Ginkgo biloba extract decreases non-small cell lung cancer cell migration by downregulating metastasis-associated factor heat-shock protein 27.

Heat-shock proteins (HSPs) are molecular chaperones that protect proteins from damage. HSP27 expression is associated with cancer transformation and invasion. Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb761), the most widely sold herbal supplement, has antiangiogenic effects and induces tumor apoptosis. Data regarding the effect of EGb761 on HSP expression is limited, particularly in cancer. HSP27 expression in paired tumors and normal lung tissues of 64 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were detected by real-time PCR, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. NSCLC cell lines (A549/H441) were used to examine the migratory abilities in vitro. NSCLC tissue showed higher HSP27 expression than normal lung tissue. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that NSCLC patients with low HSP27 expression ratio (<1) had significantly longer survival time than those with a high expression ratio (>1) (p = 0.04). EGb761 inhibited HSP27 expression and migratory ability of A549/H441 cells, which is the same as HSP27-siRNA transfection effect. Moreover, EGb761 treatment activated the AKT and p38 pathways and did not affect the expression of PI3K, ERK, and JNK pathways. HSP27 is a poor prognostic indicator of NSCLC. EGb761 can decrease the migration ability of A549/H441 by inhibiting HSP27 expression most likely through AKT and p38 MAPK pathways activation.

Introduction

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Even with improvements in both diagnostic and therapeutic techniques, the overall 5-year survival rate is still poor. Poor prognosis of lung cancer is primarily caused by early relapse, metastasis, and poor response to treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy [1]–[2]. Lack of good prognostic biomarkers, which can predict treatment response and prognosis, also affects treatment plans and patient outcomes.

Heat-shock proteins (HSPs) are a large family of proteins that have essential hemostatic functions in cells under physiological conditions. According to molecular weights, HSPs are grouped into several subfamilies: small (HSP 20–30 kDa), HSP40, HSP60, HSP70, HSP90, and HSP100. The main function of HSP is to protect cells against damage in stressful conditions [3]. In addition to their cytoprotective effects, HSPs can promote carcinogenesis by inhibiting apoptosis [4]–[8] and by enhancing resistance to treatment [9]–[10]. However, the role of HSPs in different tumors is complicated [4], [9].

HSP27 is a cytoplasmic protein that is constitutively expressed in several normal tissues and malignancies. Its expression has been associated with poor prognosis in ovarian [11], breast [9], [12], gastric [13]–[14], liver [15], and prostate cancers [16] as well as osteoscarcomas [7]. In head and neck cancer [3] and genitourinary tract tumor [17], HSP27 expression has no effect on prognosis. However, the prognostic role of HSP27 expression in lung cancer is under debate. Zimmermann et al. [18] reported that serum HSP27 level was positively correlated with advanced lung cancer stages. HSP27 expression can increase the chemoresistance of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and is a poor indicator of prognosis [10], [19]. In contrast, HSP27 overexpression is associated with better survival in patients with NSCLC according to a study by Malusecka et al. [20]. Immunohistochemical staining showed that HSP27 expression in lung cancer tissue is not correlated with T (primary tumor) N (lymph nodes) M (metastasis) and stages [21].

Extracts from the leaves of Ginkgo biloba have been used in China and Western countries for centuries due to their antioxidant properties [22]. A standard G. biloba extract, EGb761 (commercial name), contains 22%–27% flavonoids and 5%–7% terpenoids, which are the most important active substances [23]. EGb761 can scavenge free radicals and neutralize ferry ion-induced peroxidants [24]. Therefore, EGb761 is helpful for the prevention and treatment of degenerative processes associated with oxidative stress [25]–[26].

Although chemotherapy is still the primary treatment used for lung cancer, the adverse side effects related to this treatment limit its use. Complementary medications such as herbal medication have become more popular in recent decades. Moreover, several experiments have reported that EGb761 has antitumor effects. The anticancer properties of EGb761 are attributed to its antioxidant, antiangiogenic, and gene-regulatory effects [24]. EGb761 can inhibit tumor proliferation via apoptosis in colon cancer [27] and oral cavity cancer [28]. Phase II combined treatment involving 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and EGb761 has been tested in patients with pancreatic or colorectal cancer [29]–[30] and has shown promising results. In this study, we investigated HSP27 expression in patients with NSCLC and analyzed the relationship between HSP27 expression and clinical outcomes. In addition, the effects of EGb761 on HSP27 expression were explored. We hope that the results of this study will provide clinicians with a novel combination of drug regimens and serve as a predictor to improve NSCLC prognosis.

