The expression of human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16 E7) induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in radiation and hypoxia resistant glioblastoma cells

p53 is a widely known tumor-suppressor gene product that plays a key role in apoptotic cell death induced by DNA-damaging chemotherapeutic agents. Human glioma cells with functional p53 are known to be more resistant to γ-radiation. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the mutant glioblastoma cells (U87MG) transfected with human papilloma virus-type 16 E7 (HPV16 E7) genes were capable of increasing sensitivity towards irradiation and hypoxia-induced cell death. The pLXSN retroviral vector expressed HPV-16E7 genes and was infected into the p53 mutated U87MG cell line. A specific amplification band of HPV16 E7 genes was detected in E7 genes and transfected in the U87MG cell line using a reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. The experimental groups included the mutant glioblastoma cell line (U87MG), empty vector (pLXSN) transfected to mutant glioblastoma cell line (U87MG-LXSN), and retrovirus carrying HPV16 E7 genes transfected to the mutant glioblastoma cell line (U87MG-E7). Hypoxic conditions were optimized using LDH assay and the subjects were exposed to hypoxia (16 and 20 h) and irradiation (9 h). Hoechst-propidium iodide (PI) staining results showed that hypoxia and irradiation increased the number of dead cells in the U87MG-E7 cells compared to U87MG and U87MG-LXSN cells. Results of the FACS analysis showed a similar pattern and recorded 80.44 and 58.94% of apoptotic cells in U87MG-E7 and U87MG cells, respectively. Cell cycle analysis by FACS revealed that, following irradiation and hypoxia, cells showed G2-M arrest. Additionally, the Western blot analysis results showed altered expression of E2F-1, Rb and p53 in the irradiation- and hypoxia-induced U87MG-E7 cells compared to U87MG and U87MG LXSN cells. In conclusion, the over-expression of HPV16 E7 genes in U87MG cell lines increasd cell apoptosis and E2F1 expression compared to the HPV non-infected U87MG cells following irradiation and hypoxia. These results indicate that tumor-specific therapies that increase sensitivity towards radiation and hypoxic conditions may be beneficial for suppression of cancers.