人着色性干皮病D组基因对白细胞介素-6促进人血管平滑肌细胞增殖作用的影响

目的: 探讨人着色性干皮病D组基因(XPD)对白细胞介素-6(IL-6)促进人血管平滑肌细胞(VSMCs)增殖作用的影响。方法: 用脂质体转染法将重组质粒pEGFP-N2/XPD和空质粒pEGFP-N2稳定转染VSMCs,然后给予1×10⁵ U/L IL-6孵育48 h。实验分为6组:(1)空白对照组;(2)pEGFP-N2组;(3)pEGFP-N2/XPD组;(4)IL-6组;(5)IL-6 + pEGFP-N2组;(6)IL-6 + pEGFP-N2/XPD组。用荧光显微镜观察绿色荧光蛋白报告基因表达情况;用MTT法观察细胞增殖活力;用流式细胞仪检测细胞周期和凋亡率;用RT-PCR和Western blotting检测XPD、Bcl-2、Bax和野生型P53(wt-P53)表达量的变化。结果: 在荧光显微镜下,可在转染了重组质粒pEGFP-N2/XPD或空质粒pEGFP-N2的细胞中观察到绿色荧光,即转染成功;MTT结果显示,重组质粒pEGFP-N2/XPD的转染抑制了细胞增殖活力(P<0.05),并能抑制IL-6促进VSMCs增殖的作用(P<0.05);流式细胞仪结果显示,重组质粒pEGFP-N2/XPD的转染引起了细胞G₀/G₁期增加(P<0.05)、S期减少(P<0.05)、凋亡率增加(P<0.01),并能抑制IL-6促进VSMCs G₀/G₁期减少、S期增加、凋亡率降低的作用(P<0.01);RT-PCR和Western blotting检测发现,重组质粒pEGFP-N2/XPD的转染使得XPD表达增高(P<0.05或P<0.01),同时Bcl-2表达降低,Bax和wt-P53表达增高(P<0.05或P<0.01),并能抑制IL-6促进VSMCs的Bcl-2表达增高、Bax和wt-P53表达降低的作用(P<0.05或P<0.01)。结论: XPD能抑制VSMCs增殖并促进其凋亡,并能抑制IL-6促进VSMCs增殖和降低其凋亡的作用,有望成为治疗动脉粥样硬化的靶点。

Effects of human xeroderma pigmentosum group D gene on proliferation of human vascular smooth muscle cells induced by interleukin-6

AIM: To investigate the effects of human xeroderma pigmentosum group D (XPD) gene on the proliferation of human vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) induced by interleukin-6 (IL-6). METHODS: Recombinant plasmid pEGFP-N2/XPD and vacant plasmid pEGFP-N2 were transfected into VSMCs by liposome, and then these cells were incubated with IL-6 at 1×10⁵ U/L for 48 h. The cells were divided into 6 groups: blank control group; pEGFP-N2 group; pEGFP-N2/XPD group; IL-6 group; IL-6 + pEGFP-N2 group; IL-6 + pEGFP-N2/XPD group. The expression of green fluorescent protein was observed under fluorescence microscope. The cell growth was detected by MTT method. The cell cycle and apoptosis rate were examined by flow cytometre. The expression levels of XPD, Bcl-2, Bax and wild type P53 (wt-P53) were detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting.RESULTS: Green fluorescence was observed in the cells transfected with pEGFP-N2/XPD or pEGFP-N2, indicating successful transfection MTT results showed that the transfection of pEGFP-N2/XPD inhibited the cell growth, and reduced the positive effects of IL-6 on VSMCs growth. Flow cytometry results showed that the transfection of pEGFP-N2/XPD increased the apoptosis rate of VSMCs and the cell numbers in G₀/G₁ phase, decreased the cell numbers in S phase, and reduced the effects that IL-6 decreased the apoptosis rate of VSMCs and the cell numbers in G₀/G₁ phase, and increased the cell numbers in S phase. The results of RT-PCR and Western blotting showed that the transfection of pEGFP-N2/XPD increased the expression of XPD, Bax and wt-P53, decreased the expression of Bcl-2, and reduced the effects that IL-6 decreased the expression of Bax and wt-P53, and increased the expression of Bcl-2. CONCLUSION: XPD gene inhibits VSMCs proliferation, promotes VSMCs apoptosis, and reduces the effects that IL-6 promotes VSMCs proliferation and inhibits VSMCs apoptosis. Therefore, XPD gene is likely to be potential molecular target for treatment of atherosclerosis.