title: Low doses ionizing radiation enhances the invasiveness of breast cancer cells by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition.
abstract: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process cellular morphologic and molecular alterations facilitate cell invasion. We hypothesized that low dose ionizing irradiation (LDIR) enhances the invasiveness of breast cancer cells by inducing EMT. The effects of LDIR on cellular morphology and the EMT markers of MCF-7 breast cancer cells were analyzed by western blot/RT-PCR and migration/invasion was examined using the transwell assay. We found that LDIR led to the phenotypic changes of EMT in MCF-7 cells and down-regulation of epithelial differentiation markers and transcriptional induction of mesenchymal markers. Furthermore, the radiated cells demonstrated enhanced migration/invasion MCF-7 cells compared with non-radiated cells. In summary, LDIR promotes the invasiveness of breast cancer cells through epithelial to mesenchymal transition. These findings may ultimately provide a new targeted approach for improving the therapeutic effectiveness of radiation in breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemotherapy, Cancer Center, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, School of Medicine, West Wenhua Road No. 107, Ji'nan, Shandong 250012, PR China. xinzhang@gmail.com
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qifeng
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Meena S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Moran
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D015536:Down-Regulation; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000528:radiation effects*; D005260:Female; D005720:Gamma Rays / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D015854:Up-Regulation; D014746:Vimentin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D015820:Cadherins; D014746:Vimentin