Results

Demographic data and HSP27 expression in patients with NSCLC

In total, 64 patients with NSCLC were included in this study. Of these, 47 (73%) were histologically identified as having adenocarcinoma and 17 (27%) patients were identified as having squamous cell carcinoma. The average age of patients was 61.2±9.5 years (range, 36–78 years). The TNM staging and HSP27 expression status in NSCLC patients are summarized in Table 1. The average HSP27 expression ratio was 2.05±1.95. Patients with NSCLC with metastasis and advanced stage (stage IIIb-IV) cancers had higher HSP27 expression ratio than those with no metastasis and early stage cancers (p = 0.03 and p = 0.009, respectively). Kaplan–Meier survival curve showed NSCLC patients with a low HSP27 expression ratio had significantly better survival time than those with a high expression ratio (p<0.05; Fig. 1). The multivariate-adjusted risk ratios were computed using Cox regression with additional variables of gender (male versus female), age (years), metastasis, tumor, and lymph node involvement (Table 2). By doing so, we found that patients with high HSP27 expression had a 2.30-times higher mortality risk (p = 0.04) than patients with low HSP27 expression.

Table 1

Relationship between HSP27 expression ratio, demographic characteristic in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.

	Number	Mean ± SD	P value
STAGE			0.009*
1 (1-3a)	37	1.52±1.49
2 (3b-4)	27	2.77±2.33
Tumor			0.28
1	16	1.61±1.35
2	33	2.00±2.05
3	3	1.24±1.52
4	12	2.96±2.26
Node			0.39
0	35	1.78±1.65
1	10	2.40±2.44
2	14	2.00±1.62
3	5	3.30±3.70
Metastasis			0.03*
0	41	1.66±1.50
1	23	2.74±2.42
Pathology			0.99
SQ	17	2.04±2.28
AD	47	2.04±1.84
Sex			0.34
Male	42	1.88±1.70
Female	22	2.37±2.36

SQ: squamous cell carcinoma, AD: adenocarcinoma (*p<0.05).

Figure 1

Survival curve of non-small cell lung cancer patients in high and low HSP27 expression groups using the Kaplan-Meier method.

Table 2

Multivariate Cox regression analysis of mortality.

Term		Risk Ratio	Lower 95%	Upper 95%	P value
HSP27 ratio >1		2.30	1.03	5.38	0.04*
Age		1.04	1.00	1.08	0.05
Tumor	2 vs.1	1.81	0.75	4.75	0.59
	3 vs.1	2.02	0.31	10.54
	4 vs.1	1.37	0.40	4.81
Node	1 vs.0	1.17	0.42	2.99	0.57
	2 vs.0	0.96	0.31	2.75
	3 vs.0	2.72	0.63	10.21
Metastasis		1.18	0.51	2.61	0.70
Cell type	SQ vs. AD	0.86	0.35	2.14	0.74
Gender	M vs. F	1.74	0.71	4.29	0.22

SQ: squamous cell carcinoma, AD: adenocarcinoma (*p<0.05).

HSP27 expression in patients with NSCLC

HSP27 expression in patients with NSCLC was analyzed (Fig. 2). Immunohistochemical staining and western blot analysis of lung cancer tissue showed higher HSP27 expression in lung cancer tissue than in the normal lung tissue (Fig. 2A–B).

Figure 2

Expression of heat shock protein 27 in NSCLC patients.

(A) Lung samples (lung cancer and corresponding normal adjacent lung tissues) were analyzed with antibody to heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) in immunohistochemical staining (DAB staining and hematoxylin counterstaining). For negative controls, the antibody was replaced by control IgG. HSP 27 was overexpressed in NSCLC tissue than normal lung tissue. (B) Western blotting analysis of HSP 27 expression in NSCLC tissue and normal tissue. Representative data from four different patients with NSCLC are shown (T =  tumor; N =  normal). The expression of HSP27 protein expression was significantly increased in NSCLC tissue as compared to normal lung tissue (*p<0.05).

