Purpose: To study the role and therapeutic potential of acetyl-CoA-carboxylase-α (ACC) in the management of gastric cancer.
Methods: Expression of ACC in gastric cancer cell lines was determined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Lipofectamine 2000 reagent was used for transfection, while cell viability was determined by MTT assay. Apoptotic cell death was assayed with 4′, 6-diamidino-2- phenylindole (DAPI) and acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) staining. The proportion of apoptotic cells was estimated with Annexin V/PI staining. Wound healing and Transwell assays were employed to monitor cell migration and invasion, while protein expression was determined using western blotting.
Results: The results showed that ACC was significantly enhanced in SNU-1 gastric cancer cells (4.2- fold). Silencing of ACC in SNU-1 gastric cancer cells caused significant decrease in cell proliferation (p < 0.05). Electron microscopy examination showed that ACC silencing triggered autophagic cell death in SNU-1 cells, and increased expression of LC3 II. Results from DAPI and AO/EB assays demonstrated that ACC silencing also promoted apoptosis in SNU-1 gastric cancer cells. Annexin V/PI assay results revealed that apoptotic cell population increased from 2.7 to 13.8 % due to ACC silencing (p < 0.05). Moreover, Bax expression increased, while Bcl-2 expression decreased upon ACC silencing. Transwell assay results indicate that ACC silencing caused marked decrease in the invasion of the SNU-1 cells and downregulation of the expressions of MMP-2 and MMP-9 (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: ACC is likely to be an important therapeutic target for gastric cancer.
Protein kinase Cα promotes apoptotic cell death in gastric cancer cells depending upon loss of anchorage
