title: Knockdown of heme oxygenase-1 promotes apoptosis and autophagy and enhances the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin in breast cancer cells.
abstract: Heme oxygenase-1 (HMOX-1) is a microsomal enzyme that exerts anti-apoptotic and cytoprotective effects. In the present study, HMOX-1 was demonstrated to be overexpressed and able to be induced by doxorubicin in breast cancer cell lines. Knockdown ofHMOX-1using short interfering (si)RNA enhanced the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin in MDA-MB-231 and BT549 cells. Knockdown ofHMOX-1downregulated B cell lymphoma (Bcl)-2 and Bcl-extra large expression, and significantly enhanced doxorubicin-induced apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 and BT549 cells. Additionally, knockdown ofHMOX-1upregulated light chain 3B expression and markedly increased the accumulation of autophagic vacuoles in MDA-MB-231 and BT549 cells treated with doxorubicin. These results indicated that HMOX-1 may be involved in conferring the chemoresistance of breast cancer cells, by preventing apoptosis and autophagy. Therefore, HMOX-1 may represent a potential therapeutic target for enhancing the cytotoxicity and efficacy of doxorubicin during the treatment of breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China ; Guangdong Engineering Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jie-Yi
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yun-Jian
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China ; Guangdong Engineering Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Rui-Ming
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wei-Bin
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China ; Guangdong Engineering Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Shen-Ming
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Wang
keywords: apoptosis; autophagy; breast cancer; chemoresistance; doxorubicin; heme oxygenase-1