Reduced Autophagy in 5-Fluorouracil Resistant Colon Cancer Cells

• Published in: Biomolecules & therapeutics Vol. 25; no. 3; pp. 315 - 320
• Main Authors: Yao, Cheng Wen, Kang, Kyoung Ah, Piao, Mei Jing, Ryu, Yea Seong, Fernando, Pattage Madushan Dilhara Jayatissa, Oh, Min Chang, Park, Jeong Eon, Shilnikova, Kristina, Jeong, Seung Uk, Boo, Sun-Jin, Hyun, Jin Won
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) The Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology 01.05.2017; 한국응용약물학회
• Subjects: Original; 약학; Reactive oxygen species; Colon cancer; 5-Fluorouracil; SNUC5/5-FUR; Autophagy
• ISSN: 2005-4483; 1976-9148; 1976-9148; 2005-4483
• DOI: 10.4062/biomolther.2016.069

We investigated the role of autophagy in SNUC5/5-FUR, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) resistant SNUC5 colon cancer cells. SNUC5/5- FUR cells exhibited low level of autophagy, as determined by light microscopy, confocal microscopy, and flow cytometry following acridine orange staining, and the decreased level of GFP-LC3 puncta. In addition, expression of critical autophagic proteins such as Atg5, Beclin-1 and LC3-II and autophagic flux was diminished in SNUC5/5-FUR cells. Whereas production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was significantly elevated in SNUC5/5-FUR cells, treatment with the ROS inhibitor N-acetyl cysteine further reduced the level of autophagy. Taken together, these results indicate that decreased autophagy is linked to 5-FU resistance in SNUC5 colon cancer cells.