Effects of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α on radiation-induced autophagic cell death in breast cancer cells

Objective: To study the effects of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) on radiation-induced autophagic cell death in breast cancer cells. Methods: MCF-7 cells were divided into four groups:control (normoxia,21% Oxygen),irradiation (8 Gy X-rays), hypoxia (Cobalt chloride, CoCl₂) and irradiation with hypoxia (CoCl₂). 150 μmol/L CoCl₂ was utilized to induce hypoxic conditions. Western blot was applied to detect the expression of HIF-1α and MAPLC3. MDC and Hoechst staining were used to detect autophagy and apoptosis. Radiosensitivity was detected by cloning formation. The short hairpin interfering RNA (shRNA) retroviral transduction particles targeting HIF-1α was transfected into MCF-7 cells to establish HIF-1α knockdown cells, then the radiosensibility, autophagy and apoptosis were detected. Results: Compared with control group and irradiation group,the protein level of HIF-1 increased obviously in the normoxia, irradiation, hypoxia and irradiation with hypoxia groups, and the values were 0, 0, 1.00, 1.89, respectively. The expression levels of MAPLC3 were markedly up-regulated in irradiation, hypoxia and irradiation with hypoxia groups as compared with control, and the ratios of LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ were 1.15, 1.73, 2.38 and 3.60, respectively. The radiosensitivity of MCF-7 cells decreased in the following order:normoxia with 3MA > normoxia > hypoxia with 3MA > hypoxia. HIF-1α knockdown cell (pSUPER-HIF-1α Ri) and vector control were constructed. After treatment with CoCl₂, survival fraction of MCF-7-pSUPER was significantly higher than that of control (t=3.080, 6.946, 6.658, 6.380, P<0.05), and radiosensitivity was down-regulated after irradiation,but there was no significant difference between normoxia and hypoxia in survival fraction of MCF-7-pSUPER-HIF-1α Ri. After treatment of irradiation or hypoxia, the autophagic fractions in MCF-7-pSUPER-HIF-1α Ri significantly decreased, reduced by 21.1%, 25.5%, 15.5%, respectively (t=4.635, 4.738, 6.354, P<0.05) as compared with MCF-7-pSUPER, but there was no change in apoptosis. Conclusions: HIF-1α may increase radiation-induced autophagy and decrease radiosensitivity, but have no influence on apoptosis. (authors)