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Abstract: Background: Plasminogen activator inhibitor-2 (PAI-2) is an enzyme inhibitor which is involved in various biological processes including cell differentiation, tissue regrowth and regeneration. Although PAI-2 has been originally isolated as an extracellular inhibitor of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), recent studies indicate that PAI-2 has other intracellular effects in keratinocyte, such as the component of cornified envelope. Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the expression and functional role of PAI-2 during the keratinocyte differentiation. Methods: We transduced keratinocytes with adenovirus harboring the expression cassette for PAI-2, then examined the effect on keratinocytes differentiation. Results: When cultured epidermal keratinocytes were treated with 1.2mM calcium, PAI-2 expression was increased time-dependently at both mRNA and protein levels. The calcium-induced PAI-2 expression was abolished by treatment with p38 MAPK inhibitor, while overexpression of MKK6 led to the increase of PAI-2 expression. When PAI-2 was overexpressed by adenoviral transduction, the expression of keratinocyte differentiation markers such as involucrin, keratin 10 and loricrin was markedly increased. Concomitantly, overexpression of PAI-2 resulted in the retardation of cell growth, with the increase of Rb and p53. Conclusion: These results suggest that PAI-2 has a role for promoting the differentiation of epidermal keratinocytes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Multidrug resistance (MDR), which is a significant impediment to the success of cancer chemotherapy, is attributable to the overexpression of membrane transport proteins, such as P-glycoprotein (P-gp), resulting in an increased drug efflux. In this study, we show that the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor apicidin leads to resistance of HeLa cells to paclitaxel through the induction of P-gp expression. Furthermore, apicidin dramatically increases the release of a fluorescent P-gp substrate, rhodamine 123, from cells. In parallel, apicidin resistance to the apoptotic potential of paclitaxel is associated with induction of P-gp expression in HeLa cells, as evidenced by specific inhibition of P-gp function using either the pharmacological inhibitor verapamil or RNA silencing. We also demonstrate the contribution of apicidin-induced functional P-gp expression to drug resistance using KB cells. Failure of P-gp induction by apicidin does not reverse paclitaxel-induced cytotoxicity in the cells. Although HDAC inhibitors are widely appreciated as a new class of anti-tumor agent, our findings clearly demonstrate that apicidin treatment may lead to P-gp-mediated resistance to other anti-tumor agents, suggesting a need for careful design of clinical applications using HDAC inhibitors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]