title: beta-catenin siRNA regulation of apoptosis- and angiogenesis-related gene expression in hepatocellular carcinoma cells: potential uses for gene therapy.
abstract: The molecular mechanism responsible for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development remains to be defined although a number of gene pathways have been shown to play an active role, such as Wnt/beta-catenin signaling. In this study, beta-catenin small interfering RNA (siRNA) was designed, synthesized, and transfected into HCC HepG2 cells. RT-PCR and western blot assays were performed to detect expression of altered genes and proteins, and the MTT assay was used to detect cell viability. Our data showed that beta-catenin mRNA and protein expression levels were effectively knocked down by beta-catenin siRNA and subsequently, tumor cell proliferation was significantly suppressed. Flow cytometry assay showed that tumor cells were arrested at the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycles. Molecularly, expression of Smad3, p-caspase-3, and Grp78 protein were upregulated after 72 h of beta-catenin siRNA transfection, whereas expression of TERT, caspase-3, XIAP, MMP-2, MMP-9, VEGF-A, VEGF-c, and bFGF protein were reduced. However, there was no change between the expression of STAT3 and the HSP27 protein following transfection. The results from the current study demonstrated the importance of the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway in regulation of gene expression in HCC. Further studies are required to investigate the role of this pathway in HCC development and targeting of this pathway to control HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xin-Hong
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Xiang-Wei
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Zhi-Wu
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Ya-Ju
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: De-Xia
authors.initials: DX
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Shi-Zhu
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D015153:Blotting, Western; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002469:Cell Separation; D000091342:Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015870:Gene Expression; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics*; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000235:genetics*; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics; D014162:Transfection; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000091342:Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP; C000717247:HSPA5 protein, human; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin