Ubenimex Reverses MDR in Gastric Cancer Cells by Activating Caspase-3-Mediated Apoptosis and Suppressing the Expression of Membrane Transport Proteins

Abstract

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most malignant tumors, accounting for 10% of deaths caused by all cancers. Chemotherapy is often necessary for treatment of GC; the FOLFOX regimen is extensively applied. However, multidrug resistance (MDR) of GC cells prevents wider application of this treatment. Ubenimex, an inhibitor of CD13, is used as an immune adjuvant to treat hematological malignancies. Here, we demonstrate that CD13 expression positively correlates with MDR development in GC cells. Moreover, Ubenimex reverses the MDR of SGC7901/X and MKN45/X cells and enhances their sensitivity to FOLFOX, in part by decreasing CD13 expression, which is accompanied by downregulation of Bcl-xl, Bcl-2, and survivin expression; increased expression of Bax; and activation of the caspase-3-mediated apoptotic cascade. In addition, Ubenimex downregulates expression of membrane transport proteins, such as P-gp and MRP1, by inhibiting phosphorylation in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway to increase intracellular accumulations of 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin, a process for which downregulation of CD13 expression is essential. Therefore, the present results reveal a previously uncharacterized function of CD13 in promoting MDR development in GC cells and suggest that Ubenimex is a candidate for reversing the MDR of GC cells.

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

1. Introduction

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fourth most serious cancer worldwide, and the second greatest cause of cancer-related death, next to lung cancer [1]. Surgery is the main treatment for GC, but late diagnoses are associated with advanced cancers, which tend to be metastatic after resection [2]. Chemotherapy, often utilized to treat GC, offers better outcomes than surgery alone [3]. Combined treatment of 5-fluorouracil and its derivatives, including paclitaxel and platinum compounds, is the first-line chemotherapy for GC. Among these, the FOLFOX regimen, comprised of 5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, and leucovorin, is often the primary choice of chemotherapy for GC due to its mild toxicity and better tolerance; it improves the median survival of patients, especially those with advanced GC [4–6]. However, application of the FOLFOX regimen for GC patients is hindered by multidrug resistance (MDR), for which tumor cells not only show resistance to a specific drug, but also are resistant to other drugs with different structures and mechanisms [7].

Apoptosis resistance, which contributes to the MDR in GC cells, is mainly manifested as the aberrant decrease of proapoptotic genes or overexpression of antiapoptotic proteins [8]. In GC cells, dysregulated expression of the B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family, including Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, and Bad, and inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs), represented as X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), livin, and survivin, followed by inactivation of the caspase-3 or caspase-8 pathway, are the main causes of apoptosis resistance induced by chemotherapeutic drugs [9–11].

Drug efflux, facilitated by membrane transport proteins, is associated with the development of MDR in GC cells [12]. Membrane transport proteins represented by the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transport superfamily, including P-glycoprotein (P-gp), multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP1), lung resistance protein (LRP), and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP/ABCG), pump out a variety of chemotherapeutic drugs to increase drug efflux and reduce intracellular concentrations, thereby inducing drug resistance in tumor cells [13]. Expression of the MDR1 gene encoding P-gp is upregulated in the chemoresistant GC cell line, SCG-7901/ADR, compared to that in parental SCG-7901 cells [14]. In addition, increased invasive depth and numbers of metastatic lymph nodes in GC specimens are tied to elevated expression of P-gp [15]. Further, after radical gastrectomy, MRP1 expression is used to guide selection of chemotherapeutic regimens, consistent with the positive association between MRP1 expression and drug susceptibility [16]. Protein levels of LRP are higher in GCs with high differentiation, compared to mucinous carcinomas with poorly differentiated cells, suggesting that LRP is necessary for development of MDR in GC cells. Moreover, LRP is aberrantly expressed in GC patients with chemotherapy treatment rather than in those without administration of chemotherapeutic drugs, suggesting that, in GC cells, it is involved in the formation of intrinsic chemoresistance [17].

In tumor cells, signaling pathways regulating cell proliferation are related to the development of MDR. In particular, aberrant activation of the phosphoinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) pathway promotes the development of chemoresistance in a variety of tumor cells, including GC cells [18] by phosphorylating substrates via tyrosine kinase receptors, such as mTOR, GSK-3β, and JNK [19]. Overactivation of the PI3K/AKT pathway in the gemcitabine-resistant ovarian cancer cell line, A2870CP, suppresses expression of AKT-inhibited apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1), resulting in the reduced expression of downstream JNK and p38 to induce MDR [20]. Drug resistance to adriamycin, paclitaxel, and 5-fluorouracil mediated by the Ras protein in the breast cancer cell line, MCF-7, is related to the increased activity of p-PI3K and p-AKT [21]. In K562 cells, resveratrol inhibits the PI3K/AKT pathway to reduce the expression of P-gp and BCRP2 and reverses MDR [22]. However, how the PI3K/AKT pathway causes MDR in GC cells is unclear.

