[Tumor suppression of a constitutively active caspase-3 in the SKBr-3 breast carcinoma xenograft mice model].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the apoptosis-inducing effect of a constitutively active caspase-3 molecule on human breast carcinoma SKBr-3 cells.


METHODS
A revcaspase-3 gene was generated by arranging the coding sequence of the small subunit preceding that of the large one, i.e. in a reverse order of the wild-type caspase-3 gene. A pcDNA3-revcaspase-3 plasmid was constructed and transfected into SKBr-3 cells, and the proapoptotic effect of revcaspase-3 was examined by morphological observation of the cells, cell counting and flow cytometry analysis. The in-vivo tumor suppression was further evaluated following i.t. administration of pcDNA-revcaspase-3, while the apoptosis in tumor tissues was assayed using TUNEL.


RESULTS
The apoptosis of SKBr-3 cells was induced after introduction of the revcaspase-3 gene, and tumor growth was strongly suppressed following injection of the pcDNA3 vector harboring revcaspase-3 gene. Revcaspase-3 was expressed in the cells of tumor tissues and apoptosis of the tumor cells was confirmed by TUNEL assays.


CONCLUSIONS
Apoptosis of SKBr-3 cells in a mouse tumor model could be induced by in-vivo expression of a revcaspase-3 gene.
Bao
Wei
W
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
Zhang
Li-hong
LH
Jia
Lin-tao
LT
Qu
Ping
P
Wang
Cheng-ji
CJ
Yang
An-gang
AG
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000235:genetics*; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002455:Cell Division; D005260:Female; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008325:Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D051379:Mice; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
C505407:CASP3 protein, human; C505409:Casp3 protein, mouse; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases