shRNA-WT1 Potentiates Anticancer Effects of Gemcitabine and Cisplatin Against B16F10 Lung Metastases In Vitro and In Vivo

Background/aim: High expression level of Wilm's tumor gene (WT1) in several types of tumors appears to confer disruption of apoptosis and resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs, and correlate with poor outcome. The aim of this work was to determine if down-regulation of WT1 expression results in decreased cell proliferation and the increased action of different types of drugs, both in vitro in B16F10 cells, and in vivo in C57BL/6 mice. Materials and methods: Inhibition of cell proliferation by short hairpin RNA against WT1 (shRNA-WT1), cisplatin, and gemcitabine in B16F10 cells in vitro was determined by the MTT assay and analysis of clonogenic survival. The apoptosis rate was determined by flow cytometry for annexin-V- fluorescein isothiocyante and propidium iodide. Results: Compared to treatment with shRNA-WT1 alone, treatment with shRNA-WT1 in combination with drugs had a synergistic inhibitory effect on B16F10 cell proliferation, particularly for the combination of cisplatin and gemcitabine at their 25% cytotoxic concentrations in vitro. Furthermore, mice treated with shRNA-WT1 in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine were protected in the same way as those treated with the drugs alone, but were in better physical condition. Conclusion: Decreased WT1 expression induces cell death and potentiates the action of anticancer drugs by inducing synergistic effects both in vitro and in vivo, which may be an attractive strategy in lung cancer therapy.