CD13, also called aminopeptidase N (APN), is a transmembrane glycoprotein with metalloproteinase activity; it is involved in tumor angiogenesis and adhesion [23]. Ubenimex, the only CD13 inhibitor available, has been used as an immunomodulating adjuvant for treating hematological malignancies; it enhances the killing activity of T- or B-lymphocytes and natural killer cells, but this effect is not related to the regulation of CD13 activity or expression [24, 25]. The application of Ubenimex for treatment of GC has not been reported.

Herein, our findings showed that, for GC cells, there was a positive correlation between CD13 expression and MDR. Furthermore, Ubenimex reversed MDR in SGC7901/X and MKN45/X cells and enhanced cell sensitivity to the FOLFOX regimen via inhibiting CD13 expression. Ubenimex-dependent ablation of CD13 downregulated expression of antiapoptotic proteins, including Bcl-xl, Bcl-2, and survivin, and upregulated expression of the proapoptotic protein, Bax. Accordingly, in MDR GC cells, Ubenimex activated the caspase-3-mediated cascade to promote FOLFOX-induced apoptosis. In addition, via decreasing CD13 expression, Ubenimex inhibited phosphorylation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway to downregulate P-gp and MRP1 expression, thus increasing intracellular accumulation of 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin in MDR GC cells. Our findings suggest that Ubenimex provides a new strategy for the treatment of chemoresistant GC.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Cell Culture

The human GC cell line SGC7901 was purchased from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC), and MKN45 cells were obtained from the Cell Bank of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Shanghai, China). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated by Ficoll-Hypaque density gradient centrifugation (Amersham Pharmacia Biotech) of heparinized venous blood obtained from healthy volunteer donors at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University (Qingdao, China), under the National Regulation of Clinical Sampling in China. Cells were maintained in RPMI 1640 culture medium (GIBCO/BRL) supplemented with 10% heat-inactivated FBS at 37°C in a humidified atmosphere with 5% CO₂.

2.2. Reagents

Ubenimex was purchased from Shenzhen Main Luck Pharmaceutical, Inc. (Shenzhen, China). 5-Fluorouracil and leucovorin were purchased from Xudong Haipu Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Shanghai, China). Cisplatin and oxaliplatin were obtained from Qilu Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Jinan, China). Rabbit anti-human CD13, Bcl-xl, Bcl-2, and Bax monoclonal antibodies were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich (St. Louis, MO). Rabbit anti-human monoclonal antibodies for XIAP, livin, and survivin were obtained from Abcam (Cambridge, UK). Rabbit anti-human antibodies for Smac, caspase-3, caspase-8, cleaved caspase-3, and cleaved caspase-8 and horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-conjugated AffiniPure goat anti-rabbit IgG (H+L) were acquired from Santa Cruz Biotechnology (Chicago, USA). Rabbit anti-human antibodies against P-gp, MRP1, ABCG2, LRP, PI3K(P85), p-PI3K(p-P85), AKT, p-AKT, GSK-3β, p-GSK-3β, JNK, p-JNK, mTOR, p-mTOR, and PE-conjugated cytochrome c (Cyto-C) mAb were obtained from Cell Signaling Technology (Danvers, MA).

2.3. Tissue Specimens

Normal stomach tissues (nonneoplastic disease) and tissue samples from GC patients (45 males and 75 females, age range 35–78) were obtained from the Affiliate Hospital of Qingdao University (Qingdao, China) under the National Regulation of Clinical Sampling in China. These gastric surgical specimens were classified according to the receipt of chemotherapy (n=65 receiving chemotherapy with the FOLFOX regimen; n=55 without receiving chemotherapy). All tissue specimens were preserved in liquid nitrogen for western blot analysis or postfixed with neutral formaldehyde solution followed by paraffin embedding for immunohistochemical staining. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, and informed written consent was obtained from each patient.

2.4. Establishment of Human MDR GC Cell Lines

SGC7901 and MKN45 cells in the logarithmic growth phase were seeded in cell culture at a concentration of 1 × 10⁵ cells/mL. Once cells had adhered and grown to approximately 70–90% confluency, a culture medium containing 5-fluorouracil (2 μg/mL) or oxaliplatin (0.1 μg/mL) was added. 12 hours later, cell debris was discarded, and surviving cells (1 × 10⁶/mL) were treated with drug-free culture medium. After cells grew to 70–80% confluence, drug-containing culture medium with the same concentration was added repeatedly. The above steps were repeated over seven months until induction of MDR in cells (designated SGC7901/X and MKN45/X) was confirmed.

2.5. Construction of pTZU-CD13-shRNA and pEGFP-N1-CD13 Plasmid

siRNA duplexes consisting of a base sequence targeting human CD13 mRNA and loop base rings were designed using BLOCK-iT RNAi Designer. Single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) were synthesized with BamHI and EcoRI overhanging ends by Sangon Biotech Co., Ltd. (Shanghai, China). The shRNA template sequences are shown in Supplementary Table S1. Annealed top and bottom ODNs were mixed and then placed in a PCR instrument to synthesize shRNA templates at 95°C for 30 s, 72°C for 2 min, 37°C for 2 min, and 25°C for 2 min.