Effect of EGb761 on cytotoxicity and HSP27 expression in BEAS-2B and NSCLC cell lines (A549 and H441)

We treated 3 cell lines (BEAS-2B, A549, and H441) with different concentrations of EGb761. The MTT assay showed that EGb761 did not have cytotoxic effect on these 3 cell lines even at higher concentrations (Fig. 3A). The DNA fragmentation assay also showed that EGb761 did not induce apoptosis in BEAS-2B, A549, and H441 cell lines at different concentrations (Fig. 3B). HSP27 expression in A549 and H441 cell lines significantly decreased in a dose-dependent manner with an increase in EGb761 concentration, as determined by western blot analysis (Fig. 3C). However, HSP27 expression in normal bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) did not change when the EGb761 concentrations was below 500 ug/mL.

Figure 3

Effect of EGb761 in cell cytotoxicity and heat shock protein 27 expression of BEAS-2B, A549 and H441.

(A) EGb761 did not have obvious cytotoxic effect on lung cancer cell lines (A549 and H441) and normal bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B). (B) DNA fragment assay showed EGb761 did not induce BEAS-2B, A549 and H441 cell apoptosis. (C) The HSP27 mRNA/protein expression of BEAS-2B cells did not change significantly when the concentrations of EGb761 was below 500[0-9][A-z]ug/mL. In addition, the HSP27 mRNA/protein expression of A549/H441 cells can be decreasing significantly with increasing EGb761 concentration in a dose dependent manner. Representative photos of three independent experiments. *P<0.05 versus control. Assays were carried out in triplicate.

Effect of EGb761 and HSP27-siRNA transfection on HSP27 expression

We transfected the A549/H441 cells with HSP27-siRNA plasmid. The HSP27-siRNA plasmid transfection significantly decreased HSP27 expression in A549/H441 cells, which was confirmed using real-time PCR and western blotting (Fig. 4A–B). EGb761 also had the same effect as HSP27-siRNA transfection in significantly decreasing HSP27 mRNA and protein expression in A549/H441 (Fig. 4A–B). Although both HSP27-siRNA and EGb761 treatment can downregulate HSP27 expression, it does not mean that there is an effector relationship between them. Additional studies are needed to further examine this relationship.

Figure 4

EGb761 and HSP27-siRNA transfection effect on the expression of HSP27 in A549/H441.

(A) The HSP27 mRNA expression of A549/H441 cells was decreased with EGb761 treatment or HSP27-siRNA transfection 24 hours later as compared to control group. (B) The HSP27 protein expression of A549/H441 cells was also decreased with EGb761 treatment and HSP27-siRNA transfection 24 hours later as compared to control group. *P<0.05 versus control. Assays were carried out in triplicate. NC-siRNA is the negative control.

Effects of EGb761 and HSP27-siRNA transfection on the migratory ability of A549/H441

A549/H441 cells were used to evaluate the effect of HSP27 on NSCLC cell migratory ability in vitro. Cellular migration was analyzed using wound scratch assay. Compared to the migratory ability of the control group, the migratory activity of the A549/H441 cells was inhibited significantly after HSP27-siRNA transfection or EGb761 treatment. (p<0.05) (Fig. 5A–B)

Figure 5

EGb761 and HSP27-siRNA transfection effect on the cellular migratory ability of A549/H441.

(A) Cellular migration was determined by monolayer denudation assay and analyzed by the Wimasis WimScratch software. The migratory ability of A549/H441 cells was inhibited with EGb761 (100 ug/mL) treatment as compared to control group. Silencing the HSP27 expression by HSP27-siRNA transfection, the migratory ability also decreased in A549/H441. NC-siRNA is the negative control. Representative photos of three independent experiments. Data are from three independent experiments. *P<0.05 versus control. Assays were carried out in triplicate.

