Changes in survivin messenger RNA level during chemotherapy treatment in ovarian cancer cells

Objective: To investigate the role of antiapoptosis gene, survivin involved in regulating cell sensitivity to taxanes and platinum compounds. Methods: Cultured human epithelial ovarian cancer cell line A2780 and its platinum (DDP)- resistance cell line A2780/ DDP were divided into three groups as control, treatment with DDP, and treatment with Taxol Expression of mdr1 and survivin genes in each group was detected by using Reverse transcription- polymerase chain reaction ( RT- PCR). Apoptosis in the ovarian cancer cell lines was measured by flow cytometry. Results: After treatment with DDP for 48 h, relative survivin expression was significantly lower than that of no drug given (p < 0.05). In A2780/ DDP cells, expression of Survivn was obviously higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05) after treatment of DDP for 48 h. Interestingly, survivin mRNA level was significantly decreased after treatment with Taxol for 48h in the A2780/DDP-Taxol group compared with that in the control group. Apoptosis rate of A2780 cells was significantly increased to 46.21% and 44.46%, respectively, with treatment of DDP and Taxol. However, apoptosis rate in A2780/ DDP was only 20.04% after DDP treatment for 48 h, demonstrating the presence of resistance to DDP in A2780/ DDP cells. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that changes in survivin mRNA level were related to the chemotherapy- induced apoptosis. Survivin may be considered as a biological indicator of the chemo- resistance of ovarian cancer.