OBJECTIVETo study the effects of hypoxia of different duration on movement and proliferation of human epidermal cell line HaCaT.

METHODS(1) HaCaT cells in logarithmic phase were cultured in RPMI 1640 medium containing 10% FBS (the same culture method below). Cells were divided into control group (routine culture) and hypoxia for 1, 3, 6 h groups according to the random number table (the same grouping method below), with 6 wells in each group. Cells in the 3 hypoxia groups were cultured in incubator containing 5% CO2, 2% O2, and 93% N2 (the same hypoxic condition below) for corresponding duration. Range of movement of cells in 3 hours was observed under live cell imaging workstation, and their curvilinear and rectilinear movement speeds were calculated at post observation hour (POH) 1, 2, 3. (2) HaCaT cells in logarithmic phase were divided into control group (routine culture) and hypoxia for 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 24 h groups, with 20 wells in each group. Cells in the 6 hypoxia groups were cultured under hypoxic condition for corresponding duration. Proliferation of cells was examined with cell counting kit and microplate reader (denoted as absorbance value). (3) HaCaT cells in logarithmic phase were divided into control group (routine culture) and hypoxia for 1, 3, 6, 24 h groups, with 5 wells in each group. Cells in the 4 hypoxia groups were cultured under hypoxic condition for corresponding duration. Protein expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was determined with Western blotting. Data were processed with one-way analysis of variance and Dunnett- t test.

RESULTS(1) Compared with that of control group, the movement area of cells was obviously expanded in hypoxia for 1, 3, 6 h groups. The longer the hypoxic treatment, the greater the increase was. At POH 1, 2, 3, the curvilinear movement speeds of cells in hypoxia for 1, 3, 6 h groups were respectively (43 ± 18), (44 ± 17), (43 ± 16) µm/h; (44 ± 16), (44 ± 14), (45 ± 14) µm/h; (55 ± 19), (54 ± 17), (56 ± 18) µm/h. They were significantly higher than those of control group [(33 ± 13), (33 ± 12), (33 ± 10) µm/h, with t values from 2.840 to 9.330, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01]. The curvilinear movement speed of cells was significantly higher in hypoxia for 6 h group than in hypoxia for 1 or 3 h group (with t values from 3.474 to 4.545, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in the curvilinear movement speed among the observation time points within each group (with F values from 0.012 to 0.195, P values above 0.05). At POH 1, the rectilinear movement speed of cells in hypoxia for 1 h group was (22 ± 11) µm/h, which was obviously higher than that of control group [(15 ± 10) µm/h, t = 2.697, P < 0.01]. At POH 1, 2, 3, rectilinear movement speeds of cells in hypoxia for 3 and 6 h groups were respectively (19 ± 14), (12 ± 8), (10 ± 6) µm/h; (32 ± 19), (21 ± 13), (17 ± 12) µm/h. They were significantly higher than those of control group [(9 ± 7) and (6 ± 5) µm/h at POH 2 and 3, with t values from 1.990 to 8.231, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01]. The rectilinear movement speed of cells in hypoxia for 6 h group was obviously higher than that of hypoxia for 1 or 3 h group (with t values from 3.394 to 6.008, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The rectilinear movement speed of cells in each group decreased at POH 2 or 3 in comparison with POH 1 (with t values from -8.208 to -4.232, P values below 0.01). The rectilinear movement speed of cells in control group at POH 3 was significantly different from that at POH 2 (t = -1.967, P < 0.05). (2) The proliferation levels of cells in control group and hypoxia for 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 24 h groups were respectively 1.11 ± 0.08, 1.36 ± 0.10, 1.39 ± 0.05, 1.38 ± 0.05, 1.10 ± 0.14, 1.06 ± 0.09, 0.99 ± 0.06 (F = 39.19, P < 0.01). Compared with that of control group, the rate of proliferation of cells was obviously increased in hypoxia for 1, 3, 6 h groups (with t values respectively 6.639, 7.403, 7.195, P values below 0.01), but obviously decreased in hypoxia for 24 h group (t = -3.136, P < 0.05). The proliferation of cells decreased in hypoxia for 9, 12, 24 h groups in comparison with hypoxia for 1, 3, 6 h groups (with t values from -10.538 to -6.775, P values below 0.01). (3) The protein expressions of PCNA of cells in control group and hypoxia for 1, 3, 6, 24 h groups were respectively 0.93 ± 0.12, 0.97 ± 0.14, 1.62 ± 0.18, 0.95 ± 0.09, 0.66 ± 0.21 (F = 20.11, P < 0.01). Compared with that of control group, the expression of PCNA was obviously increased in hypoxia for 1, 3, 6 h groups (with t values respectively 2.339, 5.783, 2.235, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), but obviously decreased in hypoxia for 24 h group (t = -1.998, P < 0.05). The protein expression of PCNA was higher in hypoxia for 3 h group than in hypoxia for 1 or 6 h group (with t values respectively 4.312 and 3.947, P values below 0.01), and it was increased in the 3 groups in comparison with that of hypoxia for 24 h group (with t values respectively 2.011, 6.193, 3.287, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSShort-time hypoxia (1, 3, 6 h) treatment can promote the movement and proliferation of HaCaT cells. Hypoxia for 6 h is the best condition to promote their movement, while hypoxia for 3 or 6 h is better for their proliferation.