[Effect of RNAi-mediated survivin gene silencing on apoptosis of ovarian cancer cell lines SKOV3 and SKOV3/ADM]

Abstract

Background & objective: RNA interference (RNAi) has been widely used in tumor gene therapy, antivirus, and gene drug selection. Survivin gene is highly expressed in ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3 and drug-resistant cell line SKOV3/ADM, and is an ideal target of gene therapy for ovarian cancer. This study was to explore effect of RNAi-mediated Survivin gene silencing on apoptosis of SKOV3 and SKOV3/ADM cells.

Methods: Recombinant plasmid pshRNA-Survivin was transfected into SKOV3 and SKOV3/ADM cells. The expression of Survivin was detected by semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot. The apoptosis of SKOV3 and SKOV3/ADM cells after transfection were evaluated by AO/EB dyeing, TUNEL, and flow cytometry.

Results: After transfection of pshRNA-Survivin, mRNA and protein levels of Survivin gene in SKOV3 and SKOV3/ADM cells were obviously reduced; the apoptosis of SKOV3 and SKOV3/ADM cells were significantly higher in transfection group than in control group (P0.01); 48 h after transfection, the apoptosis rate was 14.05% in SKOV3 cells, and 21.02% in SKOV3/ADM cells, no obvious apoptosis was detected in control cells.

Conclusion: pshRNA-Survivin could reduce the expression of Survivin gene, and induce apoptosis of SKOV3 and SKOV3/ADM cells.