Potential Role of Short Hairpin RNA Targeting Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor in Growth and Sensitivity to Drugs of Human Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells

Upregulation of expression and activation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is involved in the development and progression of a wide range of human cancers. The present study aims at determining gene-silencing effects of vector-based short hairpin RNA (shRNA) targeting EGFR on receptor expression and cell growth and evaluating its modulation of responsiveness to drugs in human lung adenocarcinoma cells (HLAC). A vector-based polymerase 3-promotor system was used to express shRNA targeting EGFR in HLAC lines (A549 and SPC-A1). EGFR was detected by immunofluorescence staining and quantified by Western blot. The effect of shRNA targeting EGFR on tumor cell growth was assessed by colony formation assay, cell cycle and apoptosis by flow cytometry, and the responsiveness of HLAC lines to cytotoxic drugs by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiozol-2yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide [MTT] assay. Vectors expressing shRNA against EGFR significantly downregulated receptor expression by 74 and 85% and the colony number by 63 and 69% in A549 and SPC-A1, respectively. Vector-based shRNA against EGFR caused G1 arrest, induced apoptosis, and subsequently increased the sensitivity to cisplatin, doxorubicin and paclitaxel by about four- to seven-fold in both HLAC lines. Our data suggest that vector-based shRNA could be considered as an alternative to effectively inhibit EGFR expression in HLACs, probably with the higher efficacy in combination therapies with conventional chemotherapeutic drugs.