The regulatory effect of EGb761 on HSP27 expression through AKT and p38 MAPK pathway

The intracellular signaling pathways such as MAPKs and PI3K/AKT are important determinants of cancer migration [31]–[33]. However, the intracellular regulatory signaling pathways between EGb761 and HSP27 expression are still unclear. We analyzed the expression of different pathway proteins after the treatment of A549/H441 cells with different EGb761 concentrations. The expression of p-AKT and p-P38 was significantly increased after EGb761 treatment compared with the control group, and the expression of PI3K, ERK, and JNK did not change after EGb761 treatment (Fig. 6A, D) We further treated the A549/H441 cell line with AKT inhibitor (API-59, 3 mM) and p38 MAPK inhibitor (SB203580, 10 mM). The inhibitory effect of EGb761 on HSP27 expression was blocked by the AKT or p38 MAPK inhibitor (Fig. 6B, E). Furthermore, the migration ability of A549/H441 cells also recovered after AKT or p38 inhibitor treatment even in the presence of EGb761 (Fig. 6C, F). These results suggested that EGb761 regulated HSP27 expression, most likely through the AKT and p38 MAPK signaling pathways.

Figure 6

The regulation pathways of EGb761 in HSP27 expression.

(A, D) The expressions of AKT/pAKT, P38/pP38, PI3K/pPI3K, ERK/pERK, JNK/pJNK of A549/H441 were analyzed by western blotting after treatment with EGb761(100 ug/mL). The expression of pAKT and p-p38 were enhanced by EGb761 treatment significantly (p<0.05)(B, E). A549/H441 cells line were treated with inhibitors of AKT (API-59) (3 mM), p38 MAPK (SB203580) (10 mM) for 1 hour and EGb761 (100 ug/mL) were treated later. The AKT inhibitor or p38 inhibitor can block the inhibitory effect of EGb761 in HSP27 protein expression. (C, F) Cellular migration was determined by monolayer denudation assay and analyzed by the Wimasis WimScratch software. With AKT inhibitor or p38 inhibitor, the cellular migratory ability of A549/H441 was not attenuated by EGb761. Representative photos of three independent experiments. Data are from three independent experiments. *P<0.05 versus control. Assays were carried out in triplicate.

Discussion

HSPs are ubiquitous molecular chaperones present in all living cells. They protect cells from environmental stress damage [34]. The small HSP27 plays a role in signal transduction, growth regulation, development, differentiation, and tumorigenesis [35]. Increasing levels of HSP27 have been observed in several malignancies such as breast cancer [36], colon cancer [37], prostate cancer [16], and lung cancer [10], [21]. In our study, we screened the expression of HSPs, including HSP10, HSP27, HSP30, HSP60, HSP70, and HSP90 in NSCLC tissue samples (data not shown). Only HSP27 was found to be overexpressed in NSCLC tissue. Coordinating with patient clinical parameters, overexpression of HSP27 seems to increase the metastatic potential of NSCLC and is a poor prognostic predictor. Blocking HSP27 expression by EGb761 decreased the migratory ability of NSCLC cell lines.

HSP27 has attracted a lot of attention in recent decades due to its role in tumor carcinogenesis, prognostic, predictive, and treatment implications [4]. In esophageal cancer, HSP27 expression decreases during carcinogenesis to adenocarcinomas but increases during carcinogenesis to squamous carcinomas [38]. HSP27 expression is correlated with the degree of differentiation in skin [39], endometrial [40], and uterine cancers [41]. HSP27 overexpression also induces chemoresistance in prostate cancer [42] and esophageal cancer [43] but enhanced response to treatment in head and neck cancer [44]. In summary, the role of HSP27 is variable and is dependent on different tumor types.

In our study, HSP27 was a poor prognostic indicator in patients with NSCLC after adjusting for other factors. Higher expression ratio of HSP27 was observed in patients with NSCLC with an advanced cancer, which was same as that reported in a study by Zimmermann et al. [18]. Serum HSP27 level is a useful biomarker to discriminate healthy smokers and patients with cancer with early and advanced stage NSCLC [18]. However, a report by Malusecka et al. showed that HSP27 expression may be a favorable prognostic factor in NSCLC [20]. Subgroup analysis showed that HSP27 retained its prognostic significance in squamous cell carcinoma but not in adenocarcinoma. Two third of patients had squamous cell carcinoma in the Malusecka study, but the percentage of squamous cell carcinoma was only 27% in our study. Our subgroup analysis showed no prognostic difference between patients with adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Small sample sizes and heterogeneity are our limitations. Furthermore, the migratory ability of A549 and H441 in vitro was significantly decreased after silencing HSP27 expression, which was consistent with our clinical observation that HSP27 expression may increase the metastatic potential. Although HSP27 had been identified as a metastasis-associated protein in NSCLC [45]–[46], the exact association between HSP27 and the metastatic mechanism requires further investigation.

