title: [Lentivirus-mediated shRNA interference of Cx26 suppresses epithelial mesenchymal transition and invasion of highly invasive hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the effect of lentivirus-mediated shRNA interference of Cx26 on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and invasion of highly invasive human hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  SK-Hep-1 cells were infected with the lentivirus for delivering Cx26 shRNA, and the stably transfected cells were selected by puromycin. The interference efficiency of shRNA-Cx26 was assessed with real-time PCR and Western blotting. The morphological changes of the transfected SK-Hep-1 cells were observed microscopically, and the protein expressions of E-cadherin and vimentin were detected using Western blotting. The effect of Cx26 interference on the invasiveness of SK-Hep-1 cells was determined by Transwell invasion assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with SK-Hep-1 cells infected with empty EGFP vector and uninfected cells, the cells transfected with shRNA-Cx26 showed significantly reduced mRNA and protein expressions of Cx26 (P<0.01), which resulted in obvious morphological conversion from mesenchymal cells to epithelial cells. shRNA-Cx26-transfected cells showed significantly increased E-cadherin protein expression (P<0.01) but decreased vimentin expression (P<0.01) with obviously attenuated invasive ability in vitro (P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Targeted down-regulation of Cx26 expression can inhibit the EMT and invasion of SK-Hep-1 cells in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China.E-mail: yanglz2005@126.com.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Guihui
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Junze
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D000072259:Connexin 26; D017630:Connexins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015536:Down-Regulation; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006801:Humans; D016086:Lentivirus; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014162:Transfection; D014746:Vimentin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; C513384:CDH1 protein, human; D015820:Cadherins; D017630:Connexins; C000607042:GJB2 protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D014746:Vimentin; D000072259:Connexin 26