Background: Vincristine (VCR) is a chemical that is widely used in tumor therapy. While long-term use can make tumor cells resistant to VCR, the underlying mechanisms of this resistance are still unclear.
Objective: This study aimed at investigating the role of microRNA (miRNA) in colon cancer drug resistance.
Methods: HCT-8 colon carcinoma cells were cultured and treated with different VCR concentrations to establish an HCT-8/VCR resistant cell line. Whole-genome screens, HiSeq 2500 sequencing, and bioinformatics methods were used to detect and analyze differences in miRNA expression between the drug-resistant HCT-8/VCR cells and non-resistant HCT-8 cells. Differential expression profiles of miRNAs were constructed based on sequencing result.
Results: The HCT-8/VCR resistant colon carcinoma cell line was established. With regard to the difference in drug resistance between HCT-8/VCR and HCT-8 cells, 24 miRNAs showed statistically significant differences in their expression (fold change > 4), of which 17 were up-regulated. Seven miRNAs were down-regulated.
Conclusion: As abnormal expression of miRNAs was associated with VCR resistance of colon carcinoma cells, differences in miRNA expression may play a key role in VCR resistance of colon cancer cells.
Keywords: Colon cancer; HCT-8; drug resistance; microRNA.