Chemotherapy drugs usually affect both pathological tumor cells and normal cells and cause serious complications and toxicity. Cisplatin, an effective antineoplastic agent, is the main element in lung cancer chemotherapy regimen. Sensorineural hearing loss and nephrotoxicity are the major adverse effects of cisplatin, which may involve excessive formation of free radicals [24]. Through scavenging and preventing the formation of free radicals, EGb761 may induce protective effects against cisplatin-induced toxicity. In an experiment in rats, EGb761 successfully decreased cisplatin-associated toxicity without attenuating its antitumor activity [47]. Unresponsiveness or survival of cancer stem cells after treatment may be responsible for the recurrence and resistance of lung cancer to modern therapy [48]. HSP27 activation has been observed in chemoresistant lung cancer stem cell-like cells [10]. Our study showed that EGb761 inhibited HSP27 expression in NSCLC cells. Therefore, EGb761 may have great potential in lung cancer therapy because of its inhibitory effect on HSP27 expression.

Cellular heat-shock response usually develops quickly, which is related to the activation of major signaling transduction pathways involving mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases, extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38 [49]. These signaling cascades play a central role in regulating and determining cell fate such as growth, differentiation, or apoptosis in numerous physiological as well as stress conditions [50]. AKT/PI3K-dependent signal transduction pathways are cell survival signals stimulated by growth factors, cytokines, and oncoproteins. Overactive AKT/PI3K pathway can reduce tumor cell apoptosis and augment proliferation [51]. However, the regulatory relationship between HSP27, PI3K/AKT, and MAP kinase pathways is complex. For example, the p38MAPK-MAPKAPK2-HSP27 pathway will be activated by chemotherapy agent ciplastin plus gemcitabin in lung cancer stem cells [10]. In contrast, HSP27 induces cisplatin resistance by depressing p38 activation and enhancing AKT activation in lung cancer cells [52]. This difference may be due to different cell types and the study design. Guo et al. showed that an early, transient activation of JNK or p38 MAPK (or both) is usually associated with cell survival or differentiation, whereas a late, sustained activation of these kinases is generally associated with apoptosis [53]. In colorectal cancers, HSP27 overexpression is KRAS mutation dependent [54], but both A549 and H441 are KRAS mutation cell lines. The relationship of KRAS mutation and HSP27 expression in lung cancer needs further investigation. In our report, EGb761 attenuated HSP27 expression in A549/H441 cell lines by activating p38 MAPK and AKT pathways but not ERK or JNK pathway. Because the combination of AKT and p38 inhibitor treatment may decrease cellular viability, the synergistic effects of the combination treatment on the expression of HSP27 may need further analysis. Moreover, because the activation (phosphorylation) status is unstable and dephosphorylation occurred rapidly under physiological conditions, it is difficult to observe the true results of AKT and p38 activation in vivo in the low HSP27 expression patient group.

In conclusion, HSP27 is a poor prognostic factor of NSCLC, and EGb761 has great potential to being used as a complement therapy for the treatment of NSCLC due to its inhibitory effect on HSP27 expression.

Materials and Methods

Tumor sample collection

NSCLC and corresponding normal tissues were collected from 64 patients who underwent surgical resection at the Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, from 2004 to 2010. Tissue samples were immediately placed in liquid nitrogen for shipment to the laboratory, and then stored in −80°C freezers until RNA isolation and protein extraction were conducted. Complete staging procedures, including chest radiography, bronchoscopy, brain and thoracic computed tomography, sonography, and bone scintigraphy were performed to precisely determine the characteristics of TNM in patients with NSCLC according to the TNM International Staging System for Lung cancer [55]. All patients were followed up until March 2011, and details of their demographic and survival data were updated.

Ethics statement

The study was approved by the Ethical Review Board for Research (KMUH-IRB-990358) of the Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The participants provide their written informed consent to participate in this study.

