Effect of shRNA-mediated inhibition of Nanog gene expression on the behavior of human gastric cancer cells

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to employ RNA interference (RNAi) technology to construct and select shRNA-Nanog recombinant plasmids for the inhibition of Nanog gene expression and transfer these plasmids into the human gastric cancer cell line, SGC-7901, as well as to detect the expression of Nanog and the effects on the proliferation, migration, invasion, cell cycle and apoptosis of SGC-7901 cells. The pshRNA-Nanog interference plasmids were constructed and used to transfect SGC-7901 cells using lipofectamine. The expression of the Nanog gene was detected by fluorescence microscopy, RT-PCR and western blotting, and the most markedly inhibited group was identified. The SGC-7901 cells were transfected with recombinant shRNA-Nanog plasmids from the most markedly inhibited group using lipofectamine and the effect on proliferation was determined by CCK-8 assay. The migration and invasion of the SGC-7901 cells was determined by Transwell assays, while the cell cycle and apoptosis were analyzed by flow cytometry. The group with the highest inhibition rate was successfully constructed and identified. It was observed that the proliferation, invasion and migration capacity of the cells was reduced, that the cell cycle was arrested at the S phase and that apoptosis was significantly increased. The Nanog gene in gastric cancer cells is closely associated with cell proliferation, the cell cycle, apoptosis and migration and invasion abilities. The present study establishes the foundations for a novel approach for the genetic treatment of gastric cancer.