Regulation of Multidrug Resistance Proteins by Genistein in a Hepatocarcinoma Cell Line: Impact on Sorafenib Cytotoxicity

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most frequent cancer worldwide. Sorafenib is the only drug available that improves the overall survival of HCC patients. P-glycoprotein (P-gp), Multidrug resistance-associated proteins 2 and 3 (MRP2 and 3) and Breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) are efflux pumps that play a key role in cancer chemoresistance. Their modulation by dietary compounds may affect the intracellular accumulation and therapeutic efficacy of drugs that are substrates of these transporters. Genistein (GNT) is a phytoestrogen abundant in soybean that exerts its genomic effects through Estrogen-Receptors and Pregnane-X-Receptor (PXR), which are involved in the regulation of the above-mentioned transporters. We evaluated the effect of GNT on the expression and activity of P-gp, MRP2, MRP3 and BCRP in HCC-derived HepG2 cells. GNT (at 1.0 and 10 μM) increased P-gp and MRP2 protein expression and activity, correlating well with an increased resistance to sorafenib cytotoxicity as detected by the methylthiazole tetrazolium (MTT) assay. GNT induced P-gp and MRP2 mRNA expression at 10 but not at 1.0 μM concentration suggesting a different pattern of regulation depending on the concentration. Induction of both transporters by 1.0 μM GNT was prevented by cycloheximide, suggesting translational regulation. Downregulation of expression of the miR-379 by GNT could be associated with translational regulation of MRP2. Silencing of PXR abolished P-gp induction by GNT (at 1.0 and 10 μM) and MRP2 induction by GNT (only at 10 μM), suggesting partial mediation of GNT effects by PXR. Taken together, the data suggest the possibility of nutrient-drug interactions leading to enhanced chemoresistance in HCC when GNT is ingested with soy rich diets or dietary supplements.     

Upregulated miR-182 increases drug resistance in cisplatin-treated HCC cell by regulating TP53INP1

Chemotherapy plays a crucial role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment especially for patients with advanced HCC. Cisplatin is one of the commonly used chemotherapeutic drugs for the treatment of HCC. However, acquisition of cisplatin resistance is common in patients with HCC, and the underlying mechanism of such resistance is not fully understood. In the study, we focused on identifying the role of miRNAs in chemotherapy resistance after cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy. We assayed the expression level of miR-182 after cisplatin-based chemotherapy in patients with advanced HCC, and defined the biological functions by real-time PCR analysis and CCK-8 assay. We found that miR-182 levels were significantly increased in HCC patients treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy. miR-182 levels were also higher in cisplatin-resistant HepG2 (HepG2-R) cells than in HepG2 cells. Upregulated miR-182 significantly increased the cell viability, whereas miR-182 knockdown reduced the cell viability during cisplatin treatment. miR-182 inhibition also partially overcame cisplatin resistance in HepG2-R cell. Furthermore, we found that upregulated miR-182 inhibited the expression of tumor suppressor gene TP53INP1 (tumor protein 53-induced nuclear protein1) in vitro. In vivo, miR-182 and TP53INP1 expression was negatively correlated. We finally demonstrated that miR-182 increased cisplatin resistance of HCC cell, partly by targeting TP53INP1. These data suggest that miR-182/TP53INP1 signaling represents a novel pathway regulating chemoresistance, thus offering a new target for chemotherapy of HCC.     

FAM225A promotes sorafenib resistance in hepatocarcinoma cells through modulating miR-130a-5p–CCNG1 interaction network

Chemotherapy resistance is still a key hurdle in current hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment. Therefore, clarifying the molecular mechanisms contributing to this acquired resistance is urgent for the effective treatment of liver cancer. In this research, we observed that lncRNA FAM225A expression is dramatically up-regulated not only in HCC tissues and cell lines but also in sorafenib-resistant HepG2/SOR cells. Moreover, FAM225A knockdown significantly weakened HepG2/SOR cells resistance to sorafenib treatment by MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. Similar results were obtained from the tumor xenograft model in mice. Further mechanistic researches revealed that the direct interaction between FAM225A and miR-130a-5p, while miR-130a-5p negatively modulated Cyclin G1 (CCNG1) expression by targeting 3′UTR of CCNG1. MiR-130a-5p inhibition or CCNG1 overexpression could partially offset FAM225A knockdown-induced increased viability of HepG2/SOR cells in response to sorafenib challenge. Collectively, our findings provide evidence that FAM225A/miR-130a-5p/CCNG1 interaction network regulates the resistance of HCC cells to sorafenib treatment and could supply a possible strategy for restoring sorafenib sensitivity in HCC therapy.     

