Effects of p16 gene on biological behaviours in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of p16 gene on biological behaviours in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.


METHODS
HCC cell lines SNU-449 and HepG2.2.15 were infected respectively by a replication defective, recombinant retrovirus capable of producing a high level of p16 protein expression (pCLXSN-p16). G418 resistant stable P16 protein expression cell lines were selected. And the biological behaviours of the p16 gene transfected HCC cells were observed.


RESULTS
Initial in vitro experiments in HCC cell line SNU-449 with loss of p16 protein expression demonstrated the pCLXSN-p16 treatment significantly inhibited cell growth. But there was no treatment effect when the pCLXSN-p16 was used in another HCC cell line HepG2.2.15 which has positive p16 protein expression. Subsequent study in a nude mouse model demonstrated that the p16 gene transfected SNU-449 had a lower succeeding rate in the first time establishment of tumors and grew more slowly in the nude mice when compared with non-transfected SNU-449. Moreover, the nude mice inoculated with transfected SNU-449 had a longer surviving time than those inoculated with non-transfected SNU-449.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results show that the p16INK4a gene transfer can inhibit the proliferation and reduce the invasion ability of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Huang
Jian-Zhao
JZ
Department of Hepatobilliary Surgery, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China. hjz999@mail.tmmu.com.cn
Xia
Sui-Sheng
SS
Ye
Qi-Fa
QF
Jiang
Han-Ying
HY
Chen
Zhong-Hua
ZH
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000502:physiology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019942:Genes, p16; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015996:Survival Rate; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16