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Role of metallothionein1h in cisplatin resistance of non-small cell lung cancer cells

  • Lung Cancer
  • Published:
Chinese Journal of Cancer Research

Abstract

Objective

Despite platinum-based adjuvant chemotherapy has improved greatly patients’ outcomes, drug resistance poses a major impediment to the successful use of such an effective agent. Metallothioneins(MTs) are known to play putative roles in cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, drug resistance and prognosis. The present studiy was to investigte the role of metallethioein1H(MT1H) in cisplatin resistance of human non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC) cell lines in vitro or its possible molecular mechanisms.

Methods

MT1H mRNA expression in A549 and A549/DDP cells was detected by RT-PCR. A recombinant eukaryotic expression plasmid pcDNA3.1(-)-MT1H was constructed and transfected into A549 cells which express no MT1H. MT1H siRNA was transfected into A549/DDP cells which express MT1H highly. MT1H expression was detected by RT-PCR and Immunoblot. The chemosensitivity to cisplatin was assessed by MTT assay. Apoptosis rate was determined by Tunel and FCM. Bcl-2 and Bax were determined by immunohistochemistry.

Results

MT1H mRNA was expressed in A549/DDP but not in A549. After transfection of MT1H, MT1H expression was enhanced and the chemosensitivity to cisplatin was decreased in A549 cells. Inversely, after transfection of MT1H siRNA, MT1H expression was decreased and the chemosensitivity to cisplatin was increased in A549/DDP. The apoptosis rate induced by cisplatin was increased and Bcl-2 was down-regulated but Bax showed little change in A549/DDP cells interferred with MT1H siRNA.

Conclusion

MT1H overexpression can promote drug resistance in A549 cells. Down-regulation of MT1H interfered with siRNA can effectively reverses the drug resistance in A549/DDP cells by down-regulating the expression of Bcl-2 and increasing cisplatin induced apoptosis. SiRNA targeting MT1H combined with chemotherapy may be a very promising strategy for treatment of lung cancer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Henan Tumor Hospital, Zhengzhou, 450002, China

    Xin-fang Hou

  2. Cancer Center of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China

    Qing-xia Fan & Liu-xing Wang

  3. Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China

    Qing-xia Fan & Liu-xing Wang

  4. Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, Cancer Institute(Hospital), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China

    Shi-xin Lu

Authors
  1. Xin-fang Hou
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  2. Qing-xia Fan
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  4. Shi-xin Lu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shi-xin Lu.

Additional information

This work was supported by the grants from State Key Basic Research “973” Programs of China (2002CB513101 and 2004BC518701)

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Hou, Xf., Fan, Qx., Wang, Lx. et al. Role of metallothionein1h in cisplatin resistance of non-small cell lung cancer cells. Chin. J. Cancer Res. 21, 247–254 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11670-009-0247-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11670-009-0247-9

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