Irinotecan Induces Autophagy-Dependent Apoptosis and Positively Regulates ROS-Related JNK- and P38-MAPK Pathways in Gastric Cancer Cells

BACKGROUND: Irinotecan (IRI) is considered an option for second-line treatment of advanced gastric cancer; however, acquired drug resistance currently limits its clinical application. Recently, many researchers have shown that autophagy plays a crucial role in the resistance of tumor cells to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In this study, we investigated the relationship between autophagy and antitumor activity of IRI in gastric cancer cells. METHODS: We used MTT assay, flow cytometry and immunofluorescence staining to detect viability, apoptosis and autophagy in gastric cancer. Western blotting assay was used to determine the expression of LC3, Beclin-1, P62, cleaved PARP and Caspase 3. In vivo animal study was performed finally. RESULTS: We found that IRI treatment dose- and time-dependently inhibited growth and induced apoptosis in gastric cancer cells. Moreover, IRI treatment caused autophagy in these cells, whereas autophagy inhibitors—3-methyladenine (3-MA), chloroquine (CQ), and Beclin-1 small interfering RNA (siRNA)—suppressed cytotoxicity of IRI. A mechanistic analysis showed that IRI-induced autophagy and apoptosis were related to increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and activation of the JNK- and p38-MAPK pathways. Further in vivo experiments revealed that IRI suppressed tumor growth, induced autophagy, and stimulated the JNK- and p38-MAPK pathways, whereas 3-MA attenuated these effects. CONCLUSION: Taken together, these results indicate that IRI stimulates the ROS-related JNK- and p38-MAPK pathways to promote autophagy-dependent apoptosis. Thus, a combination of IRI with a pharmacological autophagy enhancer may be a promising therapeutic strategy against gastric cancer.