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Overexpression of Ulk2 inhibits proliferation and enhances chemosensitivity to cisplatin in non‑small cell lung cancer

  • Authors:
    • Hong Cheng
    • Ze‑Tian Yang
    • Yu‑Quan Bai
    • Yan‑Fei Cai
    • Jin‑Ping Zhao

  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: October 22, 2018     https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2018.9604
  • Pages: 79-86

  • Copyright: © Cheng et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

The aim of the present study was to examine the function of unc‑51 like autophagy activating kinase 2 (Ulk2) in non‑small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Western blotting was used to analyze the protein expression of Ulk2 in seven pairs of cancerous and adjacent non‑cancerous NSCLC specimens. Reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‑qPCR) analysis was used to determine the mRNA expression of Ulk2 in 20 pairs of tumor and adjacent normal tissues. Two NSCLC cell lines, A549 and H460, were transfected with an Ulk2 overexpression plasmid or empty vector; cell proliferation and chemosensitivity were measured using an MTT assay, and flow cytometry and western blotting were used to evaluate apoptosis. A nude mouse tumorigenesis experiment was used to assess tumor volume in vivo, using A549 cells stably overexpressing Ulk2 and control cells. The protein expression levels of Ulk2 were significantly lower in 6/7 (85.7%) cases of NSCLC compared with in non‑cancerous tissues, as determined by western blotting (P<0.05). The mRNA expression levels of Ulk2 were significantly lower in 16/20 (70.0%) NSCLC specimens compared with in non‑cancerous tissues, as revealed by RT‑qPCR (P<0.05). Overexpression of Ulk2 significantly inhibited the proliferation of A549 and H460 cells (P<0.05) and sensitized the NSCLC cell lines to cisplatin‑ and etoposide‑induced inhibition of proliferation, and to cisplatin‑induced apoptosis, with a significant difference identified compared with the control group (P<0.05). Overexpression of Ulk2 significantly increased basal autophagy levels in A549 and H460 cells (P<0.05). Thus, Ulk2‑induced enhanced chemosensitivity was suggested to be partly mediated through increased autophagy. The overexpression of Ulk2 significantly suppressed tumor volume in vivo (P<0.05). Overexpression of Ulk2 inhibits cancer cell proliferation and enhances chemosensitivity to cisplatin in NSCLC.
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January-2019
Volume 17 Issue 1

Print ISSN: 1792-1074
Online ISSN:1792-1082

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Spandidos Publications style
Cheng H, Yang ZT, Bai YQ, Cai YF and Zhao JP: Overexpression of Ulk2 inhibits proliferation and enhances chemosensitivity to cisplatin in non‑small cell lung cancer. Oncol Lett 17: 79-86, 2019.
APA
Cheng, H., Yang, Z., Bai, Y., Cai, Y., & Zhao, J. (2019). Overexpression of Ulk2 inhibits proliferation and enhances chemosensitivity to cisplatin in non‑small cell lung cancer. Oncology Letters, 17, 79-86. https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2018.9604
MLA
Cheng, H., Yang, Z., Bai, Y., Cai, Y., Zhao, J."Overexpression of Ulk2 inhibits proliferation and enhances chemosensitivity to cisplatin in non‑small cell lung cancer". Oncology Letters 17.1 (2019): 79-86.
Chicago
Cheng, H., Yang, Z., Bai, Y., Cai, Y., Zhao, J."Overexpression of Ulk2 inhibits proliferation and enhances chemosensitivity to cisplatin in non‑small cell lung cancer". Oncology Letters 17, no. 1 (2019): 79-86. https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2018.9604