Hypoxia-inducible factor-2α (HIF-2α) mediates the effects of hypoxia on the promotion of HeLa cell viability, colony formation, and invasion capacity in vitro.

Hypoxia reduces the oxygen supply to tumor cells and may limit tumor cell growth. However, hypoxia promotes tumor cell metabolic adaptation, apoptosis resistance, angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis. Hypoxia-inducible factor-2α (HIF-2α) may be responsible for these hypoxia-induced changes. In this study, we investigated the effects of hypoxia and HIF-2α knockdown in HeLa cells. HIF-2α shRNA lentivirus was used to knock down HIF-2α expression; cell viability, colony formation, invasion capacity, and gene expression were assessed. Hypoxia promoted HeLa cell growth, whereas knockdown of HIF-2α expression reduced HeLa cell viability under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions, with a greater effect observed under hypoxic conditions. Knockdown of HIF-2α expression also reduced HeLa cell colony formation and invasion capacity under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Expression of cyclooxygenase 2 and vascular endothelial growth factor was reduced after knockdown of HIF-2α expression, with a greater effect observed under hypoxic conditions. HIF-2α mediated the hypoxia-induced effect on the promotion of HeLa cell viability, colony formation, and invasion capacity in vitro. Further studies are needed to confirm the in vivo relevance of hypoxia and HIF-2α.