Impact of mitochondrial telomerase over-expression on drug resistance of hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND

The efficacy of chemotherapy in patients with hepatocellular carcinomas still poor due to multidrug resistance. This study aimed to investigate the impact of the over-expressed mitochondrial human telomerase reverse transcriptase on multidrug resistance of hepatocellular carcinomas.

METHODS

HepG2 and SK-Hep1 cell lines were used. And sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs was detected.

RESULTS

Mitochondrial human telomerase reverse transcriptase over-expression in hepatocellular carcinomas cells could significantly reduce its sensitivity to multiple chemotherapeutic drugs in vitro and in vivo. Hepatocellular carcinomas cells over-expressing mitochondrial human telomerase reverse transcriptase showed a significantly higher mitochondrial membrane potential, a markedly lower activated caspase-3 after drug treatment, and an increased mtDNA copy number, which explained the drastically decreased drug-induced apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinomas cells with mitochondrial human telomerase reverse transcriptase over-expression.

CONCLUSION

Over-expressed mitochondrial human telomerase reverse transcriptase may increase the mtDNA copy number and inhibit the activation of mitochondrial apoptotic pathway to contribute to the multidrug resistance of hepatocellular carcinomas cells.