The pTZU6+1 plasmid was digested with BamHI and HindIII restriction enzymes and recovered by 0.8% agarose gel electrophoresis. shRNA templates were reacted with pTZU6+1 plasmid via T4 NDA ligase. The pTZU-shRNAs were transformed into DH5α Escherichia coli, and all clones were sent for sequencing to confirm correct insertion of the target sequence.

For construction of the overexpression plasmid, pEGFP-N1-CD13, we searched for the coding sequence of human CD13 in Genbank and designed PCR primers with SacI and AgeI overhangs. The coding sequence of CD13 is presented in Supplementary Table S2. CD13 cDNAs from PBMCs were amplified by PCR. Construction of the overexpression plasmid, pEGFP-N1-CD13, was performed according to methods previously described [26].

These plasmids were transfected into cells for 24 h using Lipofectamine™ 3000 Transfection Reagent (Invitrogen) according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

2.6. Evaluation of Drug Resistance

MDR GC cells were treated with pTZU-CD13-shRNA or the combination of Ubenimex (400 μmol/L) and pEGFP-N1-CD13 for 24 h. Then, MDR GC cells and their parental cells were treated with culture medium containing various concentrations of 5-fluorouracil (200, 100, 50, 25, 12.5, and 6.25 μg/mL), or cisplatin or oxaliplatin (0.4, 0.8, 1.6, 3.2, 6.4, and 12.8 μg/mL). After 48 hours, the cells were cultured in drug-free medium (100 μL) and Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) (10 μL) for another 4 h. Absorbance of cells at 450 nm was read by a microplate reader (Bio-Rad, USA). IC50 values, also known as half-maximal inhibitory concentrations, and resistance indices (RIs) were calculated according to previously described equations [26].

2.7. Cell Sensitivity Assays

MDR GC cells were treated or untreated with Ubenimex (400 μmol/L) and/or indicated plasmids for 24 h. Then they were collected and seeded into 96-well culture plates at a concentration of 1 × 10⁴ cells/mL. After the cells were attached to the plate walls, they were incubated with the FOLFOX regimen, containing 5-fluorouracil (10 μmol/L), oxaliplatin (5 μmol/L), and leucovorin (5 μmol/L), followed by incubation for 0-72 h. Finally, CCK-8 reagent (10 μL) was added for another 2 h of incubation, and absorbance of cells at 450 nm was read. Growth curves were drawn to assess cell sensitivity towards the FOLFOX regimen.

2.8. Immunohistochemistry Assays

Tissue specimens were serially sectioned at 4-μm thickness and fixed in Bouin’s solution for 10 min; subsequently, they were blocked in calf serum (20 g/L) for 1 h. The sections were stained with a primary antibody against CD13 at a dilution of 1:500 at 4°C overnight, followed by incubation with HRP-conjugated secondary antibody (1:100 dilution) for 1 hour at room temperature. Finally, these tissue sections were incubated in diaminobenzidine solution at 37°C for 15 min, followed by redyeing, dehydration, xylene dispersion, and slide mounting; they were then observed under a light microscope. Image-Pro Plus V6.0 software was used for image analysis. Brown or brownish-yellow particles were considered positive, and scores were obtained according to the percentage of colored particles per field of view. A score of 0 represented < 5% positive staining (negative, −); a score of 1 represented 5–15% positive staining (weak positive, +); a score of 2 represented 15–40% positive staining (moderate positive, ++); a score of 3 represented 40–65% positive staining; and a score of 4 represented >65% positive staining. Scores of 3 and higher were considered strong positive (+++).

2.9. Western Blot Analysis

Cell or tissue lysates were prepared using a total protein extraction reagent (Proteintech). The protein samples were resolved by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and transferred to nitrocellulose membranes (Millipore). The membranes were blocked in Tris-buffered saline with 5% (w/v) nonfat dry milk and then incubated with primary antibodies overnight at 4°C, followed by exposure to HRP-conjugated secondary antibody for 1 hour at room temperature. Immunoreactive proteins were visualized by the ChemiDoc™ XRS+ System (Bio-Rad).

2.10. Accumulation of Chemotherapeutic Drugs

MDR GC cells were treated with Ubenimex and the pEGFP-N1-CD13 plasmid for 24 h and then were exposed to FOLFOX for another 6 h. Cells were suspended in ice-cold PBS, followed by lysis buffer (300 μL) (Beyotime). After incubation at 37°C for 5 min, the intracellular accumulations of 5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, and leucovorin were determined by LC-MS/MS (Agilent Technologies, US).

2.11. Immunoprecipitation Assays

MDR GC cells were treated with Ubenimex (400 μmol/L) for 24 h and were harvested and lysed on ice. Then, cell supernatant (20 μL) was incubated with G-Sepharose at room temperature for 2 h. The mixture was centrifuged to precipitate the agarose beads, which were washed with lysis buffer. Beads were mixed with 1× loading buffer (20 μL), followed by heating at 100°C for 5 min to collect the supernatant. Western blot assays were used to determine whether proteins in the supernatant coprecipitated with mTOR.

