Interaction of pregnane X receptor with hypoxia-inducible factor-1 regulates chemoresistance of prostate cancer cells

Aim: The nuclear pregnane X receptor (PXR) is a pivotal regulator of steroid and xenobiotics metabolism and plays an important role in shaping tumor cell responses to chemotherapy. Hypoxia within tumor tissue has multifaceted effects, including multiple drug resistance. The goal of this study was to determine whether PXR contributes to hypoxia-induced drug resistance. Methods: Metastatic prostate cancer cells were used to study the interaction of PXR and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1 in drug resistance associated with hypoxia. The activities of PXR and HIF-1 were determined by assays for its reporter gene or target gene expression. Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) was used to determine the interaction of PXR and HIF-1. Ablation or inhibition of PXR or HIF-1 was used to determine their roles in hypoxia-induced chemoresistance. Results: PXR was activated by hypoxia, leading to increased expression of multidrug resistance protein 1 (MDR1). Inhibition of PXR by pharmacological compounds or depletion by shRNAs reduced the hypoxic induction of MDR1 and sensitized prostate cancer cells to chemotherapy under hypoxia. HIF-1 was required for PXR activation under hypoxia. Co-immunoprecipitation results showed that HIF-1 and PXR could physically interact with each other, leading to crosstalk between these two transcription factors. Conclusion: PXR contributes to hypoxia-induced drug resistance in prostate cancer cells through its interaction with HIF-1.