title: [Experimental study of the function of nuclear factor-κB-dependent epithelial to mesenchymal transition in pancreatic cancer cells under hypoxic conditions].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the function of nuclear factor (NF)-κB in the epithelial to mesenchymal transition induced by hypoxia in pancreatic cancer cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  For cultured pancreatic cancer cells (BxPC-3 and Panc-1) under hypoxic and normoxic conditions, the differences in the morphology were observed by optical microscope. The expression of markers of epithelial and mesenchymal phenotypes, E-cadherin, vimentin and N-cadherin, were determined by Western blot. NF-κB P65 activity was measured by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Invasion and gemcitabine resistance of pancreatic cancer cells were evaluated in matrigel invasion assay and cell counting kit-8 assay. Both molecular and pharmacologic means of inhibiting NF-κB P65 were used in these hypoxic cells and then the above resulting phenotypes were compared with those of the control-treated cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After cultured pancreatic cancer cells under hypoxic conditions for 48 h, normoxic cells exhibited a polygonal shape and formed tight clusters of cells, whereas hypoxic cells took on an elongated, fibroblastoid morphology associated with a more highly invasive character and resistance to gemcitabine; hypoxic cells exhibited an suppression of E-cadherin and increase in vimentin and N-cadherin expression. NF-κB P65 activity was elevated in hypoxic cells. On the contrary, on molecular or pharmacologic inhibition of NF-κB P65, hypoxic cells regained expression of E-cadherin, lost expression of N-cadherin, and reversed their highly invasive and drug resistant phenotype.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pancreatic cancer cells underwent epithelial to mesenchymal transition exposed to hypoxia, exhibited highly invasive and drug resistant phenotype. Inhibition of NF-κB P65 under hypoxic conditions, pancreatic cancer cells regained expression of E-cadherin, lost expression of N-cadherin, and reversed their highly invasive and drug resistant phenotype.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, China.
authors.forename: Zhuo-xin
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Bei
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Shuang-jia
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hao-xin
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Guang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hong-chi
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism; D015687:Cell Hypoxia; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; D006801:Humans; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D051996:Transcription Factor RelA / Q000378:metabolism*; D014746:Vimentin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; C513384:CDH1 protein, human; C050361:CDH2 protein, human; D015820:Cadherins; C498143:RELA protein, human; D051996:Transcription Factor RelA; D014746:Vimentin