2.12. Release and Detection of Cyto-C

MDR GC cells were treated with a combination of Ubenimex and the pEGFP-N1-CD13 plasmid for 24 h and then exposed to FOLFOX. At 24 or 48 h later, cells were collected and suspended in Hanks solution (Sigma-Aldrich), followed by incubation with fluorescent-labeled Cyto-C antibodies (2 μL) at 4°C for 1 h. All stained cells were analyzed with a flow cytometer, and the data were processed with WinMDI 2.9 software (Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA).

2.13. Apoptosis Detection by the TUNEL Method

MDR GC cells were treated with Ubenimex in the presence or absence of the pEGFP-N1-CD13 plasmid for 24 h and were treated with FOLFOX for another 24 or 48 h. Collected cells were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde for 1 h. These cells were washed and incubated with 0.1% Triton X-100 on ice for 2 min, followed by TUNEL assay reagent (20 μL) at 37°C for 60 min. As observed under a fluorescent microscope, the percentage of apoptotic cells staining with red fluorescence was quantified by Image-Pro Plus V6.0 software.

2.14. Statistical Analyses

Statistical analyses were performed with the paired Student t-test (two samples) and one-way ANOVA (multiple comparisons). Data were analyzed by SPSS 18.0 (SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA). Experiments were repeated three or more times, and test results were expressed as means ± SD, ${}^{\ast }\mathrm{P}$ values < 0.05 or ${}^{\ast \ast }\mathrm{P}$ values < 0.01 were considered to be significant.

3. Results

3.1. CD13 Expression Positively Correlates with MDR Formation in GC Cells

CD13 is upregulated in GCs [27]; however, an association between CD13 expression and chemoresistance of GC cells has not been shown. In this study, immunohistochemistry results demonstrated that various grades of expression of CD13 were present in tissue samples from the 120 GC patients (Table 1). Furthermore, CD13 expression in GCs of patients after chemotherapy was elevated relative to that in patients who received no chemotherapy (Figure 1(a)). These findings were verified by western blotting (Figure 1(b)).

Table 1

The CD13 expression and the clinicopathological features of GC patients.

CD13 expression
Clinico-pathological features	N	-	+	++	+++	PR(%)	P value
Age
≤50 years	55	18	15	15	7	67.2	0.76 ${}^{\#}\hspace{0.17em}$
>50 years	65	19	10	23	13	70.7
Gender							0.67 ${}^{\#}\hspace{0.17em}$
Male	56	20	15	15	12	73.3
Female	64	17	10	23	8	67.3
Tumor Differentiation							0.64 ${}^{\#}\hspace{0.17em}$
Well	46	17	10	11	8	65.6
Moderately	36	9	8	14	5	75.6
Poor	38	11	7	13	7	71.0
Tumor Location							0.53 ${}^{\#}\hspace{0.17em}$
Proximal	51	14	12	16	9	72.5
Distal	69	23	13	22	11	66.7
Clinical stages							0.46 ${}^{\#}\hspace{0.17em}$
T1- T2	63	17	12	26	8	71.4
T3- T4	57	20	13	12	12	64.6
Nodal Metastasis							0.013 ${}^{\ast \ast }\hspace{0.17em}$
N0	62	12	14	20	16	80.8
N1-N3	58	25	11	18	4	56.9
Application of FOLFOX							0.009 ${}^{\ast \ast }\hspace{0.17em}$
Yes	65	9	6	31	19	86.1
No	55	28	19	7	1	49.0

PR(%): positive rate.

χ2 test was adopted to evaluate association between the clinical parameters with CD13 expression in GC patients. ${\hspace{0.17em}}_{}^{\ast }$ P < 0.05, ${\hspace{0.17em}}_{}^{\ast \ast }$ P<0.01, and ${\hspace{0.17em}}_{}^{\#}$ P > 0.05.

[figures omitted; refer to PDF]

To determine if high expression of CD13 is associated with MDR in GC cells, we applied increasing concentrations of oxaliplatin and 5-fluorouracil to acquire the human MDR GC cell lines, SGC7901/X and MKN45/X. To assess the MDR of GC cells, we used the CCK-8 method to derive the IC50 values and RIs for SGC7901/X cells towards 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin, and oxaliplatin. The IC50 values for SGC7901/X and MKN45/X cells were higher relative to the parental cells, with corresponding RIs ranging from 8.34 to 20.81 and 6.26 to 21.65, respectively (Supplementary Table S3). The protein expressions of LRP, P-gp, MRP1, and ABCG2 were also upregulated in MDR GC cells (Figure 1(c)), suggesting that SGC7901/X and MKN45/X cells had acquired stable drug resistance. Moreover, western blotting assays showed that SGC7901/X and MKN45/X cells had a greater abundance of CD13 protein than their parental cells (Figure 1(d)). To examine the relationship between CD13 expression and the MDR of GC cells, we constructed the pTZU-CD13-shRNA plasmid to silence CD13 mRNA and assessed its effects on drug sensitivity of MDR GC cells. Application of the pTZU-CD13-shRNA plasmid reduced the IC50 values and RIs for SGC7901/X and MKN45/X cells treated with chemotherapeutic drugs (Tables 2 and 3). These results suggested that in GC cells CD13 participates in the development of MDR.