LncRNA FOXD2‐AS1 as a competitive endogenous RNA against miR‐150‐5p reverses resistance to sorafenib in hepatocellular carcinoma

The current study elucidated the role of a long non‐coding RNA (lncRNA), FOXD2‐AS1, in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the regulatory mechanism underlying FOXD2‐AS1/miR‐150‐5p/transmembrane protein 9 (TMEM9) signalling in HCC. Microarray analysis was used for preliminary screening of candidate lncRNAs in HCC tissues. qRT‐PCR and Western blot analyses were used to detect the expression of FOXD2‐AS1. Cell proliferation assays, luciferase assay and RNA immunoprecipitation were performed to examine the mechanism by which FOXD2‐AS1 mediates sorafenib resistance in HCC cells. FOXD2‐AS1 and TMEM9 were significantly decreased and miR‐150‐5p was increased in SR‐HepG2 and SR‐HUH7 cells compared with control parental cells. Overexpression of FOXD2‐AS1 increased TMEM9 expression and overcame the resistance of SR‐HepG2 and SR‐HUH7 cells. Conversely, knockdown of FOXD2‐AS1 decreased TMEM9 expression and increased the sensitivity of HepG2 and Huh7 cells to sorafenib. Our data also demonstrated that FOXD2‐AS1 functioned as a sponge for miR‐150‐5p to modulate TMEM9 expression. Taken together, our findings revealed that FOXD2‐AS1 is an important regulator of TMEM9 and contributed to sorafenib resistance. Thus, FOXD2‐AS1 may serve as a therapeutic target against sorafenib resistance in HCC.     

Identification of a novel mechanism for reversal of doxorubicin-induced chemotherapy resistance by TXNIP in triple-negative breast cancer via promoting reactive oxygen-mediated DNA damage

Given that triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) lacks specific receptors (estrogen and progesterone receptors and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) and cannot be treated with endocrine therapy, chemotherapy has remained the mainstay of treatment. Drug resistance is reportedly the main obstacle to the clinical use of doxorubicin (DOX) in this patient population. Accordingly, screening molecules related to chemoresistance and studying their specific mechanisms has clinical significance for improving the efficacy of chemotherapy in TNBC patients. Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) is a metabolism-related protein that plays a tumor suppressor role in various malignant tumors; however, the specific role of TXNIP in tumor chemoresistance has not been reported. In the present study, we explored the potential molecular mechanism of TXNIP in the chemoresistance of TNBC for the first time. The results showed that TXNIP inhibited the proliferation of TNBC drug-resistant cells and promoted apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, TXNIP promoted the synthesis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the accumulation of DNA damage caused by DOX and increased γ-H2AX levels in a time and dose-dependent manner. Moreover, ROS scavenger pretreatment could block DNA damage induced by TXNIP and restore the resistance of TNBC resistant cells to DOX to a certain extent. In addition, we found that the small molecule c-Myc inhibitor 10058-F4 promoted TXNIP expression, increased ROS synthesis in cells, and could enhance the cytotoxicity of chemotherapy drugs in vitro and in vivo when combined with DOX. These results indicated that c-Myc inhibitor 10058-F4 could induce TXNIP upregulation in TNBC drug-resistant cells, and the upregulated TXNIP increased the accumulation of ROS-dependent DNA damage, thereby decreasing chemotherapy resistance of TNBC. Our findings reveal a new mechanism of mediating drug resistance and provide a new drug combination strategy to overcome DOX resistance in TNBC.Subject terms: Breast cancer, Cancer therapeutic resistance     

ATP citrate lyase inhibitor triggers endoplasmic reticulum stress to induce hepatocellular carcinoma cell apoptosis via p-eIF2α/ATF4/CHOP axis

