Expression of survivin mRNA and protein in mitomycin-treated hepatoma carcinoma Hepa1-6 cells / 南方医科大学学报

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate survivin mRNA and protein expressions in mitomycin (MMC)-treated hepatoma carcinoma Hepa1-6 cells in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Hepa1-6 cells were cultured in vitro in the presence of MMC at the concentrations of 1.0, 3.0 and 9.0 microg/ml, respectively, and 1 day and 3 days after the culture, the cell growth inhibition was assessed using MTT assay and the expressions of survivin were detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>MMC at the concentration of 9.0 microg/ml resulted in significantly greater growth inhibition of the Hepa-6 cells than MMC at 1.0 and 3.0 microg/ml, and at the latter two concentrations, MMC treatment for 3 days did not produce obvious cell growth inhibition. Survivin expressions at both the mRNA and protein levels in Hepa1-6 cells were significantly decreased 1 day after MMC treatment at the 3 concentrations, and after 3-day MMC treatment at 1.0 and 3 microg/ml, survivin expressions increased to exceed the control level, whereas survivin maintained the low expression levels in cells treated with 9 microg/ml MMC for 3 days.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Survivin expression in Hepa1-6 cells increases in response to MMC treatment at low doses, which might be one of the reasons for chemotherapeutic drug resistance.</p>