Table 2

The effect of CD13 silencing on the IC50 values and RIs for SGC7901/X cells after treatment with chemotherapeutic drugs for 24 h.

Drugs	SGC7901IC50 (ug/ml)	SGC7901/X+pTZU6+1		SGC7901/X+ pTZU-CD13-shRNA
		IC50(ug/ml)	RI	IC50(ug/ml)	RI
5-fluorouracil	22.6±0.1	188.1±0.3	8.3±0.3	75.4±0.3 ${}^{\ast \ast }\hspace{0.17em}$	3.7±0.2 ${}^{\ast \ast }\hspace{0.17em}$
Cisplatin	1.25±0.01	20.1±0.2	18.8±0.1	10.23±0.1 ${}^{\ast \ast }\hspace{0.17em}$	8.13±0.2 ${}^{\ast \ast }\hspace{0.17em}$
Oxaliplatin	0.42±0.02	8.51±0.1	21.31±0.2	4.53±0.1 ${}^{\ast \ast }\hspace{0.17em}$	10.8±0.1 ${}^{\ast \ast }\hspace{0.17em}$

IC50 values and RIs were determined by the CCK-8 method. Data are expressed as means ± SD from three independent experiments. ${\hspace{0.17em}}_{}^{\ast \ast }$ P<0.01 versus 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin, and oxaliplatin without pTZU-CD13-shRNA transfection.

Table 3

The effect of CD13 silencing on the IC50 values and RIs for MKN45/X cells after treatment with chemotherapeutic drugs for 24 h.

Drugs	MKN45IC50 (ug/ml)	MKN45/X +pTZU6+1		MKN45/X+ pTZU-CD13-shRNA
		IC50(ug/ml)	RI	IC50(ug/ml)	RI
5-fluorouracil	20.54±0.02	147.91±0.02	7.20±0.01	80.24±0.1 ${}^{\ast \ast }\hspace{0.17em}$	3.90±0.2 ${}^{\ast }\hspace{0.17em}$
Cisplatin	0.41±0.01	8.30±0.02	20.05±0.02	3.13±0.1 ${}^{\ast \ast }\hspace{0.17em}$	7.63±0.1 ${}^{\ast \ast }\hspace{0.17em}$
Oxaliplatin	18.94±0.01	125.72±0.01	6.63±0.01	70.23±0.1 ${}^{\ast \ast }\hspace{0.17em}$	3.73±0.1 ${}^{\ast }\hspace{0.17em}$

IC50 values and RIs were determined by the CCK-8 method. Data are expressed as means ± SD from three independent experiments. ${\hspace{0.17em}}_{}^{\ast }$ P<0.05 and ${\hspace{0.17em}}_{}^{\ast \ast }$ P<0.01 versus 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin, and oxaliplatin without pTZU-CD13-shRNA transfection.

3.2. Ubenimex Reverses MDR of GC Cells by Decreasing CD13 Expression

As an inhibitor of CD13, Ubenimex induces immune activation by stimulating CD3⁺CD4⁺ T lymphocytes and CD16⁺CD56⁺ NK cells [28]. However, there is no report on the application of Ubenimex for the treatment of GC, or for the reversal of MDR in GC cells. Ubenimex reduced drug IC50 values and RIs for SGC7901/X and MKN45/X cells; however, the reversal on MDR mediated by Ubenimex was abolished after endogenous CD13 was overexpressed via transfection of the pEGFP-N1-CD13 plasmid (Tables 4 and 5). Consistent with this, Ubenimex enhanced the chemosensitivity of SGC7901/X and MKN45/X cells but, after CD13 was overexpressed, did not make MDR GC cells sensitive to FOLFOX (Figures 2(a) and 2(b)). Based on these findings, we speculated that Ubenimex exerts its function on GC cells via targeting CD13 expression. In line with this hypothesis, Ubenimex suppressed CD13 expression in SGC7901/X and MKN45/X cells (Figure 2(c)). Therefore, Ubenimex may be a promising agent for reversing MDR in GC cells and for enhancing their chemosensitivity to the FOLFOX regimen, for which ablation of CD13 expression is essential.

Table 4

The effect of Ubenimex on the IC50 values and RIs of SGC7901/X cells in the presence or absence of pEGFP-N1-CD13 plasmid for 24h.

