增强型胸苷激酶基因表达载体的构建及其杀伤鼻咽癌细胞的实验研究

目的 探讨改良构建人端粒酶催化亚单位(human telomerase catalytic subunit promoter,hTERT)启动子及巨细胞病毒原核(cytomegalovirus,CMV)增强子联合调控单纯疱疹病毒胸苷激酶基因(thymidine kinase,TK)的增强型表达载体在鼻咽癌细胞体内外实验中的靶向杀伤效应及体内应用的安全性评价.方法 以pGL3-basic空载体为模板,分别酶切连接hTERT启动子、CMV增强子及TK基因构建靶向性增强型表达载体pGL3-basic-EGFP-TK-hTERTp-CMV(以hTERT单启动子调控TK基因表达载体作为对照组),转染端粒酶阳性的人鼻咽癌5-8F细胞及用做对照组的人乳腺癌MCF-7细胞和端粒酶阴性的正常人脐静脉内皮细胞ECV-304,分别采用荧光显微镜观察绿色荧光蛋白的表达差异、实时荧光定量PCR检测转染后TK基因mRNA表达差异、TeloChaser法检测上述细胞中的端粒酶活性、四甲基偶氮唑蓝(MTt)联合Boyden小室实验分析增强型载体对鼻咽癌细胞增殖及侵袭抑制的作用.将鼻咽癌细胞接种于裸鼠腋部皮下,构建裸鼠鼻咽癌移植瘤模型,研究增强型载体对裸鼠移植瘤的体内生长抑制作用及对全身的毒副反应情况.结果 ①成功改良构建hTERT/CMV双调控TK基因的增强型表达载体.②转染增强型载体组及单启动子载体组的鼻咽癌5-8F细胞均有绿色荧光表达,但前者荧光数量及强度均较后者强,对照组端粒酶阳性的乳腺癌细胞也有很强的荧光表达,而ECV-304细胞几乎无绿色荧光表达.实时荧光定量PCR结果显示,增强型载体组的TK基因mRNA表达量是单启动子组的2-5倍.③ TeloChaser法结果显示,两种肿瘤细胞(5-8F细胞、MCF-7细胞)端粒酶活性均为阳性,正常对照ECV-304细胞端粒酶活性为阴性.④MTT联合Boyden小室侵袭实验结果显示,增强型表达载体对5-8F细胞体外增殖及侵袭力均有明显抑制作用.相对细胞存活率为37.0%,较对照组明显低(P<0.01).⑤体内实验结果显示,增强型靶向表达载体对裸鼠鼻咽癌移植瘤生长具有明显抑制作用,抑瘤率达56.3%,与对照组比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01),而裸鼠肝肾病理检查未发现明显损害.结论 以hTERT/CMV双调控机制介导TK基因的增强型表达载体能够高效、靶向杀伤鼻咽癌细胞及移植瘤,实验动物体内应用无明显毒副作用.

Enhanced thymidine kinase gene vector and its killing effect on nasopharyngeal carcinoma in vitro and in vivo

Objective To construct a modified and enhanced thymidine kinase (TK) vector regulated by human telemerase catalytic subunit promoter (hTERT) promoter and cytomegaiovirus (CMV) enhancer and its killing effect on nasopharyngeal carcinoma in vitro and in vivo and its safety in vivo. Methods The pGL3-basic,as basic vector template,was linked and constructed into TK vector regulated by hTKRT promoter and CMV enhancer with mono-promoter vector as control. Enhanced TK expression was confirmed by fluorescent microscopy and real time fluorescent quantitative PCR. Telomerase activity was measured by stretch PCR. Tumour killing effects were examined by MTT and Boyden areole. The effects of enhanced TK on the invasiveness of tumor cell NPC 5-8F and the growth of xenograft implanted in nude mice were investigated. Results Compared with non-enhanced vector, TK expressed by the enhanced vector significantly increased in NPC 5-8F and MCF-7 cells,telomerase activity was positive in human in NPC 5-8F cells and breast cancer MCF-7 cells and negative in control human blood vessel endothelium ECV-304 cells. After ganciclovir (GCV) treatment, NPC 5-8F cell survival rate and invasiveness decreased and tumor progress of NPC xenograft implanted in nude mice was inhibited, without obvious toxicity effects on mouse liver and kidney. Conclusions The enhanced TK vector regulated by hTERT promoter and CMV enhancer can obviously and specifically inhibit and kill nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells in culture and nasopharyngeal carcinoma xenograft in nude mice in vivo, without obviously toxic side effects on nude mice. The targeted and enhanced TK gene vector with high performance may be a new tumour targeted gene therapy strategy clinically to aim directly at most malignant tumours including nasopharyngeal carcinoma, with more extensive anti-cancer spectrum.