ATP citrate lyase (ACLY), a key enzyme in the metabolic reprogramming of many cancers, is widely expressed in various mammalian tissues. This study aimed to evaluate the effects and mechanisms of ACLY and its inhibitor BMS-303141 on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, ACLY was highly expressed in HCC tissues, especially in HepG2 and Huh7 cells, but was down-regulated in Hep3B and HCC-LM3 cells. Besides, ACLY knockdown inhibited HepG2 proliferation and clone formation, while opposite result was noticed in HCC-LM3 cells with ACLY overexpression. Moreover, ACLY knockdown impeded the migration and invasion abilities of HepG2 cells. Similarly, BMS-303141 suppressed HepG2 and Huh-7 cell proliferation. The p-eIF2α, ATF4, CHOP p-IRE1α, sXBP1 and p-PERK were activated in HepG2 cells stimulated by BMS-303141. In cells where ER stress was induced, ATF4 was involved in BMS-303141-mediated cell death procession, and ATF4 knockdown reduced HCC cell apoptosis stimulated by BMS-303141. In a mouse xenograft model, combined treatment with BMS-303141 and sorafenib reduced HepG2 tumour volume and weight. In addition, ACLY expression was associated with HCC metastasis and tumour-node-metastases staging. Survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression model showed that overall survival was lower in HCC patients with high ACLY expression; AFP level, TNM staging, tumour size and ACLY expression level were independent risk factors affecting their overall survival. In conclusion, ACLY might represent a promising target in which BMS-303141 could induce ER stress and activate p-eIF2α/ATF4/CHOP axis to promote apoptosis of HCC cells, and synergized with sorafenib to enhance the efficacy of HCC treatment.     

Gambogenic acid reverses P-glycoprotein mediated multidrug resistance in HepG2/Adr cells and its underlying mechanism

Gambogenic acid (GNA), an active ingredient isolated from Gamboge, which possesses diverse antitumor effects in vivo and vitro. Here we were mainly designed to understand the role of GNA in drug resistance in HepG2/Adr cells. The alteration of cytotoxic drugs IC₅₀ was examined using the MTT method. Cell apoptosis and uptake of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) substrates were measured under a flow cytometry and fluorescence microscope, respectively. Moreover, the ATPase activity, the expression of P-gp and P-gp-related proteins were also investigated. Results of the MTT method indicated that GNA increased the chemosensitivity of doxorubicin (DOX) and paclitaxel (PTX) in the HepG2/Adr cells and promoted the cell apoptosis in the presence of DOX. Meanwhile, it was also increased the retention of P-gp substrates DOX and Rhodamine 123 (Rho-123) while did not affect the ATPase activity. Furthermore, the down-regulation of P-gp expression could be contributed to multidrug resistance (MDR) upon a reversal concentration of 0.8?μg/mL GNA. Mechanistically, the expression of P-gp was reduced by GNA may result from the inhibition of the NF-kB and MAPK pathway. Collectively, GNA could be a potential inhibitor to reverse P-gp-mediated MDR in liver cancer therapy.     

HO-1在U2OS细胞DOX耐药中的作用及分子机制研究

目的:探讨血红素氧合酶-1(HO-1)在骨肉瘤U2OS细胞多柔比星(DOX)耐药中的作用及相关分子机制。方法:体外培养U2OS细胞,建立U2OS-DOX耐药株,分为U2OS-WT组和U2OS-DOX组。采用siRNA HO-1转染U2OS-DOX细胞,CCK-8法检测细胞活性;RT-PCR法检测缺氧诱导因子1(HIF-1α)及HO-1的mRNA表达;WB法检测HIF-1α及HO-1的蛋白表达水平;流式细胞仪检测罗丹明Rh123在细胞内的蓄积。结果:DOX可降低U2OS细胞活性并随剂量的增加愈加明显,这种诱导作用可以被抗氧化剂(NAC)所逆转(P<0.01)。U2OS-DOX组HIF-1α及HO-1的mRNA和蛋白表达以及P糖蛋白(P-gp)表达水平均显著增加(P<0.05)。转染可恢复U2OS-DOX细胞对DOX化疗敏感性并增加其对Rh123的蓄积(P<0.001)。结论:HO-1可能通过抗氧化应激、增加化疗药物的蓄积等机制发挥U2OS细胞对DOX的耐药性。     

