Slug inhibition increases radiosensitivity of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells by upregulating PUMA.
As a new strategy, radio-gene therapy was widely used for the treatment of cancer patients in recent few years. Slug was involved in the radioresistance of various cancers and has been found to have an anti-apoptotic effect. This study aims to investigate whether the modulation of Slug expression by siRNA affects oral squamous cell carcinoma sensitivity to X-ray irradiation through upregulating PUMA. Two oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines (HSC3 and HSC6) were transfected with small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting Slug and subjected to radiotherapy in vitro. After transfection with Slug siRNA, both HSC3 and HSC6 cells showed relatively lower expression of Slug and higher expression of PUMA. The Slug siRNA transfected cells showed decreased survival and proliferation rates, an increased apoptosis rate and enhanced radiosensitivity to X-ray irradiation. Our results revealed that Slug siRNA transfection in combination with radiation increased the expression of PUMA, which contributed to radiosensitivity of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells. Thus, controlling the expression of Slug might contribute to enhance sensitivity of HSC3 and HSC6 cells toward X-ray irradiation in vitro by upregulating PUMA.
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510055, P.R. China.
Fangfang
F
Jiang
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510055, P.R. China.
Lijie
L
Zhou
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510055, P.R. China.
Changbo
C
Wei
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510055, P.R. China.
Wei
W
Zhao
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510055, P.R. China.
Dongsheng
D
Yu
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000528:radiation effects; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000528:radiation effects; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics; D011836:Radiation Tolerance / Q000235:genetics*; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000235:genetics; D014965:X-Rays
D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C438378:BBC3 protein, human; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; C000604407:SNAI1 protein, human; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors