Effects of nodal gene RNA interference on biological behaviour and vasculogenic mimicry of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the role of nodal gene modulating malignancy of a hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines SMMC7721. Methods To silence the expression of nodal gene in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells by RNA interference ( RNAi),and to observe the effect on cells biological behaviour and vasculogenic mimicry.4 expression vectors of nodal gene targeting small interference RNA were constructed and transfected into SMMC-7721 cells.Real-time quantitive PCR and Western blot were used to examine nodal gene expression. The effects of nodal gene RNA interference on proliferation,apoptosis,infestation,migration and vasculogenic mimicry of SMMC-7721 were studed. Results The expression of nodal gene was suppressed in SMMC-7721 cells by RNA interference.In the first 4,5,6 days of proliferation experiment,the proliferation of interference group was significantly lower than the control group(separately F =17 098.922,18 135.107,32 641.075,all P ＜ 0.05 ); 48 h after transfection,the apoptosis rate of interference group was significantly higher than the control group (F =1136.452,P ＜0.05); In the infestation and migration experiments,the cells through the transwell chamber in the interference group were less than the control group( separately F =83.6,1126.857,all P ＜ 0.05 ) ; 24 h and 48 h after transfection,the vasculogenic mimicry in the interference group did not form which was significantly different from the control group. Conclusions Interfering the expression of nodal gene inhibits the malignant biological behaviour and the formation of vasculogenic mimicry in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Key words: Carcinoma, hepatocellular; RNA,small interfering; Gene expression