Aim: To investigate the molecular mechanisms of miRNA in advanced gastric cancers (AGCs) before and after cytoreductive surgery (CRS) + hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC).
Methods: A miRNA microarray containing human mature and precursor miRNA sequences was used to compare expression profiles in serum samples of 5 patients with AGC before and after CRS + HIPEC. The upregulation of miR-218 was confirmed by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and its expression was analyzed in SGC7901 gastric cancer cells.
Results: miRNA microarray chip analysis found that the level of miR-218 expression was upregulated more than 8 fold after CRS + HIPEC. Furthermore, miR-218 increased gastric cancer cell chemosensitivity to cisplatin in vitro and inhibited gastric cell tumor growth in nude mice in vivo (0.5 vs 0.78, P < 0.05).
Conclusion: Our results indicated that targeting miR-218 may provide a strategy for blocking the development of gastric cancer and reverse the multi-drug resistance of gastric cell lines.
Keywords: Advanced gastric cancer; Cytoreductive surgery; Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy; MicroRNA; Multi-drug resistance; miR-218.