Effect of RNA inference mediated CXCR4 knockdown on metastasis of AsPC-1 cells

AIM: To explore the changes in proliferation, migration, and invasion of pancreatic cancer line AsPC-1 after CXCR4 is knocked down by RNA interference, and to validate the potential mechanism underlying these changes.

METHODS: AsPC-1 cells were transfected with recombinant lentivirus containing specific shRNA targeting CXCR-4 and included in an experimental group (LV-siCXCR4-1), whereas AsPC-1 cells treated with recombinant lentivirus containing scramble shRNA were used as a negative control (AsPC-1-LV-con). Besides, non-treated AsPC-1 cells were used as a blank control (AsPC-1). After cell cultures were treated with SDF-1α, cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro were analyzed, and expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2 and -9 were quantified.

RESULTS: Under the culture conditions with SFM or 10% normal calf serum, SDF-1α could stimulate the proliferation of AsPC-1 cells and AsPC-1-LV-Con cells (P < 0.01), but had no significant effect on the proliferation of AsPC-1-LV-siCXCR4-1 cells. SDF-1α displayed a promoting effect on the migration and invasion of AsPC-1 and AsPC-1-LV-Con cells (P < 0.01), but showed no significant effect in LV-siCXCR4-1 cells. In the presence of SDF-1α, the protein expression of MMP9 and VEGF in LV-siCXCR4-1 cells was less than that in AsPC-1-LV-Con cells (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION: RNA interference targeting CXCR-4 could significantly suppress excessive proliferation, migration and invasion of AsPC-1 cells induced by SDF-1α intervention, suggesting that CXCR4/SDF-1 axis contributes to proliferation, invasion and metastasis of pancreatic cancer. RNA interference could be used as a promising approach for therapy of pancreatic cancer.