NOX1 mediates chemoresistance via HIF1α/MDR1 pathway in gallbladder cancer

NADPH oxidase 1 (NOX1) plays a key role in tumorigenesis and metastasis through generating reactive oxygen species (ROS), an important intracellular signaling molecule. However, how it is expressed in gallbladder cancer (GBC) tissue sample and whether it associates with GBC chemoresistance have never been investigated. Our study analyzed the relationship between NOX1 expression and cisplatin-sensitivity both in vivo and in vitro. We found that reduced NOX1 expression promoted cisplatin efficiency in GBC-SD cells, whereas overexpression of which potentially inhibited the sensitivity of cisplatin in SGC-996 cells. Further study into the mechanism we found that increased NOX1 expression elevated intracellular ROS levels, which then activated HIF-1α/MDR1 pathway. These findings established NOX1 a novel accelerant of chemoresistance in GBC, and NOX1-targeted therapeutics might be exploited as a strategy for increasing the efficacy of cisplatin treatment.