Objective:To study focal adhesion kinase (FAK) expression in hypoxic HepG2 cells and the effect of FAK siRNA on cytoskeletal arrangement of HepG2 cells induced by hypoxia. Methods: HepG2 cells were cultured in 21% O2 and 1% O2. Morphological changes were observed after hypoxia treatment. Western blot was used to measure FAK expression. The siRNA expression vector pshRNA-FAK targeting the mRNA of FAK and vector pGensil-2 (as a control) were constructed,and then transfected into HepG2 cells. Western blot was used to detect FAK. The cytoskeletal arrangement of HepG2 cells trans-fected with pshRNA-FAK induced by hypoxia was analyzed by phalloidin. The migratory ability of HepG2 cells transfected with pshRNA-FAK induced by hypoxia was analyzed by cell migration assay. Results: Hypoxia-treated cells displayed a more elongated shape with a large degree of cell detachment. FAK expression increased in hypoxic HepG2 cells. FAK protein level was decreased by 75.64% ± 3.12% (P < 0.01) after the pshRNA-FAK transfection. Hypoxia induced cytoskeletal arrangement of HepG2 cells. However,cytoskeletal arrangement of HepG2 cells transfected with pshRNA-FAK induced by hypoxia was inhibited in 1% O2. As cell migration assay showed,the migrating number of HepG cells transfected with pshRNA-FAK was significantly lower than that of control (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The expression of FAK in hypoxic HCC might have a close relationship to the cytoskeletal arrangement of HepG2 cells induced by hypoxia. Up-regulation of FAK expression may be one of mechanisms of cytoskeletal arrangement and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma induced by hypoxia.
