siRNA-participated chemotherapy: an efficient and specific therapeutic against gastric cancer.
OBJECTIVE
This study aims to investigate the role of siRNA silencing fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) expression in promoting chemotherapy effect of gastric cancer and to explore its mechanism.


METHODS
Human gastric cancer cells MGC80-3 were divided into four groups: control group, cisplatin group (2 μg/L), cisplatin (2 μg/L) + siRNA group and siRNA group. The expressions of FGFR in four groups were detected by immunofluorescence. The cell proliferation and apoptosis were detected by MTT assay and flow cytometry. The protein expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR), caspase-3 and Bax were detected by Western blot. Further, animal model of gastric cancer was established and divided into four groups as in vitro experiment. The expression of FGFR mRNA in tumor tissue was detected by the real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The size of tumor was measured to analyze the effects of treatment. Histopathological detections were performed by hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
For in vitro experiment, significant decrease inFGFR expression, inhibition of proliferation and promotion of apoptosis were observed in siRNA-treated cells, so as cisplatin group. siRNA also resulted in the reduction of VEGFR and rise in apoptosis-related protein (caspase-3). As for the experiment in vivo, siRNA also suppressed the expression of FGFR and enhanced tumor shrink. Furthermore, the co-administration of siRNA and cisplatin revealed a more excellent antitumor effect than other therapies.


CONCLUSIONS
siRNA can effectively suppress FGFR expression and cell proliferation, but promote apoptosis in vitro and also inhibit tumor growth and FGFR production in vivo. siRNA-participated chemotherapy may provide an efficient therapeutic approach to treat gastric cancer.
General Surgery Department, The Tenth People's Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University, No. 301 Yanchang Middle Road, Zhabei District, Shanghai 200072, China.
Donglei
D
Zhou
Xun
X
Jiang
Weixing
W
Ding
Lijun
L
Zheng
Lei
L
Yang
Chengzhu
C
Zheng
Liesheng
L
Lu