Effect of small interfering RNA-mediated BIRC6 silencing on apoptosis and autophagy of renal cancer 786-O cells

Abstract

To study the expression of BIRC6 in renal cancer tissues and investigate the effect of BIRC6 silencing on apoptosis and autophagy of 786-O cells. Twenty surgical specimens of renal cancer tissues and adjacent renal tissues were collected from Meizhou People's Hospital between February, 2016 and December, 2018 for detection of BIRC6 protein expression using immunohistochemistry. Renal cancer 786-O cells were transfected with a control small interfering RNA (siRNA) or BIRC6 siRNA via lipofectamine 2000, and the changes in cell proliferation and apoptosis following 5-FU treatment were assessed using CCK8 assay and flow cytometry; the expressions of autophagy-related proteins Beclin and LC3A/B were detected by Western blotting. The expression of BIRC6 protein was significantly higher in renal cancer tissues than in the adjacent renal tissues. Western blotting showed that siRNA-mediated silencing of BIRC6 significantly lowered the expression of BIRC6 in 786-O cells. In the cells with BIRC6 silencing, treatment with 12.5, 25, 50, 100 and 200 μg/mL 5-FU resulted in significantly higher proliferation inhibition rates than in the cells transfected with the control siRNA (P < 0.01). BIRC6 silencing also significantly increased the apoptosis rate of 786-O cells following 5-FU treatment (P < 0.01). The results of Western blotting showed that BIRC6 silencing significantly lowered the protein expressions of Beclin and LC3A/B in 786-O cells. Interference of BIRC6 mediated by siRNA can inhibit autophagy and promote 5-FU-induced apoptosis to enhance the sensitivity of 786-O cells to 5-FU.