BACKGROUNDIt has been known that vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) has the effect of promoting the growth of some malignant tumors, but its mechanism is not clear. The aim of this study is to use c-fos antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ASO) to block c-fos expression and to explore whether c-fos can directly regulate VIP-induced VEGF expression in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cells.

METHODSExpression levels of c-fos and VEGF genes were detected in SCLC cell line H446 treated with VIP by RT-PCR. After c-fos ASO was added to the H446 cells, the change of VEGF mRNA expression level was analyzed.

RESULTSAdministration of VIP resulted in increased expression of c-fos and VEGF mRNA in the H446 cells. The expression of c-fos mRNA reached the peak level at 2h and 4h after VIP treatment, which was significantly higher than that at 0h (P < 0.01). Whereas, the highest expression level of VEGF mRNA was observed at 8h and 16h after VIP treatment, which was significantly higher than that at 0h (P < 0.01). c-fos ASO significantly reversed VIP-induced upregulation of VEGF mRNA expression (P < 0.01)

CONCLUSIONSVIP can increase the expression and secretion of VEGF in lung cancer cells by activating the transcription factor c-fos, then promote the angiogenesis of lung cancer and thus play an important role in the pathogenesis of lung cancer.