AIB1 suppressed ROS by up-regulating antioxidants such as glutathione synthetase and glutathione peroxidase, which are targets of the NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a critical transcription Galunisertib molecular weight factor that regulates antioxidants, detoxification enzymes, and drug efflux proteins. AIB1 also increased the expression of another two Nrf2 targets, ABCC2 and ABCG2, to enhance

drug efflux. AIB1 served as an essential coactivator for Nrf2 activation by physically interacting with Nrf2 to enhance its transcriptional activity. Conclusion: AIB1 plays an important role in proliferation and chemoresistance of CCA through simultaneous activation of Akt and Nrf2 pathways, suggesting that AIB1 is a potential molecular target for CCA treatment. (HEPATOLOGY 2012;55:1822–1831) Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is the second most common primary hepatic malignancy after hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). CCA arises from the biliary epithelium and is classified based on its anatomic location as intrahepatic (ICCA), perihilar, or distal extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECCA).1 Recent epidemiologic studies showed that the incidence and mortality of CCA is increasing worldwide.2 CCA is characterized by poor prognosis and a 5-year survival

Pembrolizumab rate less than 5%.3 Currently, conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy have not been reported to be effective selleck products in improving long-term survival,4 thus the only curative treatment for CCA is surgical resection. Therefore, there is an urgent need to define the molecular mechanisms underlying CCA proliferation and chemoresistance for developing novel therapeutic strategies. Amplified in breast cancer 1 (AIB1, SRC-3, ACTR, RAC3, TRAM-1, and pCIP) is a member of the p160 coactivator family that also includes SRC-1 (NcoA-1) and SRC-2

(GRIP1/TIF2), which interacts with nuclear hormone receptors and other transcription factors to regulate the expression of their target genes.5 AIB1 is overexpressed in multiple human cancers such as prostate cancer, breast cancer, and HCC and plays important roles in promoting the initiation and progression of tumors through multiple signaling pathways including ERα, EGFR, Akt, MAPK, E2F1, C/EBPβ, NF-κB, and HER2/neu.5, 6 These results indicate that AIB1 is a bona fide oncogene. However, the expression profile of AIB1 in CCA and the function of AIB1 in growth and survival of CCA remains unknown. In this study we demonstrate that the AIB1 protein is frequently overexpressed in human CCA specimens and CCA cell lines; down-regulation of AIB1 in CCA cells reduced cell proliferation and chemoresistance through suppressing the Akt and Nrf2 pathways.