Increase in Docetaxel-Resistance of Ovarian Carcinoma-Derived RMG-1 Cells with Enhanced Expression of Lewis Y Antigen

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Fan Zhang²  Juanjuan Liu²  Bei Lin²  Qing Liu²  Yue Zhao¹  Liancheng Zhu²  Yingying Hao²  Shulan Zhang² 

[1] Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Hospital Affiliated to Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116023, Liaoning, China; E-Mail:;Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shengjing Hospital Affiliated to China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, Liaoning, China; E-Mails:

关键词: ovarian cancer;    Lewis Y antigen;    docetaxel;    drug resistance;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijms12117323

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Epithelial carcinomas of the ovary exhibit the highest mortality rate among gynecologic malignancies. Studies found that the metabolism of glycolipids or carbohydrates is associated with acquirement of anticancer drug-resistance by cancer cells. This study was to characterize possible involvement of Lewis Y (Le^Y) antigen in the drug-resistance of cancer cells. We transfected the α1,2-fucosyltransferase gene into human ovarian carcinoma-derived RMG-1 cells and established RMG-1-hFUT cells with enhanced expression of Le^Y. We determined the effects of docetaxel on the survival of cells by MTT assaying and observed the apoptosis of cells in the presence of docetaxel by flow cytometric analysis and by transmission electron microscopy. Plasma membranes and intracellular granules in RMG-1-hFUT cells were stained with anti-Le^Y antibody, the intensity of the staining was higher than that in control cells. The RMG-1-hFUT cells exhibited higher resistance to docetaxel than the control cells with regard to the docetaxel concentration and time course. After treatment with 10 μg/mL docetaxel for 72 h, the control cells, but not RMG-1-hFUT, contained abundant positively stained cell debris due to disintegration of the cytoskeleton. On transmission electron microscopy, although the control cells treated with docetaxel as above showed the following morphology, i.e., absence of villi, cells shrunken in size, pyknosis, agglutinated chromatin and cell buds containing nuclei in the process of apoptosis, the RMG-1-hFUT cells showed only agglutinated chromatin and vacuoles in the cytoplasm. In summary, cells with enhanced expression of Le^Y were shown to acquire docetaxel-resistance, indicating the possible involvement of glycoconjugates in the drug-resistance.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2011 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.