CpG-ODN 7909 increases radiation sensitivity of radiation-resistant human lung adenocarcinoma cell line by overexpression of Toll-like receptor 9

Cancer Biother Radiopharm. 2013 Sep;28(7):559-64. doi: 10.1089/cbr.2012.1450. Epub 2013 May 24.

Abstract

Radioresistance is one of the main reasons for the failure of radiotherapy in lung cancer. The aim of this study was to establish a radiation-resistant lung cancer cell line, to evaluate whether CpG oligodeoxyribonucleotide (CpG-ODN) 7909 could increase its radiosensitivity and to explore the relevant mechanisms. The radioresistant cell line, referred to as R-A549, was generated by reduplicative fractionated irradiation from the human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549. The radioresistance of R-A549 cells were confirmed by the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), cell viability assay, and clonogenic assay. Cell growth kinetics, morphological feature, and radiosensitivity were compared between the original A549 cells and R-A549 cells treated with or without CpG-ODN 7909 or radiation. To further explore the potential mechanisms of radiosensitivity, the cell cycle distributions and the expression of Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR-9) were examined by Western blot and flow cytometry. The R-A549 cell line was generated and its radioresistance was further confirmed. CpG-ODN 7909 was found to increase much more radiosensitivity of R-A549 cells under combined treatments with CpG-ODN 7909 and radiation compared with its control group without any treatments. They presented their respective D0 1.33 ± 0.20 Gy versus 1.76 ± 0.25 Gy with N 3.44 ± 1.01 versus 4.96 ± 0.32. Further, there was a larger cell population of R-A549 cells under combined treatment in the G2/M phase compared with the control group after treatment with CpG-ODN7909 or radiation alone at 24 and 48 hour. The expression level of TLR-9 in R-A549 cells was found higher than in A549 cells. These results suggested that CpG-ODN 7909 increased the radiosensitivity of R-A549 cells, which might be mediated via the upregulated TLR-9 and prolonged cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase compared with A549 cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / drug therapy*
  • Adenocarcinoma / pathology
  • Adenocarcinoma / radiotherapy*
  • Adenocarcinoma of Lung
  • Cell Growth Processes / drug effects
  • Cell Growth Processes / radiation effects
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / radiation effects
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology
  • Lung Neoplasms / radiotherapy*
  • Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / pharmacology*
  • Radiation Dosage
  • Radiation Tolerance / drug effects
  • Radiation-Sensitizing Agents / pharmacology*
  • Survival Analysis

Substances

  • CPG-oligonucleotide
  • Oligodeoxyribonucleotides
  • Radiation-Sensitizing Agents