[Effect of hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha on vascular endothelial growth factor expression in human tongue squamous carcinoma cells (Tca8113) under hypoxia].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1 alpha) on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in Tca8113 cells under hypoxia. METHODS: The expression of the mRNA of HIF-1 alpha and VEGF in Tca8113 cells was examined by RT-PCR technique at different culture times (1/2 h, 1 h, 3 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h) under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. RESULTS: The expression of HIF-1 alpha under hypoxia showed the trend of increasing first and then decreasing, and was higher than that of the control (normoxic group) at 6h and 12 h (P < 0.05). The expression of VEGF under hypoxia was higher than that of the control group at 1/2 h, 1 h, 3 h, 12 h, 24 h (P < 0.05). The expression of hypoxia-induced VEGF mRNA increased with the increased expression of HIF-1 alpha mRNA in the cell lines tested at the initial stage of hypoxia. But no statistical significant association was observed between HIF-1 alpha and VEGF expression within 24 h under hypoxia (rs = 0.5750, P > .005). CONCLUSIONS: The increased expression of VEGF in Tca8113 cells might be mediated by multiple factors, including HIF-1 alpha.