Abstract: Objective　To investigate the mechanism of the development of cisplatin resistance in a hepatocellular carcinoma cell line.　Methods　Over-expression of CXCL17 gene was induced in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Western blotting was used to investigate the protein expression of full length CXCL17. Flow cytometry and electron microscopy were used to examine the apoptotic morphological changes after cisplatin treatment in HepG2.　Results　CXCL17 over-expression cells was more resistant to cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis than HepG2 cells. Compared with HepG2 cells, CXCL17 over-expression cells exhibited less apoptosis and more autophagy with decreased CTR1 protein expression.  Conclusion　Cisplatin induces drug resistant phenotype by decreasing the protein level of CXCL17, suggesting an autophagic response to cisplatin as a survival mechanism that can promote chemo-resistance.

Key words: CXCL17, 　Autophagy, 　Chemo-resistance