title: Effects of antisense oligonucleotides of PKC-alpha on proliferation and apoptosis of HepG2 in vitro.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies in China. The long-term survival rate of patients with HCC after prevention and management remains unsatisfactory. In order to provide a novel strategy to cure HCC, we investigated the effects of antisense oligonucleotides of PKC-alpha on proliferation and apoptosis of human hepatoma cell line HepG2 in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  The human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2 was cultured and subcultured in RPMI1640 medium in vitro. PKC-alpha antisense oligonucleotides(asODN) of different concentrations with a random sequence as a control were transfected into HepG2 cells by lipofectin(LP). The cell growth index (GI) and the clone formation rate of HepG2 were detected by MTT colorimetric assay and soft agar assay, respectively. The apoptosis rate of HepG2 treated with PKC-alpha asODN was assayed by flow cytometry(FCM). The results were analyzed by SPSS 10.0 software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The GI of HepG2 transfected by PKC-alpha asODN with concentrations ranging from 0.10 micromol to 1.00 micromol were lower significantly than those of control groups (P<0.05). The clone formation rates of HepG2 transfected by PKC-alpha asODN from 0.05 micromol to 1.00 micromol were lower significantly than those of the control groups (P<0.01), and there was a dose-dependent relationship among them. The apoptosis rates of HepG2 treated with PKC-alpha asODN from 0.50 micromol to 1.00 micromol were significantly higher than those of the control groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PKC-alpha asODN could inhibit the growth and proliferation of HepG2 and induce its apoptosis by blocking the cell signal transduction related to PKC-alpha in vitro, and may be potentially used in the prevention and management of recurrent and metastatic HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing University of Medical Sciences, Chongqing 400016, China. baohuazhu@sohu.com
authors.forename: Bao-Hua
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Zhen-Xiang
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Shao-Jun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Li-Ming
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Jiang-Wei
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Sheng-Chun
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jin-Biao
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jian-Ming
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Zhi-Yuan
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Pei
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011336:Probability; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051571:Protein Kinase C-alpha; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; C496628:PRKCA protein, human; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D051571:Protein Kinase C-alpha