title: [Hepatitis B virus P22e protein inhibits human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cell apoptosis in vitro].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) P22e protein on the apoptosis of human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  HepG2 cells were transfected with recombinant plasmid pEGFP-HBVP22e and exposed to Act-D and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) treatment to induce cell apoptosis. Flow cytometry was performed to determine the proportion of cells containing sub-G1 DNA to represent the number of apoptotic cells. Laser scanning confocal microscopy was used to observe the nuclear alterations in the apoptotic cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HepG2EGFP-C2HBVP22e cell strain showed a much delayed apoptosis as well as obviously lowered apoptotic rate in comparison with the HepG2 strain (P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The introduction and expression of extraneous gene HBVP22e significantly inhibits the apoptosis of HepG2 cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. zhhdiao@163.com
authors.forename: Zhi-hong
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Diao
authors.forename: Ming-xia
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: You-fu
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Jin-lin
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hou
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism*; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D014162:Transfection; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; C534392:p22 core protein, hepatitis B virus