WNT5A modulates cell cycle progression and contributes to the chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer cells

BACKGROUND： Although there are many studies on the mechanism of chemoresistance in cancers, studies on the relations between WNT5 A and chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer are rare. The present study was to examine the role of WNT5 A in the regulation of cell cycle progression and in chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer tissues and cell lines.METHODS： Fresh pancreatic cancer and paracarcinoma tissues were obtained from 32 patients. The expressions of WNT5 A,AKT/p-AKT and Cyclin D1 were detected by immunohistochemistry,and the correlation between WNT5 A expression and clinicopathological characteristics was analyzed. The relationship between WNT5 A expression and gemcitabine resistance was studied in PANC-1 and MIAPaCa2 cell lines. The effect of WNT5 A on the regulation of cell cycle and gemcitabine cytotoxicity were investigated. The associations among the expressions of p-AKT,Cyclin D1 and WNT5 A were also analyzed in cell lines and the effect of WNT5 A on restriction-point（R-point） progression was evaluated.RESULTS： WNT5 A, p-AKT and Cyclin D1 were highly expressed in pancreatic cancer tissues, and the WNT5 A expression was correlated with the TNM stages. In vitroWNT5 A expression was associated with gemcitabine chemoresistance. The percentage of cells was increased in G0/G1 phase and decreased in S phase after knockdown of WNT5 A in PANC-1. WNT5 A promoted Cyclin D1 expression through phosphorylation of AKT which consequently enhanced G1-S transition and gemcitabine resistance. Furthermore, WNT5 A enhanced the cell cycle progression toward R-point through regulation ofretinoblastoma protein（pRb） and pRb-E2 F complex formation.CONCLUSIONS： WNT5 A induced chemoresistance by regulation of G1-S transition in pancreatic cancer cells. WNT5 A might serve as a predictor of gemcitabine response and as a potential target for tumor chemotherapy.

5-aza-2'-deoxycitydine induces demethylation and up-regulates transcription of p16^(INK4A) gene in human gastric cancer cell lines

Background To investigate the effects of DNA methylation on the expression of tumor-associated genes and the cell cycle in human gastric cancer cells. Methods Two gastric cancer cell lines (MKN-45 and HGC-27) were treated with DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) inhibitor,5-aza-2’-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC). The expressions of p16 INK4A,p21 WAF1,p53 , p73 ,c-Ha-ras and c-myc genes mRNA were detected by using reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR). DNA methylation status of p16 INK4A gene promoter was assayed by bisulfite modification and sequencing. The cell cycle was analyzed by using flow cytometry (FCM). Results 5-aza-dC induced the demethylation of p16 INK4A gene promoter. The expression of p16 INK4A mRNA was obviously up-regulated by treatment with 10 μmol/L (MKN-45 cells) or 5 μmol/L (HGC-27 cells) of 5-aza-dC for 24 hours. However,5-aza-dC treatment failed to regulate the expressions of p21 WAF1,p53 , p73 ,c-Ha-ras and c-myc genes in MKN-45 and HGC-27 cells. Furthermore,5-aza-dC induced the cell cycle arrest in G1 phase in HGC-27 cell,but not in MKN-45 cell. Conclusions DNA methylation regulates the transcription of p16 INK4A but not p21 WAF1 and proto-oncogenes in human gastric cancer cell lines MKN-45 and HGC-27.