RNA extraction and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

Total RNA was isolated from frozen lung tumor tissues of patients with NSCLC and corresponding normal adjacent lung tissues. RNA from normal lung tissue, lung tumor tissue, and lung cancer cells was analyzed using real-time PCR. Total RNA was isolated using an RNeasy Mini kit and an RNase-free DNase Set (Qiagen, Valencia, CA, USA). Total RNA (2 μg) was reverse-transcribed using SuperScript™ and First-Strand Synthesis System for RT-PCR Kit (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, USA). A 1∶5 dilution of the resulting cDNA was used as the standard, and a 1∶10 template dilution of the resulting cDNA was used as the standard to quantify the relative content of mRNA by using real-time PCR (LightCycler FastStart DNA Master SYBR Green I, Roche, Mannheim, Germany). The following primers for real-time PCR were designed using the Primer Express software (RealQuant, Roche, Mannheim, Germany) by using published sequences: human HSP27 (GenBank: accession number: AB020027.1) sense primer: 5′-GTC CCA CGA GAT CAC CAT-3′, human HSP27 antisense primer: 5′-GGT GGT TGC TTT GAA CTT TAT T-3′, human GAPDH sense primer: 5′-AGC CAC ATC GCT CAG ACA-3′, and GAPDH antisense primer: 5′-GCC CAA TAC GAC CAA ATC C-3′. Fluorescence data were acquired at the end of extension. Melt analysis was performed for all products to determine the specificity of the amplification. In addition, PCR products were electrophoresed on 1% agarose gels to confirm whether the correct band sizes were present. Relative expression was calculated as a ratio of the expression in the tumor compared with the expression in the normal adjacent tissue (high expression: tumor lesion/normal tissue >1; low expression: tumor lesion/normal tissue <1) [56]–[57].

Immunohistochemical staining

Tumor specimens were dissected from human lung tissue, fixed in 4% buffered formalin solution overnight, embedded in paraffin, and sectioned in 5-μm thicknesses. The paraffin sections were deparaffinized with xylene and stained with antihuman-HSP27 (Santa Cruz, Dallas, TX, USA) antibody. After PBS washing, the sections were incubated with horseradish peroxidase-conjugated secondary antibody for 1 h at room temperature. For color reactions, diaminobenzidine (DAB) was used and counter stained with hematoxylin. For negative controls, the antibody was replaced by control IgG.

Western blot analysis

Cells were lysed with lysis buffer [0.5 M NaCl, 50 mM Tris, 1 mM EDTA, 0.05% SDS, 0.5% Triton X-100, 1 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF), pH 7.4] for 30 min at 4°C, and the cell lysates were centrifuged at 4,000 g for 30 min at 4°C. Protein concentrations in the supernatants were measured using a BioRad protein determination kit (BioRad, Hercules, CA, USA). The supernatants were subjected to 12% SDS-PAGE and then transferred to polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membranes (NEN) for 1 h at room temperature. The membranes were then treated with PBS containing 0.05% Tween 20 and 2% skimmed milk for 1 h at room temperature and incubated separately with mouse antihuman HSP27, AKT/pAKT, P38/pP38, PI3K/pPI3K, ERK/pERK, JNK/pJNK or α-tubulin (Abcam, Cambridge, MA, USA) for 1 h at room temperature as internal control. After washing, the membranes were incubated for with horseradish peroxidase-conjugated rabbit antigoat or mouse IgG at room temperature. Immunodetection was performed using chemiluminescence reagent plus NEN and exposure to Biomax MR Film (Kodak, Rochester, NY, USA).

Culture of NSCLC cells

Lung adenocarcinoma A549/H441 cells (ATCC CCL-185/ATCC HTB-174) were cultured in flasks in F12K growth medium supplemented with 5% fetal bovine serum (FBS), 100 units/mL penicillin, and 100 pg/mL streptomycin. The cells were cultured at 37°C in a humidified atmosphere of 95% air and 5% CO2. BEAS-2B cells (ATCC CRL- 9609), which are normal bronchial epithelial cells, were used as control.

