Antihepatoma effect of alpha-fetoprotein antisense phosphorothioate oligodeoxyribonucleotides in vitro and in mice

Table 2 Inhibition of AFP protein expression and apoptosis induction in SMMC-7721 human hepatoma cells by AFP antisense S-ODNs in vitro

Concentration (μmol/L)	AFP protein expression (absorbance at 460 nm)			Apoptosis (%)
	Antisense	Sense	Oligo-dT15
0	0.32 ± 0.04	0.32 ± 0.04	0.32 ± 0.04	7.3 ± 5.2
6.3	0.22 ± 0.03 (31.5)a	ND	ND	ND
12.5	0.19 ± 0.05 (40.6)a	ND	ND	26.7 ± 7.8a
25.0	0.15 ± 0.02 (53.1)a	0.31 ± 0.06	0.31 ± 0.02	47.9 ± 7.5a

Cells were incubated with different S-ODNs for 48 h in vitro. AFP gene expression was determined by using the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex immunocytochemical assay. Antisense S-ODNs specifically blocked AFP gene expression in the cells. The cells were also analyzed for apoptotic cell population with a fluorescence-activated cell sorter. AFP antisense S-ODNs induced apoptosis of the hepatoma cells. Values in parentheses: percent inhibition. Each value represents mean ± SD of 2 separate experiments.

^aP < 0.05 (One-way analysis of variance for protein expression and Student's t test for apoptosis) compared with 0 μmol/L. ND: Not done.