Reversal of multi-drug resistance in ovarian cancer cell by RNA interference

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of small interference RNA (siRNA) on the inhibition of MDR1 mRNA and P-gp expression of ovarian cancer cells with high expression of MDR1 gene, and reversal of drug resistance. METHODS: siRNA was synthesized and transfected into human ovarian cancer cell line OVCAR8/TR by liposome. The expression of MDR1 mRNA at different times after transfection was measured by real time RT-PCR and the P-gp expression was detected by flow cytometry. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-bioluminence assay was applied to check the drug sensitivity to four different chemotherapeutic agents before and after transfection. RESULTS: The suppression rates of MDR1 mRNA were 26.42%, 84.00%, 78.43%, 45.85% and 0 respectively at 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 hours after transfection. The P-gp suppression rates were 16.71%, 49.64%, 85.23%, 65.98%, 9.44% respectively at 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 hours after transfection. The maximal suppression rates of MDR1 mRNA and P-gp occurred at 48 and 72 hours after transfection respectively. ATP-bioluminence assay showed that OVCAR8/TR cells were sensitive to fluorouracil, resistant to cisplatin, doxorubicin (adriamycin) and paclitaxel (taxol). After siRNA treatment, OVCAR8/TR cells were sensitive to paclitaxel and doxorubicin, but the resistance to cisplatin could not be reversed. CONCLUSIONS: RNA interference (RNAi) presents in human ovarian cancer cells. siRNA can effectively inhibit the expression of mRNA and P-gp of the multidrug resistance gene MDR1, and can reverse the drug resistance to chemotherapeutic agents which are transferred by P-gp.