Effects of female sex hormones on clusterin expression and paclitaxel resistance in endometrial cancer cell lines

• Published in: International journal of medical sciences 2012-01, Vol.9 (1), p.86-92
• Main Authors: Won, Yong Sung, Lee, Sung Jong, Yeo, Seung Geun, Park, Dong Choon
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cell Line, Tumor; Clusterin - genetics; Clusterin - metabolism; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm - drug effects; Endometrial Neoplasms - genetics; Endometrial Neoplasms - metabolism; Estrogen Receptor alpha - genetics; Estrogen Receptor alpha - metabolism; Estrogen Receptor beta - genetics; Estrogen Receptor beta - metabolism; Estrogens - pharmacology; Female; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic - drug effects; Humans; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Paclitaxel - pharmacology; Progesterone - pharmacology; Receptors, Progesterone - genetics; Receptors, Progesterone - metabolism; Research Paper; RNA, Small Interfering - genetics
• ISSN: 1449-1907; 1449-1907
• DOI: 10.7150/ijms.9.86

We have analyzed the association between clusterin expression in endometrial cancer cells and their resistance to paclitaxel. We also analyzed whether the effects of female sex hormones on clusterin expression by these cell lines affect their resistance to paclitaxel. The expression of estrogen receptors α and β, progesterone receptors AB and B, and clusterin mRNA and protein was assayed in the ECC-1 and KLE endometrial cancer cell lines by RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. The IC(50) of paclitaxel was measured in each cell line by XTT assay. Using clusterin siRNA, we analyzed the association between clusterin expression and paclitaxel IC(50) in each cell line. We also examined the effects of hormone treatment on cellular resistance to paclitaxel. Paclitaxel IC(50) was significantly higher in KLE cells, which expressed higher levels of clusterin, than in ECC-1 cells, which expressed lower levels of clusterin. Conversely, incubation with clusterin siRNA significantly decreased the viability of KLE cells (P