Cisplatin may induce frataxin expression

Cisplatin is a widely used drug in cancer chemotherapy and resistance to cisplatin is a major limitation for its successful application. Intracellular inactivation of cisplatin and detoxification of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by glutathione (a crucial cellular antioxidant) is a mechanism for cisplatin resistance. During cDNA microarray analyses of differential gene expression between a cisplatin-resistant A2780CP70 human ovarian carcinoma cell line and its parental A2780 cell line, we discovered that frataxin gene expression was frequently overexpressed in the cisplatin-resistant variant. Decreased expression of frataxin protein is associated with Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) which is a neurodegenerative disease involving ROS-mediated cellular damage. Recent evidence suggests that frataxin might detoxify ROS via activation of glutathione peroxidase and elevation of thiols. To exploit potential involvement of frataxin gene in the development of resistance to cisplatin, we compared the levels of frataxin gene and protein in the cisplatin-resistant A2780CP70 ovarian carcinoma cell line and its parental A2780 cell line. We found that frataxin mRNA and protein expressions were elevated in the cisplatin-resistant cells. Our results suggest a potential role for cisplatin as an inducer of frataxin expression and implies that this gene may be a potential target for modulating the response to cisplatin. This is the first report showing an association between frataxin expression and cisplatin resistance.