[Down-regulation of histone deacetylase 2 induces cell apoptosis and inhibits cell proliferation and migration of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) expression on cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) Hep-2 cells.

METHODS: HDAC2 siRNA and control siRNA were transfected into LSCC Hep-2 cells by lipofectamine 2000, and cells were divided into three experimental groups: untreated group, control siRNA group and HDAC2 siRNA transfection group. Western blotting was utilized to detect the expression of HDAC2 protein in Hep-2 cells. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were investigated by CCK-8 kit and flow cytometry, respectively. Boyden chamber was used to study cell migration. Expressions of cell apoptosis and cell migration related proteins were detected by Western blotting.

RESULTS: HDAC2 siRNA significantly down-regulated the expression of HDAC2 protein in LSCC Hep-2 cells. Down-regulation of HDAC2 expression coincided with an inhibition of cell proliferation and migration along with an induced cell apoptosis of Hep-2 cells. Moreover, down-regulation of HDAC2 expression significantly increased the expressions of caspase-3 and caspase-9 proteins but decreased the expressions of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 proteins.

CONCLUSIONS: HDAC2 may play a pivotal role in the initiation and development of LSCC. Down-regulation of HDAC2 expression mediates cell apoptosis. Cell migration inhibition may be tightly associated with overexpression of caspase-3 and caspase-9 along with down-regulation of MMP-2 and MMP-9 expressions.