title: PAd-shRNA-PTN reduces pleiotrophin of pancreatic cancer cells and inhibits neurite outgrowth of DRG.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the silencing effects of pAd-shRNA-pleiotrophin (PTN) on PTN in pancreatic cancer cells, and to observe the inhibition of pAd-shRNA-PTN on neurite outgrowth from dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  PAd-shRNA-PTN was used to infect pancreatic cancer BxPC-3 cells; assays were conducted for knockdown of the PTN gene on the 0th, 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th d after infection using immunocytochemistry, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and Western blotting analysis. The morphologic changes of cultured DRG neurons were observed by mono-culture of DRG neurons and co-culture with BXPC-3 cells in vitro.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The real-time quantitative PCR showed that the inhibition rates of PTN mRNA expression in the BxPC-3 cells were 20%, 80%, 50% and 25% on the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th d after infection. Immunocytochemistry and Western blotting analysis also revealed the same tendency. In contrast to the control, the DRG neurons co-cultured with the infected BxPC-3 cells shrunk; the number and length of neurites were significantly decreased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Efficient and specific knockdown of PTN in pancreatic cancer cells and the reduction in PTN expression resulted in the inhibition of neurite outgrowth from DRG neurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, Shaanxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qing-Yong
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lian-Cai
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology*; D016501:Neurites / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D016207:Cytokines; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; C066845:pleiotrophin