HIF-1α silencing suppresses growth of lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells through induction of apoptosis

Abstract

Lung adenocarcinoma (AC) is one of the most deadly malignancies. The disease has a low five-year survival rate; therefore, the identification of novel therapeutic agents is required. This study aimed to investigate the effect of small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) on the growth of AC A549 cells. A549 cells were transfected with various concentrations of HIF-1α or control siRNA, and the effect on HIF-1α expression was analyzed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis. The effects of HIF-1α siRNA on growth inhibition and apoptosis were then assessed using standard methods. HIF-1α siRNA treatment significantly reduced HIF-1α mRNA and protein expression in A549 cells. Furthermore, the downregulation of HIF-1α expression inhibited the growth of A549 cells and induced apoptosis of A549 cells by upregulating caspase-3 expression. The present in vitro study demonstrates that the downregulation of HIF-1α is capable of suppressing AC A549 cell growth, through the induction of apoptosis. This suggests that HIF-1α inhibition may represent a promising strategy for the treatment of AC.