Inhibiting ERp29 expression enhances radiosensitivity in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines

Med Oncol. 2012 Jun;29(2):721-8. doi: 10.1007/s12032-011-9929-5. Epub 2011 Apr 11.

Abstract

ERp29 is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-inducible protein. It was found that ERp29 was highly expressed in several cancers and associated with resistance to oxidative and radiation stress, which may serve as a novel target for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) anticancer approach. In this study, we used immunohistochemistry to detect ERp29 expression in radioresistant and radiosensitive NPC tissues. As a result, ERp29 was up-regulated in radioresistant NPC tissues compared to radiosensitive NPC tissues. We also found that ERp29 knockdown attenuated radioresistance of NPC CNE-1 cells and ERp29 overexpression enhanced radioresistance of NPC CNE-2 cells. When exposed to radiation, ERp29 knockdown CNE-1 cells increased radiation-induced cell apoptosis and ERp29 overexpression CNE-2 cells reduced radiation-induced cell apoptosis. Further, we demonstrated that ERp29 up-regulated the expression of Hsp27. In conclusion, our study supports ERp29 could potentiate resistance to radiation in NPC cells, targeting of ERp29 is a rational strategy in treating radioresistant NPC.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Apoptosis / radiation effects*
  • Blotting, Western
  • Carcinoma
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins / genetics
  • HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins / metabolism
  • Heat-Shock Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Heat-Shock Proteins / genetics*
  • Heat-Shock Proteins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Immunoenzyme Techniques
  • Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
  • Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / radiotherapy*
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics
  • Radiation Tolerance / genetics*
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured

Substances

  • ERP29 protein, human
  • HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins
  • Heat-Shock Proteins
  • RNA, Messenger
  • RNA, Small Interfering