Research
Effects of ulinastatin and docetaxel on breast cancer invasion and expression of uPA, uPAR and ERK
Department of Breast, Pancreas, and Thyroid Surgery; Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 74 Lingjiang Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing 400010, China
Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research 2011, 30:71 doi:10.1186/1756-9966-30-71
Published: 29 July 2011Abstract
Objective
To investigate the effects of ulinastatin and docetaxel on invasion of breast cancer cells and expression of uPA, uPAR and ERK, breast cancer MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells.
Methods
The nude mice were treated with PBS, ulinastatin, docetaxel, and ulinastatin plus docetaxel, respectively. Their effects on 1) cell invasion ability was assayed using Transwell; 2) expression of uPA, uPAR and ERK was detected by real time PCR and Western blot; 3) uPA, uPAR and p-ERK protein level in nude mice was quantified by immunohistochemistry.
Results
1) Treatment with ulinastatin, docetaxel, and ulinastatin plus docetaxel, respectively, significantly inhibited MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cell invasion; 2) mRNA and protein levels of uPA, uPAR and ERK1/2 were inhibited by ulinastatin, but enhanced by docetaxel.
Conclusion
Ulinastatin can enhance the effects of docetaxel on invasion of breast cancer cells. And that uPA, uPAR and p-ERK expression is obviously inhibited by ulinastatin.
