A cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor (p21(WAF1/CIP1)) affects thymidine incorporation in human liver cancer cells

p21(WAF1/CIP1) is a universal cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor. To investigate the role of p21(WAF1/CIP1) in proliferation of human liver cancer cells, we examined the expression of p53, p21(WAF1/CIP1), cdk2 and cdk4 expression in two human liver cancer cell lines (HepG2 and PLC/PRF/5 cells). The effects of p21(WAF1/CIP1) on [(3)H]thymidine incorporation and cdks were also examined in these cells. HepG2 cells expressed all these proteins with lower level of cdk4. PLC/PRF/5 cells expressed the other proteins except p21(WAF1/CIP1). Transfection of p21(WAF1/CIP1) gene inhibited [(3)H]thymidine incorporation of both cells with different extent. Although the transfection of p21(WAF1/CIP1) did not affect cdk2 and cdk4 expression, it did reduce cdk2 kinase activity by 20%. These results suggest that: (a) p21(WAF1/CIP1) involved in DNA synthesis of human liver cancer cells; (b) p21(WAF1/CIP1) could be a target gene for the treatment of human hepatocellular carcinoma.