Published online Feb 14, 2017. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v23.i6.986
Peer-review started: August 31, 2016
First decision: September 28, 2016
Revised: October 11, 2016
Accepted: October 27, 2016
Article in press: October 27, 2016
Published online: February 14, 2017
Processing time: 165 Days and 7.8 Hours
AIM
To clarify the mechanisms involved in the critical endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress initiating unfolded protein response pathway modified by melatonin.
METHODS
Hepatoma cells, HepG2, were cultured in vitro. Flow cytometry and TUNEL assay were used to measure HepG2 cell apoptosis. Western blotting and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction methods were used to determine the protein and messenger RNA levels of ER stress and apoptosis related genes’ expression, respectively. Tissue microarray construction from patients was verified by immunohistochemical analysis.
RESULTS
In the present study, we first identified that melatonin selectively blocked activating transcription factor 6 (ATF-6) and then inhibited cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression, leading to enhanced liver cancer cell apoptosis under ER stress condition. Dramatically increased CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein homologous protein level, suppressed COX-2 and decreased Bcl-2/Bax ratio by melatonin or ATF-6 siRNA contributed the enhanced HepG2 cell apoptosis under tunicamycin (an ER stress inducer) stimulation. In clinical hepatocellular carcinoma patients, the close relationship between ATF-6 and COX-2 was further confirmed.
CONCLUSION
These findings indicate that melatonin as a novel selective ATF-6 inhibitor can sensitize human hepatoma cells to ER stress inducing apoptosis.
Core tip: Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress plays an important role in tumor growth and resistance to treatment. Our previous studies have already shown that melatonin sensitizes the human hepatocellular carcinoma cell to ER stress-induced apoptosis and attenuates ER stress-induced doxorubicin resistance. In this study, we first identified that melatonin selectively blocked ER stress downstream activating transcription factor 6 (ATF-6) and then inhibited cyclooxygenase-2 expression, leading to enhanced liver cancer cell apoptosis under ER stress condition. Our findings indicate that melatonin as a novel selective ATF-6 inhibitor can sensitize human hepatoma cells to ER stress inducing apoptosis.