Caveolin-1 regulates metastatic behaviors of anoikis resistant lung cancer cells.

Caveolin-1 (Cav-1), a protein component of cellular membrane, has been reported to regulate several cancer cell behaviors. However, its role on cancer metastasis in anoikis resistant cells is unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the correlation between Cav-1 level and aggressive behaviors of anoikis resistant cancer cells. Cav-1 and ShRNACav-1 stably transfected lung carcinoma cells, and anoikis resistant H_AR1 and H_AR2 cells expressing different levels of Cav-1 were subjected to anoikis, cell growth, anchorage-independent growth, extracellular matrix adhesion, cisplatin sensitivity, migration, and invasion assays. The correlations between cellular Cav-1 level and such cancer aggressive behaviors were evaluated. Results revealed that anoikis resistant lung cancer cells as well as Cav-1 overexpressing cells exhibit a significant increase in anchorage-independent growth, extracellular matrix adhesion, migration, and invasion in comparison to those of their parental H460 cells. Knock-down of Cav-1 by ShRNA transfection was able to reverse such metastatic potentials in H_AR2 cells. In addition, basal Cav-1 level of these cells was positively correlated with anoikis resistance, anchorage-independent growth, migration, and invasion behaviors of the cells, whereas such Cav-1 level showed poor correlation to cisplatin sensitivity, cell adhesion, and growth in attached condition. These findings give more information regarding role of Cav-1 in the regulation of behaviors of lung cancer cells.