[Chloroquine enhances cisplatin-induced apoptosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells by inhibiting autophagy via upregulating miR129].

To investigate the role of miR129 in mediating the effect of chloroquine to enhance cisplatin- induced apoptosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells (HNE1). MTT assay was used to detect the viability of HNE1 cells treated with different concentrations of cisplatin. Colony formation of HNE1 cells treated with cisplatin and chloroquine, alone or in combination, was observed using crystal violet staining. BALB/C unde mice were inoculated with HNE1 cells and randomly divided into 4 groups with 6 mice in each group. The mice received intraperitoneal injections of cisplatin and chloroquine, alone or in combination once every 3 days for 4 consecutive weeks, and the tumor growth was observed in each group. The expression of miR129 in HNE1 cells treated with chloroquine, cisplatin, or both was detected with qPCR. The effects of miR129 suppression with a miR129 inhibitor on the expressions of autophagy related proteins p62, LC3B, Beclin1 and the drug-resistant related protein P-glycoprotein (P-gp) were examined using Western blotting in HNE1 cells treated with chloroquine, cisplatin, or both; the changes in cell apoptosis were detected Annexin V/PI double staining. Chloroquine combined with cisplatin significantly inhibited HNE1 cell proliferation Chloroquine enhances the pro-apoptotic effect of cisplatin by up-regulating miR129 to inhibit autophagy and drug resistance in HNE1 cells.