CD44 enhances adriamycin resistance in chronic myelogenous leukaemia cells K562

Int J Lab Hematol. 2021 Oct;43(5):983-989. doi: 10.1111/ijlh.13455. Epub 2021 Jan 7.

Abstract

Introduction: To investigate CD44 effects on the adriamycin-resistant in chronic myelogenous leukaemia cells K562, we explored the role of CD44 in the K562 cells migration and apoptosis.

Methods: GeneChip® screening is used for elucidating various chemoresistance-related gene expression in the adriamycin-resistant leukaemia cells K562/ADR. We constructed K562/CD44 cells by transfection of an EGFP-SV40-CD44 plasmid, and adriamycin-resistant ability was confirmed by detecting migration and apoptosis-related proteins and mRNA expression using Western blotting and Real-time PCR respectively.

Results: K562/CD44 cells were generated by the transfection of an EGFP-SV40-CD44 plasmid with high CD44 expression. mRNA expression levels of CD44 and P-glycoprotein (P-gp), along with the proliferation rate, were increased, while the apoptosis rate of K562/CD44 cells was decreased. Migration-associated proteins such as MMP-2 and MMP-9 were upregulated, whereas apoptosis-related protein Bax was downregulated and Bcl-2 protein was not significantly altered in the K562/CD44 cells.

Conclusions: CD44 might be involved in adriamycin resistance via regulation of P-gp, MMP-2, MMP-9, and Bcl-2/Bax.

Keywords: ADR; CD44; apoptosis; drug resistance; leukaemia.

MeSH terms

  • Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / pharmacology*
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Cell Movement / drug effects
  • Doxorubicin / pharmacology*
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Hyaluronan Receptors / genetics*
  • K562 Cells
  • Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / drug therapy*
  • Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / genetics

Substances

  • Antibiotics, Antineoplastic
  • CD44 protein, human
  • Hyaluronan Receptors
  • Doxorubicin