Inhibition of Src tyrosine kinase reverts chemoresistance toward 5-fluorouracil in human pancreatic carcinoma cells: an involvement of epidermal growth factor receptor signaling

Oncogene. 2008 Dec 4;27(57):7212-22. doi: 10.1038/onc.2008.326. Epub 2008 Sep 15.

Abstract

Resistance to chemotherapy is believed to be a major cause of treatment failure in pancreatic cancer. Thus, it is necessary to explore alternative therapeutic modalities to overcome drug resistance in pancreatic cancer treatment. We tested the hypothesis that Src tyrosine kinase inhibition could augment the chemosensitivity of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-resistant human pancreatic cancer cells to 5-FU. As detected by MTT proliferation assay, propidium iodide and annexin V staining, a combination of 5-FU+Src kinase inhibitor PP2 (4-amino-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-7-(t-butyl)pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine) reflected the chemotherapeutic sensitivity and restored the 5-FU-induced apoptosis in 5-FU-resistant cells. Furthermore, when small-interfering RNA approach to silence Src gene expression was applied, the degree of 5-FU-induced apoptosis was increased in all cell lines independently of the chemoresistance status. Western blotting and RT-PCR analysis revealed that the expression of thymidylate synthase (TS) was higher in 5-FU-resistant cells, however, decreased significantly after pretreatment with PP2. Furthermore, the combination of 5-FU+PP2 decreased the 5-FU-induced activation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-AKT pathway. Finally, PP2 in combination with 5-FU substantially decreased the in vivo tumor growth and inhibited distant metastases. Taken together, 5-FU chemoresistance can be reversed through indirect TS regulation by inhibiting Src tyrosine kinase. A potential mechanism of action of Src kinase inhibitors on 5-FU chemosensitivity might be linked to the inhibition of 5-FU-induced EGFR-AKT activation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / pharmacology*
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Blotting, Western
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / physiology*
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / administration & dosage
  • ErbB Receptors / metabolism*
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Fluorouracil / administration & dosage*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Pyrimidines / administration & dosage
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Signal Transduction / physiology
  • Thymidylate Synthase / drug effects
  • Thymidylate Synthase / metabolism
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
  • src-Family Kinases / metabolism*

Substances

  • AG 1879
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Pyrimidines
  • Thymidylate Synthase
  • ErbB Receptors
  • src-Family Kinases
  • Fluorouracil