Short hairpin ribonucleic acid targeting the telomerase catalytic unit of messenger ribonucleic acid significantly limits the growth of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma in nude mice.
OBJECTIVE
Telomerase is an attractive molecular target because it is active in most malignant cells but undetectable in most normal somatic cells. Small, interfering ribonucleic acid segments have been shown to be effective tools for inhibiting the expression of a given gene within human cells. In the present study, we examined the effects of short hairpin ribonucleic acid expression vectors on the growth of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma in nude mice, and we assessed potential side effects in these animals.


METHODS
Short hairpin ribonucleic acid expression vectors targeting the messenger ribonucleic acid of the telomerase catalytic unit were constructed and transfected into Hep-2 human laryngeal squamous cells carcinoma in nude mice. Apoptosis and telomerase catalytic unit expression within tumour cells were evaluated after treating with short hairpin ribonucleic acid. Peripheral blood was collected for haematological and biochemical analysis.


RESULTS
The findings demonstrated that short hairpin ribonucleic acid plasmids could inhibit tumour cell growth by 76.5 per cent, and that many tumour cells underwent necrotic or apoptotic cell death. There were no significant side effects of short hairpin ribonucleic acid on the heart, liver, kidney, spleen or blood system in this experimental model.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicated that the short hairpin ribonucleic acid expression vector targeted at the telomerase catalytic unit of messenger ribonucleic acid significantly inhibited the growth of laryngeal carcinoma in nude mice, with no significant side effects on the experimental animals.
Zhou
Xu-Hong
XH
Department of Otolaryngology, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, PR China.
Chen
Shi-Ming
SM
Liu
Dan
D
Wang
Yan
Y
Xiao
Bo-Kui
BK
Tao
Ze-Zhang
ZZ
D000818:Animals; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D012313:RNA / Q000627:therapeutic use; D034622:RNA Interference; D016337:RNA, Catalytic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019098:Telomerase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D016337:RNA, Catalytic; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C418481:hairpin ribozyme; D012313:RNA; D019098:Telomerase