Hepatitis C virus nonstructural 5A protein inhibits the starvation‑induced apoptosis of hepatoblastoma cells by increasing Beclin 1 expression

  • Authors:
    • Min Quan
    • Shunai Liu
    • Li Zhou
    • Shenghu Feng
    • Yu Zhang
    • Jun Cheng
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: March 13, 2019     https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2019.7060
  • Pages: 3051-3059
Metrics: Total Views: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )
Total PDF Downloads: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )


Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural protein 5A (NS5A) modulates cellular apoptosis, which is involved in the occurrence and development of liver cancer. The mechanisms of apoptosis inhibition by NS5A in liver cancer cells remains unclear. Beclin 1, which functions upstream of autophagosome formation, is upregulated by NS5A. Autophagy, an evolutionarily conserved catabolic process, has a crucial role in tumor initiation and progression. Autophagy was blocked by inhibitors 3‑methyladenine and chloroquine, or via knockdown of Beclin 1. Flow cytometric analysis and western blotting were used to detect apoptosis. It was found that inhibition of autophagy attenuated the NS5A‑mediated apoptosis inhibition of HepG2 cells. Furthermore, it was confirmed that Beclin 1 expression by NS5A was involved in the negative regulation of starvation‑induced liver cancer apoptosis, which was accompanied by reduced p53 and apoptosis regulator Bax expression, as well as decreased caspase‑3/-7 activation. Therefore, inhibition of autophagy may be promising therapeutic strategy in the treatment of HCV‑associated liver cancer.
View Figures
View References

Related Articles

Journal Cover

May-2019
Volume 41 Issue 5

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
Quan M, Liu S, Zhou L, Feng S, Zhang Y and Cheng J: Hepatitis C virus nonstructural 5A protein inhibits the starvation‑induced apoptosis of hepatoblastoma cells by increasing Beclin 1 expression. Oncol Rep 41: 3051-3059, 2019.
APA
Quan, M., Liu, S., Zhou, L., Feng, S., Zhang, Y., & Cheng, J. (2019). Hepatitis C virus nonstructural 5A protein inhibits the starvation‑induced apoptosis of hepatoblastoma cells by increasing Beclin 1 expression. Oncology Reports, 41, 3051-3059. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2019.7060
MLA
Quan, M., Liu, S., Zhou, L., Feng, S., Zhang, Y., Cheng, J."Hepatitis C virus nonstructural 5A protein inhibits the starvation‑induced apoptosis of hepatoblastoma cells by increasing Beclin 1 expression". Oncology Reports 41.5 (2019): 3051-3059.
Chicago
Quan, M., Liu, S., Zhou, L., Feng, S., Zhang, Y., Cheng, J."Hepatitis C virus nonstructural 5A protein inhibits the starvation‑induced apoptosis of hepatoblastoma cells by increasing Beclin 1 expression". Oncology Reports 41, no. 5 (2019): 3051-3059. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2019.7060