Effects of expression silencing of chemokine receptor CX3CR1 on human hepatocellular carcinoma Huh7 cells and its machanism / 肿瘤

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the effect of chemokine CX3C receptor 1 (CX3CR1) on human hepatocellular carcinoma Huh7 cells and its probable machanism. Methods: Hepatocellular carcinoma Huh7 cells were transfected with the recombinant adenovirus Ad-siCX3CR1 targeting and silencing CX 3CR 1 gene. Then the expression of CX3CR1 was detected by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) and Western blotting. The proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion of Huh7 cells were tested by MTT, flow cytometry, wound-healing and Transwell assay, respectively. The expression and phosphorylation of Akt which was related to phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt signal pathway were detected by Western blotting. Meanwhile, Huh7 cells transfected with AdsiCX3CR1 were treated with different concentrations of PI3K inhibitor LY294002, then the expression of Akt and cell invasion ability induced by CX3CR1 were detected by Western blotting and Transwell assay, respectively. Results: After Ad-siCX3CR1 was stably transfected into Huh7 cells, the expression of CX3CR1 was significantly inhibited (P < 0.001), and the cell proliferation and migration and invasion abilities were significantly increased (P < 0.001), but the apoptosis rate was significantly decreased (P < 0.01). When the expression of CX3CR1 was silenced, the level of phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) in Huh7 cells was increased (P < 0.001), and LY294002 could reverse CX3CR1-induced phosphorylation of Akt and invasion of Huh7 cells effectively (P < 0.001). Conclusion: CX 3CR 1 gene silencing can promote proliferation, migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma Huh7 cells, and also can suppress their apoptosis. The activation of PI3K-Akt signaling pathway may be involved in this process.