siRNA介导的nestin基因沉默对人食管癌ECA109细胞侵袭和迁移的影响及机制

目的:探讨巢蛋白(nestin)对食管鳞癌ECA109细胞的侵袭与迁移能力的影响及可能的分子机制。方法:通过靶向沉默食管癌ECA109细胞内源性nestin基因后,采用real-time PCR和Western blot分别检测nestin基因的干扰效率及细胞内MMP2、MMP9、VEGF及β-catenin的表达水平;Transwell实验检测细胞侵袭和迁移能力的变化。结果:与control-siRNA组相比,nestin-siRNA组中nestin mRNA和蛋白水平明显降低;细胞侵袭迁移能力受到明显抑制;MMP2,MMP9及VEGF表达明显降低;细胞总β-catenin及核内β-catenin表达明显减少。结论:Nestin与食管癌侵袭迁移能力密切相关,下调nestin表达可明显抑制食管癌细胞ECA109的侵袭迁移能力,其机制可能与抑制β-catenin的核内转移与下调MMP2、MMP9及VEGF的表达有关。

Effects of siRNA-mediated nestin silencing on invasion and migration of human esophageal cancer ECA109 cells

AIM: To investigate the effect of small interference RNA(siRNA)-mediated silencing of nestin gene on the invasion and migration of human esophageal cancer ECA109 cells and the possible mechanism. METHODS: The esophageal cell line ECA109 was transfected with siRNA targeting nestin and the cell invasion and migration abilities were observed. The expression of nestin, MMP2, MMP9, VEGF, and total and nuclear β-catenin proteins in the transfec-ted cells were determined by real-time PCR and Western blot. RESULTS: Compared with control group, the expression of nestin at mRNA and protein levels was significantly down-regulated in the ECA109 cells transfected with nestin-siRNA, so was the expression of MMP2, MMP9, VEGF, and total and nuclear β-catenin proteins. The levels of invasion and migration capacities of ECA109 cells transfected with nestin-siRNA were lower than those in the cells transfected with control-siRNA. CONCLUSION: Knockdown of nestin expression significantly inhibits the invasion and migration of the esophageal cancer cells, which may act via suppressing β-catenin translocation to the nucleus and influencing the expression of MMP2, MMP9 and VEGF.