AKIP1 promotes glioblastoma viability,mobility and chemoradiation resistance via regulating CXCL1 and CXCL8 mediated NF-κB and AKT pathways

This study aimed to investigate the interaction of A-kinase-interacting protein 1 (AKIP1) with C-X-C motif chemokine ligand (CXCL)1, CXCL2, CXCL8, and their effects on regulating glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) malignant behaviors. AKIP1 expression was modified by pcDNA and pGPH1 vectors in U-87 MG and U-251 MG cells. Subsequently, multiple compensative experiments were conducted via adding CXCL1, CXCL2 and CXCL8 in the pGPH1-AKIP1 (AKIP1 knockdown) transfected U-87 MG and U-251 MG cells, respectively. Furthermore, AKIP1, CXCL1/2/8 expressions in 10 GBM and 10 low-grade glioma (LGG) tumor samples were detected. AKIP1 was elevated in various GBM cell lines compared to normal human astrocytes. AKIP1 overexpression promoted U-87 MG and U-251 MG cell proliferation and invasion while inhibited apoptosis; and it enhanced chemoresistance to temozolomide (but not cisplatin) and radiation resistance; then AKIP1 knockdown showed the opposite effects. Meanwhile, AKIP1 positively regulated CXCL1/2/8, NF-κB pathway, AKT pathway and PD-L1 expression. Further multiple compensative experiments uncovered that CXCL1 and CXCL8 promoted proliferation, invasion, chemoradiation resistance, NF-κB pathway, AKT pathway and PD-L1 expression in U-87 MG and U-251 MG cells, also in pGPH1-AKIP1 (AKIP1 knockdown) transfected U-87 MG and U-251 MG cells; although CXCL2 exhibited similar treads, but its effect was much weaker. Besides, NF-κB pathway inhibitor and AKT pathway inhibitor attenuated the effect of CXCL1&CXCL8 on promoting GBM cell malignant behaviors. Clinically AKIP1 and CXCL1/8 were elevated in GBM compared to LGG tumor samples, and they were inter-correlated. AKIP1 promotes GBM viability, mobility and chemoradiation resistance via regulating CXCL1 and CXCL8 mediated NF-κB and AKT pathways.