Adenoviral-mediated transfer of p53 gene enhances TRAIL-induced apoptosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells

p53 is a tumor suppressor protein with numerous biological functions including transformation, regulation of cell growth, differentiation and apoptosis. The TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) can induce apoptosis in various transformed cell lines. We investigated the effects of combining wild-type p53 gene transduction by adenoviral infection (Ad-p53) with addition of TRAIL on cell death, expression levels of TRAIL receptors (TRAIL-R1, TRAIL-R2), FLICE inhibitory protein (FLIP) and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) on human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines. HCC cell death was increased by combination of Ad-p53 infection and addition of TRAIL compared to either alone. Western blotting demonstrated decreased TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2 levels after infection with Ad-p53. FLIP levels decreased in Huh7 cells and Hep3B cells, and XIAP levels decreased in all three HCC cell lines after infection with Ad-p53. Thus, death of HCC cells due to combined p53 gene transduction and exogenous TRAIL may be due to down regulation of FLIP or XIAP.