Drugs	SGC7901/X		SGC7901/X+ Ubenimex		SGC7901/X+ Ubenimex/pEGFP-N1-CD13
	IC50(ug/ml)	RI	IC50(ug/ml)	RI	IC50(ug/ml)	RI
5-fluorouracil	189.1±0.1	8.32±0.3	68.4±0.3 ${}^{\ast \ast }\hspace{0.17em}$	3.1±0.2 ${}^{\ast \ast }\hspace{0.17em}$	190.4±1.1 ${}^{\#}\hspace{0.17em}$	11.2±0.3 ${}^{\#}\hspace{0.17em}$
Cisplatin	21.1±0.2	17.18±0.1	8.76±0.1 ${}^{\ast \ast }\hspace{0.17em}$	7.4±0.2 ${}^{\ast \ast }\hspace{0.17em}$	25.4±1.5 ${}^{\#}\hspace{0.17em}$	16.4±1.2 ${}^{\#}\hspace{0.17em}$
Oxaliplatin	8.4±0.1	20.41±0.2	2.99±0.3 ${}^{\ast \ast }\hspace{0.17em}$	7.2±0.1 ${}^{\ast \ast }\hspace{0.17em}$	10.9±1.7 ${}^{\#}\hspace{0.17em}$	21.2±0.1 ${}^{\#}\hspace{0.17em}$

IC50 values and RI were determined by the CCK-8 method. Data are expressed as means ±SD. ${\hspace{0.17em}}^{\ast \ast }$ P<0.01 versus 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin, and oxaliplatin without Ubenimex. ${\hspace{0.17em}}^{\#}$ P>0.05 versus 5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, and cisplatin with the pEGFP-N1-CD13 plasmid stimulation.

Table 5

The effect of Ubenimex on the IC50 values and RIs of MKN45/X cells in the presence or absence of pEGFP-N1-CD13 plasmid for 24h.

Drugs	MKN45/X		MKN45/X + Ubenimex		MKN45/X+ Ubenimex/pEGFP-N1-CD13
	IC50(ug/ml)	RI	IC50(ug/ml)	RI	IC50(ug/ml)	RI
5-fluorouracil	146.31±0.02	7.07±0.01	78.14±0.3 ${}^{\ast \ast }\hspace{0.17em}$	3.8±0.2 ${}^{\ast }\hspace{0.17em}$	131.15±1.1 ${}^{\#}\hspace{0.17em}$	6.58±0.1 ${}^{\#}\hspace{0.17em}$
Cisplatin	8.43±0.01	22.18±0.02	3.09±0.1 ${}^{\ast \ast }\hspace{0.17em}$	7.53±0.2 ${}^{\ast \ast }\hspace{0.17em}$	8.04±1.5 ${}^{\#}\hspace{0.17em}$	19.1±0.2 ${}^{\#}\hspace{0.17em}$
Oxaliplatin	126.22±0.01	6.36±0.01	65.32±0.3 ${}^{\ast \ast }\hspace{0.17em}$	3.44±0.1 ${}^{\ast }\hspace{0.17em}$	110.19±1.7 ${}^{\#}\hspace{0.17em}$	5.92±0.1 ${}^{\#}\hspace{0.17em}$

IC50 values and RI were determined by the CCK-8 method. Data are expressed as means ±SD. ${\hspace{0.17em}}^{\ast \ast }$ P<0.01 versus 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin, and oxaliplatin without Ubenimex. ${\hspace{0.17em}}^{\#}$ P>0.05 versus 5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, and cisplatin with the pEGFP-N1-CD13 plasmid stimulation.

[figures omitted; refer to PDF]

3.3. Downregulation of CD13 Expression by Ubenimex Promotes FOLFOX-Induced Apoptosis in GC Cells

To investigate the mechanism by which Ubenimex reverses the MDR of GC cells, we evaluated its effect on drug-induced tumor cell apoptosis. TUNEL staining demonstrated that Ubenimex promoted FOLFOX-induced apoptosis in SGC7901/X and MKN45/X cells in a time-dependent manner; however, this effect of Ubenimex was not evident in SGC7901/X cells after transfection with the pEGFP-N1-CD13 plasmid (Figures 3(a) and 3(b)).

[figures omitted; refer to PDF]

We assessed the effects of Ubenimex on the expression of apoptosis-related proteins. Ubenimex reversed the elevated expression of Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, and survivin, but upregulated Bax expression in SGC7901/X cells, relative to their parental cells. However, the effects of Ubenimex towards apoptosis-related proteins were reversed after overexpression of CD13 (Figure 3(c)). Similar results were obtained for MKN45/X cells (Figure 3(d)). Cyto-C, a proapoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family, is present in the cytosol and in mitochondria [29]. After Ubenimex exposure, the release of Cyto-C was elevated in FOLFOX-treated SGC7901/X and MKN45/X cells, but the effects were largely reversed by overexpression of CD13 (Figures 3(e) and 3(f)). The activity of IAPs is blocked by second mitochondrial activator of caspase (Smac) but stimulated by proapoptotic factors; furthermore, activation of caspases is a final step in triggering apoptosis [30]. Our findings showed that, in FOLFOX-treated MDR GC cells treated with Ubenimex, the expressions of Smac and total and cleaved caspase-3 were increased, but caspase-8 expression was not changed (Figures 3(g) and 3(h)). However, the upregulation of apoptotic effectors and activation of apoptosis-related cascades mediated by Ubenimex were offset after transfection with the pEGFP-N1-CD13 plasmid (Figures 3(g) and 3(h)). Thus, by inhibiting CD13 expression in MDR GC cells, Ubenimex facilitates apoptosis in response to chemotherapeutic drugs. Particularly, regulation of aberrant expression of apoptosis-related proteins and activation of the apoptotic cascade mediated by caspase-3 were involved in this process.

