrasgene protein.     

Effects of shRNA targeting COL1A1 gene on proliferation and apoptosis of human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231

AIM: To investigate the effects of shRNA-mediated collagen type I alpha 1 (COL1A1) gene silencing on the proliferation and apoptosis of human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231. METHODS: The specific recombinant vector pSilencer2.1-U6-COL1A1 was transiently transfected into human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 with lipofectamine. RT-PCR and Western blotting were performed to detect the expression levels of COL1A1. MTT assay was employed to evaluate the effect of COL1A1 gene silencing on the cell proliferation. Flow cytometry was used to determine the apoptosis and cell cycle of transfected cells. The morphological characteristics of apoptosis were observed by Hoechst 33258 staining. RESULTS: Compared with mock group and scrambled group, the mRNA and protein levels of COL1A1 were reduced by pshRNA-COL1A1 transfection (P<0.05). The proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells treated in shRNA-COL1A1 was significantly inhibited in a time-dependent way. The percentages of G₀/G₁ phase cells and early apoptotic rate were significantly higher in pshRNA-COL1A1 group than those in mock and scrambled group (P<0.05). The changes of apoptotic morphology such as cell shrinkage and nuclear condensation were also observed by staining with Hoechst 33258 under fluorescence microscope. CONCLUSION: Transfection of eukaryotic expression vector pshRNA-COL1A1 effectively inhibits the proliferation, induces apoptosis and arrests MDA-MB-231 cells in G0/G1 phase.     

Effect of trastuzumab (herceptin) on the apoptosis induced by ZD1839 (iressa) in lung cancer A549 cells

AIM: ZD1839 and trastuzumab are reported to improve the therapeutic efficacy of treatment for non-smallcell lung cancer (NSCLC) and breast cancer, respectively, although the effectiveness of either drug alone is not satisfactory. NSCLC cells often express both EGFR and HER2. We therefore investigated whether a combination of ZD1839 and trastuzumab had an additive or synergistic antitumor effect. METHODS: MTT was used to measure the inhibitory effects of ZD1839 (iressa) and trastuzumab (herceptin) on the growth of A549 cells. The cell apoptosis was studied by DAPI staining, and Annexin V/PI double labeling. RESULTS: The inhibitory action of cell growth was seen in A549 cells dealing with ZD1839 and trastuzumab. They inhibited the growth of the human lung cancer cell line A549 in a concentration and time dependent manners. Compared with either ZD1839 or trastuzumab alone, combination with curcumin respectively increased the growth inhibition rate and increased apoptosis of A549 cells (P<0.05) significantly, suggesting the synergistic actions of the two drugs. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that combination treatment with ZD1839 and trastuzumab might have improved therapeutic efficacy against NSCLC cells expressing both EGFR and HER2.     

Hypoxia-induced caveolin-1 up-regulation is involved in migration and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells

AIM:To investigate the regulatory role of hypoxia mimic reagent cobalt chloride (CoCl2) on caveolin-1 (Cav-1) generation and the influence of Cav-1 on the abilities of migration and invasion of human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. METHODS:The concentrations of Cav-1 and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α in pleural effusion of the patients with lung cancer (MPE) or tuberculous pleurisy (TBPE) were detected, and the correlation was also compared. A549 cells were treated with CoCl2 at different concentrations and time in the presence or absence of HIF-1α inhibitor YC-1. The concentrations of Cav-1 and HIF-1α in the cell supernatants were measured by ELISA. The effects of Cav-1 induced by CoCl2 on the migration and invasion of A549 cells were determined by scratch test and Transwell invasion trial, respectively. RESULTS:The levels of Cav-1 and HIF-1α in MPE were significantly higher than those in TBPE. There was a highly positive correlation between Cav-1 and HIF-1α levels in the pleural effusion. CoCl2 induced the generation of Cav-1 and HIF-1α in A549 cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner, the peak occurred at 200 μmol/L or 24 h, while the concentration over 200 μmol/L or after treated over 24 h, a concentration- or time-dependent inhibition was observed. HIF-1α inhibitor YC-1 concentration-dependently inhibited the generation of HIF-1α and Cav-1 induced by CoCl2 in A549 cells. CoCl2 enhanced A549 cells migration and invasion, with 200 μmol/L played the strongest role, which were down-regulated significantly in the presence of YC-1. CONCLUSION: The alteration of hypoxia-induced Cav-1 generation might be involved in the migration and invasion of A549 cells. A possible role for HIF-1α is indicated in Cav-1 generation.