title: Lentivirus-Mediated siRNA Targeting ER-α Inhibits Tumorigenesis and Induces Apoptosis in Hepatocarcinoma Cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Estrogen receptor-α (ER-α) plays important roles in hepatocarcinogenesis. Recent studies have shown that ER-α could lead to cell cycle progression or inhibition of apoptosis. To better understand the role of ER-α, RNA interference (RNAi) was used to inhibit ER-α expression in the human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Lentivirus-mediated ER-α small interfering RNA (siRNA) was transfected into HCC cells Hep3B. ER-α expression was monitored by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and western blot. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, and invasion were examined by methyl thiazol tetrazolium (MTT), flow cytometry (FCM), and invasion assay, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ER-α siRNA efficiently downregulated the expression of ER-α in Hep3B cells at both mRNA and protein levels in a time-dependent manner. ER-α siRNA also inhibited cell proliferation and reduced cell invasion (compared with other groups, P < 0.05, resp.). Furthermore, knockdown of ER-α slowed down the cell population at S phase and increased the rate of apoptosis (P < 0.05, resp.).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ER-α knockdown suppressed the growth of HCC cells. Thus, ER-α may play a very important role in carcinogenesis of HCC and its knockdown may offer a new potential gene therapy approach for human liver cancer in the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, 169 Donghu Road, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, 169 Donghu Road, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, 169 Donghu Road, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China.
authors.forename: Wen-Hui
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Bai
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D016086:Lentivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: C506487:ESR1 protein, human; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering