title: Effect of pEgr-TNFalpha gene radiotherapy on mice melanoma.
abstract: In the present study, we constructed a pEgr-tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) plasmid and investigated its expression properties in B16 cells on exposure to ionizing irradiation and, furthermore, the effect of gene radiotherapy on a melanoma model. Firstly, the recombinant pEgr-TNFalpha plasmid was constructed and transfected into B16 cells with liposomes to investigate its expression properties on exposure to X-irradiation. The melanoma-bearing model was then established and the tumour tissue was injected locally with the pEgr-TNFalpha plasmid and exposed to 20 Gy of X-irradiation. The tumour growth curve at different time points was described. At day 3, TNFalpha transcription in the tumour tissue was detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The results showed that: (1) the eukaryotic expression vector pEgr-TNFalpha was successfully constructed and transfected into B16 cells; (2) TNFalpha expression was significantly increased in the transfected cells after X-irradiation, in contrast with that of the pCMV-TNFalpha group or the pEgr-TNFalpha group that received 0 Gy of irradiation; (3) after pEgr-TNFalpha gene radiotherapy, tumour growth was significantly slower than in those groups receiving irradiation or gene transfer alone. The TNFalpha concentration in the peripheral blood of tumour-bearing mice that received an injection of pEgr-TNFalpha and 20 Gy of irradiation was higher than that of the control group. Only in pEgr-TNFalpha and pEgr-TNFalpha + 20 Gy groups was TNFalpha messenger RNA (mRNA) detected in the tumour tissue. We conclude that pEgr-TNFalpha gene radiotherapy may significantly inhibit tumour growth, and that the anti-melanoma effect is superior to that of either gene therapy or radiotherapy alone. Our work provides the theoretical basis for further study on the gene radiotherapy of this tumour.
authors.affiliation: The Cell Biology Laboratory, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China. meiyuing@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Congmei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Xiuyi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tian
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor / Q000528:radiation effects; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D010957:Plasmids; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D014162:Transfection; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000528:radiation effects
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha