title: RNAi-mediated silencing of leptin gene expression increases cell death in C6 glioblastoma cells.
abstract: We previously demonstrated that the brain, pituitary, and C6 glioblastoma cells express leptin. To determine the physiological role of brain-derived leptin, we sought to selectively silence its expression using RNA interference (RNAi) in vitro. One of four potential targets, siRNA L7, reduced leptin mRNA by 50% (P < 0.05) and protein by 55% (P < 0.0001) in C6 cells. RNAi also induced a twofold increase in cell death as seen by ethidium homodimer-1 (P < 0.015) and TUNEL (P < 0.005) staining. These data suggest that endogenous leptin may be a critical factor promoting cell survival in the brain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3K 6R8.
authors.forename: Russell
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Morash
authors.forename: Ehud
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ur
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D020868:Gene Silencing / Q000187:drug effects*; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D020738:Leptin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D034622:RNA Interference; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins