Establishment of a human hepatoma multidrug resistant cell line in vitro

To establish a multidrug-resistant hepatoma cell line (SK-Hep-1), and to investigate its biological characteristics.

A highly invasive SK-Hep-1 cell line of human hepatocellular carcinoma, also known as malignant hepatoma was incubated with a high concentration of cisplatin (CDDP) to establish a CDDP-resistant cell subline (SK-Hep-1/CDDP). The 50% inhibitory dose (IC(50)) values and the resistance indexes [(IC(50) SK-Hep-1/CDDP)/(IC(50) SK-Hep-1)] for other chemotherapeutic agents and the growth curve of cells were all evaluated using cell counting kit-8 assays. The distribution of the cell cycles were detected by flow cytometry. Expression of acquired multidrug resistance P-glycoprotein (MDR1, ABCB1) and multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP1, ABCC1) was compared with that in parent cells by Western blotting and immunofluorescence combined with laser scanning confocal microscopy.

The SK-Hep-1/CDDP cells (IC(50) = 70.61 +/- 1.06 microg/mL) was 13.76 times more resistant to CDDP than the SK-Hep-1 cells (IC(50) = 5.13 +/- 0.09 microg/mL), and CDDP-resistant cells also demonstrated cross-resistance to many anti-tumor agents such as doxorubicin, 5-fluorouracil and vincristine. Similar morphologies were determined in both SK-Hep-1 and SK-Hep-1/CDDP groups. The cell cycle distribution of the SK-Hep-1/CDDP cell line exhibited a significantly increased percentage of cells in S (42.2% +/- 2.65% vs 27.91% +/- 2.16%, P < 0.01) and G2/M (20.67% +/- 5.69% vs 12.14% +/- 3.36%, P < 0.01) phases in comparison with SK-Hep-1 cells, while the percentage of cells in the G0/G1 phase decreased (37.5% +/- 5.05% vs 59.83% +/- 3.28%, P < 0.01). The levels of MDR1 and MRP1 were overexpressed in the SK-Hep-1/CDDP cells exhibiting the MDR phenotype.

Multiple drug resistance of multiple drugs in the human hepatoma cell line SK-Hep-1/CDDP was closely related to the overexpression of MDR1 and MRP1.