The Effect of HIF-1α siRNA on Growth and Chemosensitivity of Mia-paca Cell Line

PURPOSE: Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) primarily mediates the hypoxic response. HIF-1α induction by various stimuli contributes to cell proliferation and survival. To investigate the effect of HIF-1α, we used small interfering RNA (siRNA), and expected that cell apoptosis and sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drug increase, when we blocked the HIF-1α gene. Thus we performed in vitro and in vivo experiment to clarify the effect of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α on tumor growth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We made control and HIF-1α siRNA using vector plasmid and then transfected Mia-paca cell lines with these RNAs. After selection with geneticin, two new cell lines were made, confirmed via immunoblotting. After treating with gemcitabine, each cell line was assayed to confirm the effect of HIF-1α siRNA using the cell proliferation assay and capase-3 assay. And then in vivo study was performed using female athymic nude mice. After subcutaneously injecting each new cell lines, intraperitoneal gemicitabine chemotherapy was performed for 3 weeks. During that period, we analyzed the difference of tumor growth rate. RESULTS: The tumor growth of HIF-1α siRNA-transfected group was slower than that of the control group both in vitro and in vivo experiment. CONCLUSION: The suppression of HIF-1α results in decrease of cell proliferation and increase of chemosensitivity of pancreatic cancer cell line. Therefore, targeting the HIF-1α may be useful treatment modality for some pancreatic cancers.