Silencing of MEOX1 Gene Inhibits Proliferation and Promotes Apoptosis of LNCaP Cells in Prostate Cancer

Abstract

Background: Prostate cancer (PC), the most commonly diagnosed malignancy, is also the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Although tremendous efforts have been achieved to improve the early detection of PC, it is still urgent to find out novel markers and therapeutic targets for PC patients. Homeobox protein MOX-1 (MEOX1) is found to be ectopically expressed in human cancers. This study aims to test the hypothesis that MEOX1 gene silencing might suppress the proliferation and invasion of LNCaP cells in PC.

Materials and methods: Microarray analysis was conducted to screen PC-related differentially expressed gene. MEOX1 was silenced to detect the relationship between silenced MEOX1 and cell proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and invasion. Expression of MEOX1, Bcl-2, p53, and Bax in LNCaP cells was determined using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis. Cell proliferation, colony formation rate, cell migration, invasion, cell cycle, and apoptosis were detected respectively.

Results: MEOX1 gene was found to be expressed highly in PC tissues. After MEOX1 was silenced in LNCaP cells, the mRNA and protein expression of Bcl-2 decreased while the mRNA and protein expressions of p53 and Bax increased. Additionally, cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were reduced while cell apoptosis was increased by MEOX1, and MEOX1 gene silencing was revealed to inhibit cell proliferation and decrease tumorigenic ability of LNCaP cells in nude mice.

Conclusion: Taken together, MEOX1 gene silencing could decrease the proliferation and increase apoptosis of LNCaP cells, and so it is expected to be a therapeutic target for PC.

Keywords: LNCaP cells; MEOX1; apoptosis; gene silencing; invasion; migration; proliferation; prostate cancer.