Forkhead box O3 promotes colon cancer proliferation and drug resistance by activating MDR1 expression

Background Globally, colon cancer (CC) is the third reason of tumor-related deaths. Previous reports indicate that Forkhead box O3 (FOXO3) is involved in the development of various tumors and may have different effects depending upon the types of tumors. Hence, this study was to examine the effects of FOXO3 on CC cells and uncover the possible mechanisms. Methods MTT and cell count assay were applied to analyze the viability of transfected CC cells. rVista, dual luciferase reporter assay, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay were used to identify the downstream target of FOXO3 in HCT116 cells. The mRNA and protein abundance of FOXO3 and MDR1 were determined by quantitative PCR and Western blot, respectively. Results Forkhead box O3 stimulated the proliferation of both HCT116 and DLD1 cells. Moreover, FOXO3 overexpression inhibited doxorubicin sensitivity of HCT116 cells, while the knockout of FOXO3 by FOXO3 shRNA restored the doxorubicin sensitivity in doxorubicin-resistant HCT116 DR cells. Next, we found that FOXO3 directly bound to the promoter of MDR1 and enhanced MDR1 expression in HCT116 cells. MDR1 overexpression enhanced the viability and doxorubicin resistance of CC cells. Besides, MDR1 overexpression plasmid significantly abrogated the decrease in cell proliferation and resistance of HCT116 cells to doxorubicin caused by FOXO3 knockout. Conclusion Forkhead box O3 exhibited promotive effects on the proliferation and doxorubicin resistance in CC cells via targeting MDR1.