Reversal of P-glycoprotein-mediated multi-drug resistance by the E3 ubiquitin ligase Cbl-b in human gastric adenocarcinoma cells.

P-glycoprotein (P-gp)-mediated multi-drug resistance (MDR) is a major barrier to the effective chemotherapy of many cancers. Recent studies have shown that inhibition of the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway can reverse P-gp-mediated MDR. We investigated the expression of activated Akt (p-Akt) in 124 human gastric carcinoma tissue samples. Ubiquitous p-Akt expression was recorded in the majority (88/124). There was a significant correlation between p-Akt expression and the expression of P-gp. In the adriamycin-resistant MDR gastric carcinoma cell line SGC7901/ADR, p-Akt expression was increased in comparison with the parental cell line SGC7901. Treatment of SGC7901/ADR cells with the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 reduced the expression of both p-Akt and P-gp. To explore the role of ubiquitin ligase Cbl-b in this regulatory pathway, SGC7901/ADR cells were transfected with a plasmid overexpressing wild-type Cbl-b. This down-regulated the expression of both p-Akt and P-gp. Furthermore, resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs was partially reversed. These results demonstrate an important role for Cbl-b in reversing P-gp-mediated gastric cancer MDR through suppression of the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway and the down-regulation of P-gp expression.