Brief Reports
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2005. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Oct 14, 2005; 11(38): 6053-6055
Published online Oct 14, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i38.6053
Downregulation of alpha-fetoprotein siRNA inhibits proliferation of SMMC-7721 cells
Yun-Shan Wang, Xiao-Li Ma, Tong-Gang Qi, Xiang-Dong Liu, Yue-Sheng Meng, Guang-Ju Guan
Yun-Shan Wang, Xiao-Li Ma, Central Laboratory, Jinan Central Hospital, Clinical Medical College of Shandong University, Jinan 250013, Shandong Province, China
Tong-Gang Qi, Yue-Sheng Meng, Guang-Ju Guan, Laboratory of Clinical Molecular Biology, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250015, Shandong Province, China
Xiang-Dong Liu, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Jinan 250020, Shandong Province, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province, No. Z2003C01
Correspondence to: Professor Yun-Shan Wang, Jinan Central Hospital, 105# Jinan Jiefang Road, Jinan 250013, Shandong Province, China. sdjnwys@163.com
Telephone: +86-531-86557322 Fax: +86-531-86557322
Received: February 27, 2004
Revised: April 8, 2005
Accepted: April 11, 2005
Published online: October 14, 2005
Abstract

AIM: To study the function of a-fetoprotein (AFP) in SMMC-7721 hepatoma cells.

METHODS: A hairpin siRNA expressing plasmid pSilencer3.0-H1-afp was constructed andtransfected into SMMC-7721 cells with Lipofectamine 2000. The expression of AFP was monitored by real-time RT-PCR and immunoassays, its effect on SMMC-7721 cell proliferation and cell death was detected by MTT and fluorescence- activated cell sorter (FACS).

RESULTS: The AFP-siRNA expressing plasmid downregulated the expression of AFP obviously (about 34%), and inhibited SMMC-7721 cell proliferation, but did not induce apoptosis.

CONCLUSION: Downregulation of AFP siRNA inhibits proliferation of SMMC-7721 cells, but cannot cause apoptosis.

Keywords: siRNAs; AFP; SMMC-7721 cell; Proliferation; Apoptosis