Evaluation of HO-1 expression, cellular ROS production, cellular proliferation and cellular apoptosis in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tumors and cell lines

  • Authors:
    • Quan-Guang Ren
    • Sheng-Li Yang
    • Jian-Li Hu
    • Pin-Dong Li
    • Ye-Shan Chen
    • Qiu-Shuang Wang
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: January 13, 2016     https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2016.4556
  • Pages: 2270-2276
Metrics: Total Views: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )
Total PDF Downloads: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )


Abstract

Patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) have a poor prognosis. However, the related mechanisms are unclear, thus we investigated the expression of HO-1 in ESCC tissue and explored possible mechanisms of tumor progression. Expression of HO-1 was examined by immunohistochemistry in 143 ESCC tumors. The correlation of HO-1 with clinicopathological characteristics was also examined. Two human ESCC cell lines, TE-13 and Eca109 were studied. Silencing of cell line HO-1 by specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) was evaluated using real-time quantitative PCR. Cell line viability, apoptosis and intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) after transfection were determined using MTT and flow cytometry, respectively. HO-1, Bax, Bcl-2 and A-caspase-3/-9 expression was evaluated using western blot analyses. We found that HO-1 was expressed in 58 of 143 ESCC tumors, mainly in the cytoplasm. There was a significant association between HO-1 expression and tumor grade (P<0.001). Knockdown of HO-1 expression in cell lines was associated with significantly decreased cellular proliferation (P<0.05) and a higher rate of apoptosis (P<0.001) 48 h after treatment. Treatment of the cell lines with the ROS inhibitor N-acetylcysteine abrogated this effect. Knockdown of HO-1 was associated with increased A-caspase-3 and -9 expression, but no change in Bax or Bcl-2 expression or Bax/Bcl-2 ratio was observed. Thus, the present study identified that ESCC tumors frequently expressed HO-1. Knockdown of HO-1 promoted apoptosis through activation of a ROS-mediated caspase apoptosis pathway.
View Figures
View References

Related Articles

Journal Cover

April-2016
Volume 35 Issue 4

Print ISSN: 1021-335X
Online ISSN:1791-2431

Sign up for eToc alerts

Recommend to Library

Copy and paste a formatted citation
x
Spandidos Publications style
Ren Q, Yang S, Hu J, Li P, Chen Y and Wang Q: Evaluation of HO-1 expression, cellular ROS production, cellular proliferation and cellular apoptosis in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tumors and cell lines. Oncol Rep 35: 2270-2276, 2016
APA
Ren, Q., Yang, S., Hu, J., Li, P., Chen, Y., & Wang, Q. (2016). Evaluation of HO-1 expression, cellular ROS production, cellular proliferation and cellular apoptosis in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tumors and cell lines. Oncology Reports, 35, 2270-2276. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2016.4556
MLA
Ren, Q., Yang, S., Hu, J., Li, P., Chen, Y., Wang, Q."Evaluation of HO-1 expression, cellular ROS production, cellular proliferation and cellular apoptosis in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tumors and cell lines". Oncology Reports 35.4 (2016): 2270-2276.
Chicago
Ren, Q., Yang, S., Hu, J., Li, P., Chen, Y., Wang, Q."Evaluation of HO-1 expression, cellular ROS production, cellular proliferation and cellular apoptosis in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tumors and cell lines". Oncology Reports 35, no. 4 (2016): 2270-2276. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2016.4556