3.4. Reduced Expression of CD13 Mediated by Ubenimex Lowers the Protein Levels of P-gp and MRP1 in GC Cells

A previous study showed that, for patients with advanced GC, the expressions of P-gp and MRP1 are higher in drug-resistant groups, compared with drug-sensitive groups [31]. Although there is no appreciable expression of P-gp and MRP1 in the mitoxantrone-induced resistant GC cell line EPG85-257, ABCG2 is aberrantly expressed relative to that in parental cells [32]. These results indicate that differential expressions of membrane transport proteins are associated with MDR and chemosensitivity of GC cells. Consistent with these results, for MDR GC cells, Ubenimex reduced the protein levels of P-gp and MRP1, but had no obvious effect on LRP and ABCG2 expression (Figures 4(a) and 4(b)). Furthermore, after Ubenimex treatment of SGC7901/X and MKN45/X cells, the components of the FOLFOX regimen, 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin, had elevated intracellular accumulation, but the concentrations of leucovorin were not changed appreciably (Figures 4(c) and 4(d)). However, downregulation of P-gp and MRP1 expression and the higher intracellular concentrations of chemotherapeutic drugs were reduced by transfection of the pEGFP-N1-CD13 plasmid (Figure 4). These results suggest that Ubenimex inhibits the expression of MDR-associated proteins, including P-gp and MRP1, to increase drug accumulation in GC cells, for which low expression of CD13 is required.

[figures omitted; refer to PDF]

3.5. Ubenimex Inhibits Activity of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathway via Suppressing CD13 Expression to Downregulate P-gp and MRP1 Expression

To explore the mechanisms involved in downregulation of the expression of membrane transport proteins mediated by Ubenimex, we examined the effects of Ubenimex on the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway of GC cells. p-PI3K and p-AKT expressions were downregulated in SGC7901/X and MKN45/X cells treated with Ubenimex (Figures 5(a) and 5(b)), suggesting that Ubenimex inhibits phosphorylation of elements in the PI3K/AKT pathway.

[figures omitted; refer to PDF]

The PI3K/AKT pathway is involved in internal cell signaling, primarily through linker molecules, including mTOR, GSK-3, and JNK [19]. Our results demonstrated that expression of p-mTOR, the activated form of mTOR, was downregulated; however, Ubenimex did not affect the total or phosphorylated expression of GSK-3β or JNK in SGC7901/X and MKN45/X cells (Figures 5(a) and 5(b)). As a binding receptor of the PI3K/AKT pathway, GSK-3β exhibits serine/threonine kinase activity by phosphorylating various substrates that, in colon cancer cells, promote cell proliferation and increase gemcitabine chemoresistance [33]. Notably, activation of the AKT/Gsk-3β/β-catenin pathway may contribute to gemcitabine resistance of human pancreatic cancer cells, in which the MDR1 gene acts downstream of β-catenin, and P-gp expression is upregulated [34, 35]. Hence, we hypothesized that, like Gsk-3β, mTOR relates to the expression of MDR-associated proteins. Immunoprecipitation experiments confirmed that, after exposure of MDR GC cells to Ubenimex, the mTOR and MRP1 proteins colocalized to the cytoplasm (Figure 5(c)); furthermore, in Ubenimex-treated SGC7901/X and MKN45/X cells, mTOR bound to P-gp (Figure 5(d)). These results indicated that, via a direct interaction, Ubenimex inhibits activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway to downregulate expression of P-gp and MRP1.

4. Discussion

GC is a common cancer with a high incidence and mortality [32]. Due to late diagnoses, resection is often a temporary treatment; instead, combinations of chemotherapeutic drugs are often used to prolong life expectancy. However, clinical practice has shown that, due to MDR, GCs are less sensitive to chemotherapeutic drugs than many other cancers. Therefore, for GC cells, identification of upstream mechanisms that regulate MDR and agents that reverse MDR is an emergent issue.

Although stem cell characteristics and transformation of epithelial cells into mesenchymal cells may be responsible for the MDR in GC cells [36], overexpression of membrane transport proteins and apoptosis resistance must be overcome for reversal of the drug resistance of GC cells. Accordingly, a variety of genes and molecules involved in regulation of these two pathways that promote MDR of GC cells, especially protooncogenes and micro-RNAs, have been found. For instance, during apoptosis of GC cells, mutation and deactivation of the tumor suppressor gene p53 enhance DNA repair, reducing adriamycin and 5-fluorouracil based chemosensitivity [37]. Decreases of miR143, miR449, and miR503 expression activate antiapoptotic proteins of the Bcl-2 family, promoting resistance towards cisplatin and etoposide [38–40]. miR-508-5p targets the 3’UTR of the zinc finger domain in the transport protein, ABCB1, thereby inhibiting its expression; however, miR-508-5p expression is reduced in SGC7901 cells treated with 5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, and doxorubicin [41].

