title: HIF-1α inhibition reverses multidrug resistance in colon cancer cells via downregulation of MDR1/P-glycoprotein.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Multidrug resistance (MDR) is one of the major reasons chemotherapy-based treatments fail. Hypoxia is generally associated with tumor chemoresistance. However, the correlation between the heterodimeric hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) and the multidrug resistance (MDR1) gene/transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp) remains unclear. This study aims to explore the molecular mechanisms of reversing colon cancer MDR by focusing on the target gene HIF-1α.
  
  
  METHODS
  A chemotherapeutic sensitivity assay was used to observe the efficiency of MDR reversal in LoVo multicellular spheroids (MCS). The apoptotic level induced by different drugs was examined by flow cytometry (FCM). Binding of HIF-1α to the MDR1 gene promoter was evaluated by Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). The relationship between HIF-1α/P-gp expression and sensitivity to chemotherapy was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sensitivity of LoVo MCS to all four chemotherapy drugs was decreased to varying degrees under hypoxic conditions. After silencing the HIF-1α gene, the sensitivities of LoVo MCS to all four chemotherapy drugs were restored. The apoptotic levels that all the drugs induced were all decreased to various extents in the hypoxic group. After silencing HIF-1α, the apoptosis level induced by all four chemotherapy drugs increased. The expression of HIF-1α and P-gp was significantly enhanced in LoVo MCS after treatment with hypoxia. Inhibiting HIF-1α significantly decreased the expression of MDR1/P-gp mRNA or protein in both the LoVo monolayers and LoVo MCS. The ChIP assay showed that HIF-1α was bound to the MDR1 gene promoter. Advanced colon carcinoma patients with expression of both HIF-1α and P-gp were more resistant to chemotherapy than that with non expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HIF-1α inhibition reverses multidrug resistance in colon cancer cells via downregulation of MDR1/P-gp. The expression of HIF-1α and MDR1/P-gp can be used as a predictive marker for chemotherapy resistance in colon cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Jianfang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China; Department of Oncology, General Hospital of Shenyang Military Region, Shenyang, Liaoning, China.
authors.forename: Zhenyu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Yonghai
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Jianjun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Yanling
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Houjie
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liang
mesh_terms: D018435:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B / Q000235:genetics*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011485:Protein Binding; D034622:RNA Interference; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D018435:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering