Effect of WFDC 2 silencing on the proliferation, motility and invasion of human serous ovarian cancer cells in vitro

Objective: To investigate effect and possible mechanisms of silencing human WEDC2 (HE4) gene on biological behavior changes as cell proliferation, apoptosis, movement and invasion of human serous ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3. Methods: Lentiviral WFDC2 gene sequence of small interfering siRNA was stablely transfected into SKOV3 identified by Q-PCR and western-blot. Obtained SKOV3 stable strains with silenced HE4 were measured by proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion. Results: Gene sequencing showed that the oligonucleotides were successfully inserted into the expected site. After silencing HE4 in the SKOV3, proliferation was significantly inhibited (P<0.05). G(0)/G(1), phase was arrested by the cell cycle (P<0.01) and capacity of the migration and invasion decreased significantly (P<0.01). Slight early apoptosis ratio and no change of late apoptosis were found without change of Caspase-3 or Bcl-2 protein. Proteins involed in ERK pathway as phosphorylated protein as p-EGFR, p- ERK decreased and protease protein involved in tissue remoding as matrix metalloproteinases MMP-9, MMP-2 and cathepsin B decreased compared with control group. Conclusions: HE4 gene plays an important role in regulating proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion of serous ovarian cancer cells by ERK pathway and protease system. Its role in apoptosis needs to be further explored, and it may be a potential target for serous ovarian cancer.