Improvement of sensitivity to platinum compound with siRNA knockdown of upregulated genes in platinum complex-resistant ovarian cancer cells in vitro

Abstract

It is known that some cancers show platinum complex resistance and that others show platinum complex sensitivity among ovarian cancers. Oxaliplatin (cis-[oxalato[trans-l-1, 2-diamino-cyclohexane] platinum[II]]; l-OHP), an active anti-cancer agent consisting of platinum, inhibits RNA synthesis and results in cytostatic effects. We investigated the difference between an oxaliplatin-resistant ovarian cancer cell line, KFR, and an oxaliplatin-sensitive ovarian cancer cell line, KF-1, using DNA microarray analysis. The oxaliplatin-resistant cell line, KFR, was established by using KF-1 cells derived from human serous cystadenocarcinoma of the ovary. Acquisition of platinum resistance in human ovarian cancer cells thus appeared to be related mainly to the expression of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (gamma-GCS), topo II and metallothionein (hMT) genes, and partly to that of topo I and glutathione S-transferase--pi (GST-pi) genes, in addition to a decrease in platinum accumulation. KFR cells had 8.5- and 24.7-fold higher mRNA levels of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (gamma-GCS), and topo II genes than KF-1 cells, while KFR had only a slight increase in the glutathione S-transferase--pi (GST-pi) mRNA level as compared with KF-1. In comparison of the gene expressions between KFR and KF-1 ovarian cancer cell lines, tubulin-specific chaperone E (TBCE) and CBP/p300-interacting transactivator (CITED2) were overexpressed in KFR compared to KF-1. These genes are overexpressed in MKN74, an oxaliplatin-resistant gastric cancer cell line, compared to MKN28, an oxaliplatin-sensitive gastric cancer cell line. TBCE is 13-fold increased in KFR cells compared to KF-1 cells. CBP/p300-interacting transactivator is increased 2-fold in KFR cells compared to KF-1 cells. The siRNA directed to the TBCE gene and CBP/p300-interacting transactivator gene enhanced the cytotoxicity of diplatin to the platinum-resistant ovarian cancer cell line KFR. These results show that the TBCE gene and CBP/p300 gene have potential as multidrug-resistant genes. It is necessary to check the effect of siRNA to influx or exflux. It has potential to enhance the effect of anti-cancer agents to resistant cancer cells, so we will proceed to develop an inhibitor of these TBCE and CBP/p300 proteins.