Abstract: Objective: To investigate the effects of Fn14 on regulating cisplatin(DDP) sensitivity in human ovarian cancer cells. Methods: Fn14 protein expression levels in SKOV3, CAOV3, OVCAR3, ES2, 3AO, A2780 and A2780/DDP were detected through Western blotting. The expression of Fn14, caspase-3， cleaved caspase-3 and Bcl-2 were accessed by Western blotting in lowest expression of Fn14 cell line when transfected with Fn14 plasmid. The half cell lethal dose(IC50) of DDP and the ability of proliferation in A2780/DDP cells were assayed by CCK-8 kit. The ratio of apoptosis in A2780/DDP cells were determined by flow cytometry. Results: A2780/DDP cells exhibited the lowest expression of Fn14 in these cell lines. Fn14 transfer had no effect on the proliferation of A2780/DDP cells, whereas it could reduce the IC50 of DDP in A2780/DDP cells(P＜0.05). When Fn14 was transferred, the apoptosis induced by DDP was increased in A2780/DDP cells, meanwhile, the expression of apoptosis-correlated protein caspase-3 was up-regulated and anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 was down-regulated(P＜0.05). Conclusions: Fn14 may increase chemosensitivity to DDP by apoptosis pathway in human epithelial ovarian cancer cells.

Key words: Ovarian neoplasms, Fn14, Cisplatin, Drug resistance，neoplasm, Apoptosis