TPX2 silencing mediated by joint action of microvesicles and ultrasonic radiation inhibits the migration and invasion of SKOV3 cells

Ovarian cancer, with its high morbidity, has one of the highest mortality rates among gynecological malignant tumors. Overexpression of targeting protein for Xklp2 (TPX2) has been identified in numerous malignant tumors. The present study sought to determine whether TPX2 silencing inhibited the growth and metastasis of ovarian cancer cells, and whether microvesicles- and ultrasonic radiation-mediated small interfering (si)RNA-TPX2 transfection may improve the therapeutic effect. The SKOV3 cell line, derived from papillary serous cytadenocarcinoma of the human ovary, was selected as a cell model. Cells were divided into five groups: Control, siRNA-TPX2, siRNA-TPX2 + microvesicle (M), siRNA-TPX2 + ultrasonic irradiation (UI), and siRNA-TPX2 + M + UI. Cell viability was evaluated under the aforementioned conditions via the Cell Counting kit 8 (CCK8) assay. Cell migration and invasion were detected using Transwell assays. The expression levels of associated genes, including epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin), metalloproteinase inhibitor 2 (TIMP-2), metastasis associated 1 (MTA1) and matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP2), were analyzed using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis and western blotting. MMP2 activity was determined using a gelatin zymography assay. The results suggested that TPX2 serves an important role in the development of SKOV3 cells; it is additionally able to inhibit cell migration and invasion by upregulating E-cadherin and TIMP2, downregulating MMP2 and MTA1, and inhibiting the phosphorylation of p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase. The inhibitory effect of siRNA-TPX2 on SKOV3 cellular metastasis in the presence of microvesicles and ultrasonic radiation was observed to be improved compared with the control. It is proposed that the combination of microvesicles and ultrasonic radiation with TPX2 silencing has the potential to be an effective gene therapy against ovarian cancer.