title: Enhanced sensitivity of human hepatoma cells to 5-fluorouracil by small interfering RNA targeting Bcl-2.
abstract: This study was designed to reveal whether the apoptosis induced in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines by 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) could be enhanced by transfecting Bcl-2 small interfering RNA (siRNA). Bcl-2 siRNA and control siRNA were transfected into cells following treatment with or without 5-FU. Suppression of Bcl-2 expression was confirmed by Western blotting; cell viability was evaluated by MTS assay, and the occurrence of apoptosis in cells was evaluated by apoptosis assay. Expression of Bcl-2 protein after transfection of 20 nM Bcl-2 siRNA was significantly lower than that of control. Incubation of all cell lines with Bcl-2 siRNA reduced cell viability 96 h after 5-FU treatment compared with all other controls: Huh-7 (P < 0.01), Huh-7 with hepatitis C replicon (P < 0.01), HepG2 (P < 0.01), HLE (P < 0.05). Moreover, the proportion of apoptosis in control siRNA, Bcl-2 siRNA, control siRNA prior to 5-FU treatment, and Bcl-2 siRNA prior to 5-FU treatment groups were (4.6 +/- 2.3)%, (7.5 +/- 0.5)%, (6.0 +/- 2.1)%, and (19.5 +/- 0.86)%, respectively. The Bcl-2 siRNA prior to 5-FU treatment group showed the strongest effect of inducing apoptosis. In conclusion, the combination Bcl-2 siRNA and 5-FU might represent a new therapeutic option for HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Clinical Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Japan. kandat-cib@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tatsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanda
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yokosuka
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Imazeki
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.forename: Hiromitsu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saisho
mesh_terms: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics* / Q000494:pharmacology; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D005472:Fluorouracil