Bufalin Reverses Resistance to Sorafenib by Inhibiting Akt Activation in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: The Role of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress

Sorafenib is the standard first-line therapeutic treatment for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but its use is hampered by the development of drug resistance. The activation of Akt by sorafenib is thought to be responsible for this resistance. Bufalin is the major active ingredient of the traditional Chinese medicine Chan su, which inhibits Akt activation; therefore, Chan su is currently used in the clinic to treat cancer. The present study aimed to investigate the ability of bufalin to reverse both inherent and acquired resistance to sorafenib. Bufalin synergized with sorafenib to inhibit tumor cell proliferation and induce apoptosis. This effect was at least partially due to the ability of bufalin to inhibit Akt activation by sorafenib. Moreover, the ability of bufalin to inactivate Akt depended on endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress mediated by inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1). Silencing IRE1 with siRNA blocked the bufalin-induced Akt inactivation, but silencing eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2) or C/EBP-homologous protein (CHOP) did not have the same effect. Additionally, silencing Akt did not influence IRE1, CHOP or phosphorylated eIF2α expression. Two sorafenib-resistant HCC cell lines, which were established from human HCC HepG2 and Huh7 cells, were refractory to sorafenib-induced growth inhibition but were sensitive to bufalin. Thus, Bufalin reversed acquired resistance to sorafenib by downregulating phosphorylated Akt in an ER-stress-dependent manner via the IRE1 pathway. These findings warrant further studies to examine the utility of bufalin alone or in combination with sorafenib as a first- or second-line treatment after sorafenib failure for advanced HCC.     

Reversal Effect of ST6GAL 1 on Multidrug Resistance in Human Leukemia by Regulating the PI3K/Akt Pathway and the Expression of P-gp and MRP1

β-galactoside α2, 6-sialyltransferse gene (ST6GAL) family has two members, which encode corresponding enzymes ST6Gal I and ST6Gal II. The present atudy was to investigate whether and how ST6GAL family involved in multidrug resistance (MDR) in human leukemia cell lines and bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMC) of leukemia patients. Real-time PCR showed a high expression level of ST6GAL1 gene in both MDR cells and BMMCs (*P<0.05). Alternation of ST6GAL1 levels had a significant impact on drug-resistant phenotype changing of K562 and K562/ADR cells both in vitro and in vivo. However, no significant changes were observed of ST6GAL2 gene. Further data revealed that manipulation of ST6GAL1 modulated the activity of phosphoinositide 3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling and consequently regulated the expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp, *P<0.05) and multidrug resistance related protein 1 (MRP1, *P<0.05), which are both known to be associated with MDR. Therefore we postulate that ST6GAL1 is responsible for the development of MDR in human leukemia cells probably through medicating the activity of PI3K/Akt signaling and the expression of P-gp and MRP1.     

Mcl-1在胆盐（GCDA）诱导的肝癌细胞耐药中的作用

目的：探讨抗凋亡蛋白Mcl-1在GCDA诱导的肝癌细胞耐药中的作用及其机制。方法：培养3种肝癌细胞系,用免疫荧光法和Western blot技术检测Mcl-1的表达;GCDA±CYC处理HepG2细胞,采用Western blot技术检测Mcl-1的半衰期变化;用抗癌药物Irinotecan与GCDA对HepG2细胞进行处理,采用MTT法和Western blot技术分别检测细胞增殖抑制率和Mcl-1的表达变化;用RNA干扰技术下调Mcl-1,检测化疗药物对HepG2细胞的敏感性。结果：Mcl-1在肝癌细胞中广泛表达;GCDA能延长Mcl-1的半衰期至6h以上,并明显减弱化疗药物对抗凋亡蛋白Mcl-1的抑制作用,降低癌细胞的药物敏感性;RNA干扰下调Mcl-1能增加癌细胞的药物敏感性。结论：胆盐（GCDA）能诱导HepG2细胞产生耐药性,其作用机制可能是通过延长Mcl-1半衰期增加其蛋白稳定性和抗凋亡作用来促使肝癌细胞抗药的。     

LncRNA NR2F1‐AS1 regulates hepatocellular carcinoma oxaliplatin resistance by targeting ABCC1 via miR‐363

Emerging evidence has validated the vital role of long non‐coding RNA (lncRNA) in the chemoresistance of cancer treatment. In the present study, we investigate the function of lncRNA NR2F1‐AS1 on oxaliplatin (OXA) resistance of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and discover the underlying molecular mechanism. Results revealed that lncRNA NR2F1‐AS1 was up‐regulated in oxaliplatin‐resistant HCC tissue and cells using microarray analysis and RT‐PCR. Meanwhile, ABCC1 protein was overexpressed in OXA‐resistant HCC cells (Huh7/OXA and HepG2/OXA). In vitro, NR2F1‐AS1 knockdown reduced the invasion, migration, drug‐resistant gene (MDR1, MRP5, LRP1) and IC50 value in Huh7/OXA and HepG2/OXA cells. In vivo, NR2F1‐AS1 knockdown decreased the tumour weight of HCC cells. Bioinformatics tools and luciferase reporter assay confirmed miR‐363 targeted the 3′‐UTR of NR2F1‐AS1 and ABCC1 mRNA, presenting that NR2F1‐AS1 promoted ABCC1 expression through endogenous sponging miR‐363. In summary, results conclude that NR2F1‐AS1 regulates HCC OXA resistance through targeting miR‐363‐ABCC1 pathway, providing a vital theoretic mechanism and therapeutic target for HCC chemoresistance.     

Cisplatin-induced downregulation of miR-199a-5p increases drug resistance by activating autophagy in HCC cell

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Systemic chemotherapy plays an important role in the treatment of patients with advanced liver cancer. However, chemoresistance to cisplatin is a major limitation of cisplatin-based chemotherapy in the clinic, and the underlying mechanism of such resistance is not fully understood. In the study, we found that miR-199a-5p levels were significantly reduced in HCC patients treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Cisplatin treatment also resulted in decreased miR-199a-5p levels in human HCC cell lines. Forced expression of miR-199a-5p promoted cisplatin-induced inhibition of cell proliferation. Cisplatin treatment activated autophagy in Huh7 and HepG2 cells, which increased cell proliferation. We further demonstrated that downregulated miR-199a-5p enhanced autophagy activation by targeting autophagy-associated gene 7 (ATG7). More important, autophagy inhibition abrogated miR-199a-5p downregulation-induced cell proliferation. These data demonstrated that miR-199a-5p/autophagy signaling represents a novel pathway regulating chemoresistance, thus offering a new target for chemotherapy of HCC.     

Sorafenib sensitizes hepatocellular carcinoma cell to cisplatin via suppression of Wnt/β-catenin signaling

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Systemic chemotherapy plays an important role in the treatment of patients with advanced liver cancer. However, chemoresistance to cisplatin is a major limitation of cisplatin-based chemotherapy in the clinic, and the underlying mechanism of such resistance is not fully understood. In this study, we found that nuclear accumulation of β-catenin was higher in cisplatin-resistant Huh7 cells than in Huh7 cells, indicating that Wnt signaling was activated in cisplatin-resistant cells. Wnt signaling inhibition increased cisplatin-induced growth inhibition in hepatoma cell. We further demonstrated that sorafenib could inhibit Wnt signaling in Huh7 cells and cisplatin-resistant Huh7 cells. Co-treatment with cisplatin and sorafenib was more effective in inhibiting cancer cell proliferation than cisplatin alone in vitro and in vivo, whereas Wnt3a (Wnt activator) treatment abrogated sorafenib-induced growth inhibition. These data demonstrated that sorafenib sensitizes human HCC cell to cisplatin via suppression of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, thus offering a new target for chemotherapy of HCC.     

Casein Kinase 2 (CK2)-mediated Phosphorylation of Hsp90β as a Novel Mechanism of Rifampin-induced MDR1 Expression

The P-glycoprotein (P-gp) encoded by the MDR1 gene is a drug-exporting transporter located in the cellular membrane. P-gp induction is regarded as one of the main mechanisms underlying drug-induced resistance. Although there is great interest in the regulation of P-gp expression, little is known about its underlying regulatory mechanisms. In this study, we demonstrate that casein kinase 2 (CK2)-mediated phosphorylation of heat shock protein 90β (Hsp90β) and subsequent stabilization of PXR is a key mechanism in the regulation of MDR1 expression. Furthermore, we show that CK2 is directly activated by rifampin. Upon exposure to rifampin, CK2 catalyzes the phosphorylation of Hsp90β at the Ser-225/254 residues. Phosphorylated Hsp90β then interacts with PXR, causing a subsequent increase in its stability, leading to the induction of P-gp expression. In addition, inhibition of CK2 and Hsp90β enhances the down-regulation of PXR and P-gp expression. The results of this study may facilitate the development of new strategies to prevent multidrug resistance and provide a plausible mechanism for acquired drug resistance by CK2-mediated regulation of P-gp expression.     

Small-molecule synthetic compound norcantharidin reverses multi-drug resistance by regulating Sonic hedgehog signaling in human breast cancer cells

Multi-drug resistance (MDR), an unfavorable factor compromising treatment efficacy of anticancer drugs, involves upregulated ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters and activated Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling. By preparing human breast cancer MCF-7 cells resistant to doxorubicin (DOX), we examined the effect and mechanism of norcantharidin (NCTD), a small-molecule synthetic compound, on reversing multidrug resistance. The DOX-prepared MCF-7R cells also possessed resistance to vinorelbine, characteristic of MDR. At suboptimal concentration, NCTD significantly inhibited the viability of DOX-sensitive (MCF-7S) and DOX-resistant (MCF-7R) cells and reversed the resistance to DOX and vinorelbine. NCTD increased the intracellular accumulation of DOX in MCF-7R cells and suppressed the upregulated the mdr-1 mRNA, P-gp and BCRP protein expression, but not the MRP-1. The role of P-gp was strengthened by partial reversal of the DOX and vinorelbine resistance by cyclosporine A. NCTD treatment suppressed the upregulation of Shh expression and nuclear translocation of Gli-1, a hallmark of Shh signaling activation in the resistant clone. Furthermore, the Shh ligand upregulated the expression of P-gp and attenuated the growth inhibitory effect of NCTD. The knockdown of mdr-1 mRNA had not altered the expression of Shh and Smoothened in both MCF-7S and MCF-7R cells. This indicates that the role of Shh signaling in MDR might be upstream to mdr-1/P-gp, and similar effect was shown in breast cancer MDA-MB-231 and BT-474 cells. This study demonstrated that NCTD may overcome multidrug resistance through inhibiting Shh signaling and expression of its downstream mdr-1/P-gp expression in human breast cancer cells.     

Galectin-1-Induced Autophagy Facilitates Cisplatin Resistance of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers in Taiwan. Although chemotherapy is the primary treatment for HCC patients, drug resistance often leads to clinical failure. Galectin-1 is a beta-galactoside binding lectin which is up-regulated in HCC patients and promotes tumor growth by mediating cancer cell adhesion, migration and proliferation, but its role in chemoresistance of HCC is poorly understood. In this study we found that galectin-1 is able to lead to chemoresistance against cisplatin treatment, and subsequent inhibition has reversed the effect of cell death in HCC cells. Moreover, galectin-1 was found to induce autophagic flux in HCC cells. Inhibition of autophagy by inhibitors or knockdown of Atg5 cancels galectin-1-induced cisplatin resistance in HCC cells. Increase of mitophagy triggered by galectin-1 was found to reduce the mitochondrial potential loss and apoptosis induced by cisplatin treatment. Finally, using an in situ hepatoma mouse model, we clearly demonstrated that inhibition of galectin-1 by thiodigalactoside could significantly augment the anti-HCC effect of cisplatin. Taken together, our findings offer a new insight into the chemoresistance galectin-1 causes against cisplatin treatment, and points to a potential approach to improve the efficacy of cisplatin in the treatment of HCC patients.