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Calcineurin/NFATc1 Pathway Contributes to Cell Proliferation in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

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Abstract

Background and Aims

The nuclear factor of the activated T cell (NFAT) family was primarily recognized for its central role in T lymphocyte activation. Recent evidence showed that NFAT isoforms participate in the regulation of genes related to cell proliferation and differentiation in epithelial malignancies. Here, we investigated the expression and activation of the calcineurin/NFAT transcription pathway and its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) proliferation.

Methods

Expression of NFATc1 and calcineurin proteins was examined by immunohistochemical analyses in 76 human HCC samples. The cellular NFAT activation and distribution in HepG2 cells were analyzed by immunofluorescence and western blot analyses. After NFATc1 expression was knocked down by NFATc1-specific siRNA, we analyzed its implications in cell cycle progression and growth by MTT and flow cytometry. The impact of calcineurin/NFAT signaling on protein expression of c-myc and cox-2 were performed by western blot analyses.

Results

NFATc1 is significantly overexpressed in HCC. The regulation of calcineurin activity by ionomycin or cyclosporin A caused rapid nuclear import or export of NFATc1 in HepG2 cells. NFATc1 knock-down led to a significant reduction in proliferation rates and cell cycle arrest at G1 phase. The expression of c-myc and cox-2 was decreased in the NFATc1 knock-down HepG2 cells. Ionomycin increased c-myc and cox-2 expression in HepG2 cells, but not in siNFATc1 HepG2 cells.

Conclusion

The calcineurin/NFATc1 signal is overexpressed and active in HCC. It may enhance the proliferative potential of HepG2 cells through transcriptional activation of the c-myc and cox-2 oncogenes.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from Youth Fund of Science and Technique of Heilongjiang Province of China (QC2010015) and Scientific Research Fund of the Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Harbin Medical University (JJ2008-15).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, Cancer Hospital of Harbin Medical University, 150 Haping Road, Harbin, 150040, China

    Shuhuai Wang, Hui Cheng, Di Wang & Jingshu Geng

  2. Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150040, China

    Xinmei Kang

  3. Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150040, China

    Shouqiang Cao

  4. Department of Medical Genetics, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150086, China

    Jingshu Geng

Authors
  1. Shuhuai Wang
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  2. Xinmei Kang
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  3. Shouqiang Cao
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  4. Hui Cheng
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  5. Di Wang
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  6. Jingshu Geng
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jingshu Geng.

Additional information

Shuhuai Wang and Xinmei Kang contributed equally to the manuscript.

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Wang, S., Kang, X., Cao, S. et al. Calcineurin/NFATc1 Pathway Contributes to Cell Proliferation in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Dig Dis Sci 57, 3184–3188 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-012-2255-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-012-2255-8

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