CD13 induces stem cell characteristics and MDR of hepatoma cells, and CD13⁺ cells in liver cancer transplants show higher proliferation and greater resistance to doxorubicin and 5-fluorouracil than CD13⁻ cells [42, 43]. These findings raise the possibility that in tumor cells CD13 expression regulates MDR. Consistent with this possibility, we demonstrated that CD13 expression was evident in GC tissues, but not in normal controls. Further studies affirmed that CD13 was expressed at higher levels in tissue samples from the GC patients who received chemotherapy. These findings were verified with GC cell lines; CD13 expression in MDR GC cells was higher than that in their parental cells. Moreover, for MDR GC cells, silencing of CD13 expression by the pTZU-CD13-shRNA plasmid reduced IC50 values and RIs. Thus, our results show that, in GC cells, CD13 is associated with MDR.

Based on these findings, we confirmed that Ubenimex decreased the IC50 values and RIs for SGC7901/X and MKN45/X cells to chemotherapeutic drugs and enhanced chemosensitivity of MDR GC cells to the FOLFOX regimen, for which ablation of CD13 expression is essential. Based on these results, we consider that, as a chemotherapeutic adjuvant, Ubenimex reverses MDR in GC cells by targeting CD13 and increasing GC sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs.

The apoptosis of GC cells is mainly mediated by mitochondria and regulated by the Bcl-2 family and the IAPs. The former includes proapoptotic proteins and antiapoptotic proteins; the latter is involved in inhibition of cell apoptosis [44]. The proapoptotic proteins in the Bcl-2 family promote the release of Cyto-C from mitochondria by altering permeability of the mitochondrial membrane, and IAPs, especially XIAP and survivin, inhibit the release of Smac [30]. Competition between the factors determines if there is activation of a cascade of the caspase family, particularly splicing and maturation of caspase-3 or caspase-8, thereby inducing tumor cell apoptosis [45]. The present studies showed that, by inhibiting CD13 expression in GC cells, Ubenimex promoted FOLFOX-induced apoptosis in which the expression of apoptosis-related proteins is changed. Notably, expression of anti-apoptotic proteins, including Bcl-2, survivin, and Bcl-xl, was downregulated, but the expression of proapoptotic Bax was upregulated. Furthermore, the release of Cyto-C and protein expression of Smac were induced by Ubenimex. Consequently, there is reason to believe that CD13 decrease mediated by Ubenimex suppressed Bcl-2/Cyto-C and the IAP/Smac pathways to activate the caspase-3-mediated apoptotic cascade and promote FOLFOX-induced tumor apoptosis.

Associated with the drug resistance of GC cells are various signaling pathways, including the PI3K/AKT pathway, the nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2/antioxidant response element (Nrf2-ARE), and the Notch signaling pathway [46–48]. Activation of AKT is associated with increased resistance of GC cells towards various chemotherapeutic drugs, including 5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin, mitomycin C, and cisplatin [49]. Moreover, adriamycin stimulates AKT and PI3K activity in a dose- and time-dependent manner to promote chemotherapeutic resistance of GC cells [50]. However, whether activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway upregulates expression of membrane transport proteins to promote drug efflux or is involved in MDR formation of GC cells via other mechanisms is uncertain. Perhaps activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway confers chemotherapeutic resistance that is unrelated to drug efflux in AGS cells (derived from an adenocarcinoma of the stomach) and other GC cells [51]. Expression of P-gp is reduced in SCG-7901/doxorubicin cells after application of the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 [52]. In the present study, we demonstrated that, in MDR GC cells, Ubenimex downregulated the expression of membrane transport proteins, including P-gp and MRP1, reducing intracellular efflux and increasing the accumulation of chemotherapeutic drugs. The decrease of MDR-associated proteins was dependent on a reduction of CD13 expression, suggesting that, in GC cells, CD13 is the target by which Ubenimex reverses MDR.

The reduced expression of MDR proteins mediated by Ubenimex was accompanied by decreased activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway, in which the phosphorylation of PI3K and AKT were suppressed. mTOR, but not GSK-3β or JNK, was the tyrosine kinase receptor located in downstream of AKT, and, in Ubenimex-treated MDR GC cells, mTOR bound to P-gp and MRP1 proteins. Thus, Ubenimex downregulated the expression of P-gp and MRP1 via inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, in which posttranscriptional regulation of proteins could be involved. Consistent with previous reports, our findings support the view that, in GC cells, the PI3K/AKT pathway participates in the formation of MDR by inducing expression of membrane transport proteins.

5. Conclusion

This is the first study to show that (i) CD13 expression is positively associated with MDR formation in GC cells; (ii) Ubenimex reverses MDR and enhances chemosensitivity of SGC7901/X cells to the FOLFOX regimen by inhibiting expression of CD13; (iii) by suppressing CD13 expression, Ubenimex promotes FOLFOX-induced apoptosis upon activation of the caspase-3-mediated apoptotic cascade, resulting in downregulation of anti-apoptotic proteins and upregulation of a proapoptotic protein; and (iv) Ubenimex inhibits activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway to downregulate expression of P-gp and MRP1, a process dependent on the reduction of CD13 expression.

These results indicate that Ubenimex is a candidate drug for reversing the MDR of GC cells, providing a new approach to the development of more potent cancer therapy.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper.

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