Cyclin D1 inhibits whereas c-Myc enhances the cytotoxicity of cisplatin in mouse pancreatic cancer cells via regulation of several members of the NF-κB and Bcl-2 families.

BACKGROUND

Cisplatin (CDDP) is a drug used for treatment of many types of malignancy but pancreatic cancer is relatively resistant to it. This study aims to determine whether and how cyclin D1 (D1) and c-Myc influence the response of pancreatic cancer cells to CDDP.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ela-mycPT mouse pancreatic cancer cells were transfected with D1 or c-myc cDNA and treated with CDDP alone or together with NPCD, an inhibitor of cyclin dependent ckinase (CDK) 4 and 6. Reverse transcription followed by polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot assays were used to determine the mRNA and protein levels of interested genes. Cell viability was determined using 3-(4, 5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay.

RESULTS

Treatment of Ela-mycPT1 cells with CDDP caused an increase in c-myc expression but a slightly latent decrease in D1 expression, whereas D1 and c-Myc proteins repressed each other. D1 or c-Myc rendered Ela-mycPT1 cells resistant or sensitive, respectively, to CDDP. D1 induced the expression of several members of the NF-κB family, including RelA, RelB, Nfκb1 and Nfκb2. D1 also induced BIRC5 and several pro-survival members of the Bcl-2 gene family, including Bcl-2 , Mcl-1 and Bad while it decreased the level of the pro-apoptotic Noxa. Inhibition of CDK4 or CDK6 kinase activity by NPCD did not affect these effects of D1. In contrast, c-Myc in Ela-mycPT1 and Ela-mycPT4 cells has the opposite effects to D1 on the expression of most of these apoptosis regulating genes.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that induction of c-Myc and inhibition of D1 may be mechanisms for CDDP to elicit cytotoxicity. On the other hand, D1 induces whereas c-Myc represses the expression of key NF-κB family members to induce and repress, respectively, the expression of BIRC5 and several Bcl-2 family members, in turn inhibiting or enhancing the response to CDDP.