We investigated the effects of inhibiting heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2/B1 (hnRNP A2/B1) expression on apoptosis, invasion, migration, and the chemotherapy sensitivity of pancreatic cancer cells to gemcitabine, 5-FU, and oxaliplatin chemotherapy using small interfering RNA (siRNA). Chemically synthesized siRNA hnRNP A2/B1 was transfected into the human pancreatic cancer cell lines SW1990 and BxPC-3. The IC(50) of gemcitabine, 5-FU, and oxaliplatin was determined using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Cell apoptosis and cycle were detected using flow cytometry. The expressions of apoptosis-related genes, p53, Bax, Bcl-2, TRAIL, Survivin, multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1), E-cadherin, and matrix metalloproteinases-2 (MMP-2) were detected using real-time PCR and western blot. Plate colony formation assay, wound scratch assay, invasion, and migration were also examined. Gemcitabine, 5-FU, and oxaliplatin inhibit the proliferation of SW1990 and BxPC-3 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Inhibition of hnRNP A2/B1 expression significantly reduced the IC(50) of gemcitabine, 5-FU, and oxaliplatin (P<0.01). hnRNP A2/B1 siRNA combined with gemcitabine, 5-FU and oxaliplatin significantly increased (P<0.01) apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cell lines SW1990 and BxPC-3, increased the expression level of Bax mRNA, decreased Bcl-2 mRNA and MDR1 mRNA expression (P<0.01), and induced no change in p53, TRAIL, and Survivin mRNA expression in SW1990. In the western blot analysis, the expression level of Bax protein increased (P<0.01); the expression of both P-glycoprotein (Pg-p) protein and Bcl-2 protein decreased (P<0.01). Silencing hnRNP A2/B1 decreased invasion and migration in the cell line SW1990. Silencing hnRNP A2/B1 in SW1990 also correlated with an increase in E-cadherin expression and a decrease in MMP-2 expression at the same time. Inhibition of hnRNP A2/B1 expression can induce apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells and improve chemosensitivity to gemcitabine, 5-FU, and oxaliplatin. hnRNP A2/B1 may play a role in invasion and migration in the pancreatic cancer cell line SW1990 through the regulation of E-cadherin and expression of MMP-2.
