CXCL12 suppresses cisplatin-induced apoptosis through activation of JAK2/STAT3 signaling in human non-small-cell lung cancer cells

Aims: Poor efficacy of chemotherapy drugs in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the key reason for the failure of treatment, but the mechanism of this remains largely unknown. Stromal cell-derived factor 1-alpha (SDF-1a/CXCL12) is a small chemotactic cytokine protein that plays an important role in tumor progression. In this study, we investigated the anti-apoptotic mechanism of the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis in response to cisplatin, a commonly used chemotherapeutic drug, in human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. Methods: CXCL12 blocks cisplatin-induced apoptosis in A549, and the results were shown by propidium iodide/annexin V staining in vitro. The mechanism of CXCL12 stimulating phosphorylation of STAT3 through CXCR4/JAK2 was demonstrated by immunofluorescence and Western blotting. The expression of CXCL12 and p-STAT3 in clinical specimens was examined by immunohistochemistry. Results: CXCL12 significantly decreased the ratio of apoptotic cells and stimulation of phospho-signal transducer and activator of transcription (p-STAT)-3 in a time-dependent manner through interaction with CXCR4. Among the signaling molecules downstream of CXCR4, the JAK2/STAT3 pathway plays a predominant role in the anti-apoptotic effect of CXCL12. Analysis of clinical specimens revealed that increased CXCL12 and p-STAT3 expression correlates with enhanced lung cancer progression. Conclusion: These data suggest that CXCR4 contributes to CXCL12-mediated anti-apoptosis by activating JAK2/STAT3 pathway in NSCLC cells. Therefore, targeting CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling pathway reveals a potential therapeutic approach for NSCLC.