HSP27 silencing in A549/H441 cells

Small interfering RNA (siRNA), a specific double-stranded 21-nucleotide RNA sequence homologous to the target gene, was used to silence HSP27 expression. Human HSP27 siRNA sense primer: 5′-GCG UGU CCC UGG AUG UCA ATT-3′ and antisense primer: 5′-UUG ACA UCC AGG GAC ACG CGC-3′. SiRNA for HSP27 and negative control (NC-siRNA) were designed and synthesized using a computer software from Ambion (Austin, TX, USA) and Silencer™ siRNA construction kit from Ambion, according to the manufacturer's instructions. Inhibition of HSP27 mRNA and protein expression was assessed using real-time PCR and immunoblot analysis after transfection of A549/H441 with HSP27-siRNA. Briefly, cells were grown in 6 wells and transiently transfected with 20 nM siRNA by using 8 μL siPORT Amine (Ambion, Austin, TX, USA) in a total transfection volume of 0.5 mL of the medium. After incubation at 37°C, 5% CO2 for 5 h, 1.5 mL of the normal growth medium was added, and the cells were incubated for 48 h.

MTT assay for cell viability

The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT; Sigma, Louis, MO, USA) assay was used to measure cell viability[58]. The principle of this assay is that mitochondrial dehydrogenase in viable cells reduces MTT to a blue formazan. Briefly, cells were grown in 96-well plates and incubated with various concentrations of EGb761. After washing the cells twice with PBS, 100 μL of the medium containing MTT (0.5 mg/mL) was added to each well, and the cells were incubated at 37°C for an additional 4 h. The medium was then carefully removed so as to not disturb the formazan crystals formed. Next 100 μL DMSO, which solubilizes the formazan crystals, was added to each well, and the absorbance of the solubilized blue formazan was read at 540 nm by using a microplate reader (Multiskan Ex, ThermoLabsystems), with DMSO as the blank. The reduction in optical density by the drugs was used as the measurement of cell viability, normalized to cells incubated in control medium, which were considered 100% viable.

Quantification of DNA fragmentation

Cellular DNA fragmentation ELISA assays were performed using a kit according to the manufacturer's protocol (Roche Molecular Biochemicals, Mannheim, Germany). Cells were incubated for 12 h at 37°C with a non-radioactive thymidine analog 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU), which can be incorporated into genomic DNA. Subsequently, cells were incubated with or without EGb761 for 6 h. Cells were then lysed, transferred to a microtiter plate coated with an anti-DNA antibody, and incubated for 90 min at room temperature. The plate was washed 3 times and heated for 5 min in a microwave oven. Anti-BrdU-peroxidase conjugate solution was added to each well, and the plate was incubated for 90 min at room temperature. After the plate was washed 3 times, substrate solution was added, and the plate was incubated in the dark on a shaker until color development was sufficient. The reaction was then stopped by adding 25 μL 0.56 M H2SO4. A microplate reader (BioRad, Hercules, CA, USA) was used to measure absorbance at 450 and 655 nm for each well.

In vitro migration analyses

The migratory ability of cells were assayed in a monolayer denudation assay, as described previously [59]. The confluent cells were wounded by scraping with a 100-μL pipette tip, which denuded a strip of the monolayer that was 300 μm in diameter. The cultures were washed twice with PBS; then a medium supplemented with 5% FBS was added, and the rate of wound closure was observed after 24 h. The cells that migrated into the denuded area were photographed, and the areas were analyzed using the Wimasis WimScratch software. Wimasis WimScratch is a new generation web-based image tool for cell migration analysis. Edge detection techniques can easily recognize the leading edge and the gap area. Users can upload the images and analysis will start automatically.

EGb761 and pathway inhibitors

The AKT and p38 MAPK inhibitors, API-59 (Santa Cruz, Dallas, TX, USA) and SB203580 (Selleckchem, Radnor, PA, USA), respectively, were used in our study. The EGb761 used in our study were pursued from Dr. Willmar Schwabe GmbH & Co., Karlsruhe, (Germany).

Statistical analyses

Statistical differences in HSP27 expression ratio and clinical parameters were tested using student's t-test or one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. Survival curves were drawn using the Kaplan–Meier method. Results are expressed as mean ± SEM. Data was analyzed using the JMP software (SAS, JMP, Version 8.0, Cary, NC). The chi-square test was used for statistical analysis. One-way ANOVA was applied to assess the differences among groups. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.