Autophagic flux promotes cisplatin resistance in human ovarian carcinoma cells through ATP-mediated lysosomal function.

Lysosomes are involved in promoting resistance of cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agents. However, the mechanisms underlying lysosomal influence of cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer remain incompletely understood. We report that, compared with cisplatin-sensitive SKOV3 cells, autophagy increases in cisplatin-resistant SKOV3/DDP cells treated with cisplatin. Inhibition of early-stage autophagy enhanced cisplatin-mediated cytotoxicity in SKOV3/DDP cells, but autophagy inhibition at a later stage by disturbing autophagosome-lysosome fusion is more effective. Notably, SKOV3/DDP cells contained more lysosomes than cisplatin-sensitive SKOV3 cells. Abundant lysosomes and lysosomal cathepsin D activity were required for continued autolysosomal degradation and maintenance of autophagic flux in SKOV3/DDP cells. Furthermore, SKOV3/DDP cells contain abundant lysosomal ATP required for lysosomal function, and inhibition of lysosomal ATP accumulation impaired lysosomal function and blocked autophagic flux. Therefore, our findings suggest that lysosomes at least partially contribute to cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer cells through their role in cisplatin-induced autophagic processes, and provide insight into the mechanism of cisplatin resistance in tumors.