BACKGROUNDAccumulating evidence demonstrates that the microenvironment of the host has an important effect on the chemoresistance of tumors. We also found that the formation of intrinsic multidrug resistance is related to environmental factors that are common with tumor growth of hepatocellular carcinoma. The aim of this study was to explore the molecular mechanisms by which multidrug resistance of hepatocellular carcinoma is induced by the microenvironment. In particular, the regulation of nuclear transcription factor (hypoxia-inducible factor-1α, HIF-1α) activation in the process of multidrug resistance formation was investigated.

METHODSHepG2 cells were exposed to different microenvironmental conditions respectively, such as hypoxia, stimulation of glucose deprivation and transfection of plasmid PcDNA3/HBx. In the HepG2 cells, the expression of the related MDR proteins, HIF-1α protein expression and localization, activity of extracellular signal-regulated kinase/mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK/MAPK) were detected. Specific inhibitor U0126 was used to block ERK/MAPK signal pathway, the alteration of HIF-1α and the related MDR proteins were investigated. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) repeated measures and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey test or t-test were used to determine differences over time and effects of the treatments.

RESULTSThe above three microenvironment factors increase the expression of the related MDR proteins (including P-gp, LRP, and MRP1) and induce MDR of HepG2 cells. HIF-1α was induced at the protein and mRNA levels and the nuclear translocation was also increased. The activity of ERK/MAPK was also increased in HepG2 cells. But when ERK/MAPK pathway was inhibited, the mRNA and protein expression of MDR1, MRP1, and LRP was to some extent decreased. Inhibition of ERK/MAPK significantly reduced activated HIF-1α protein and the nuclear translocation of HIF-1α, whereas HIF-1α mRNA levels were not affected.

CONCLUSIONSThe microenvironmental factors could induce MDR of HepG2 cells by the activity of HIF-1α. The activity of HIF-1α is regulated by the ERK/MAPK pathway at the phosphorylation level. As an important nuclear transcription factor, HIF-1α controls the transcription of MDR-related genes and the synthesis of their corresponding proteins by ERK/MAPK signal pathway in HepG2 cells.