Potential Mechanisms of MAP Kinase JNK’s Involvement in Modulating Cancer Cell Fate in a Cisplatin Concentration-Dependent Manner

<b>Background:</b> The combination of conventional drugs and inhibitors of signaling molecules is an effective strategy to increase cancer treatment efficacy and reduce drug doses to protect against their cytotoxic effects. Our research has shown the cisplatin concentration-dependent shift in the role of MAP kinase JNK from antiapoptotic to proapoptotic in non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells. Cell death/survival signaling molecules, tumor suppressor p53 and pro-survival protein kinase AKT were detected to be differently regulated by JNK inhibition at low vs. high cisplatin concentrations. Here, we further investigated the phenomenon and potential mechanisms of combined JNK inhibition and cisplatin treatment. <b>Methods</b>: Cell death in vitro was evaluated by MTT and Western blot assays after combined cisplatin and specific inhibitor treatment; two-way ANOVA was used for analysis. <b>Results:</b> JNK is differently involved in determining cellular sensitivity to different DNA-damaging drugs. There is no universal cell death induction mechanism originating from DNA damage through the involvement of JNK. The outcome of JNK inhibition also depends on the cell type. We found that there is an unusual reciprocal interaction between p53 and AKT in cisplatin-treated A549 cells, where p53 inhibits AKT, while AKT activates p53. In the case of cisplatin + JNK inhibitor SP600125, DNA damage and reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to cell death regulation in different ways. ROS exert opposite roles on cell fate-determining molecules p53 and AKT, and ROS act on p53 and AKT in opposite directions at low vs. high concentrations of cisplatin, combined or not with JNK inhibition. The differentially activated p53 in response to ROS (at low versus high concentrations of cisplatin, combined with JNK inhibitor) may be a molecular switch in the role of JNK from antiapoptotic to neutral/proapoptotic, and an executor of cell death. ROS is a possible threshold regulator that, together with an as-yet-unidentified factor, can differentially regulate p53. As a result, AKT phosphorylation and function are altered. The findings emphasize the importance of assessing the role of drug concentration when combining them with JNK inhibition when monitoring therapeutic efficacy and toxicity issues in personalized cancer treatment.