Inhibition of HSP70 Gene Expression by Modified Antisense and Its Effects on Embryonic Sensitivity to Heat Shock

Experiments were performed to evaluate the efficiency of inhibition of HSP70 gene expressionby antisense oligonucleotides complementary to the mRNA of HSP70 and to test the effects ofinhibition of HSP70 gene expression on subsequent embryonic sensitivity to heat shock. Theresults showed that transfection of pre-implantation embryos at 4-cell stage with 5 Mantisense oligo had no effect on in vitro blastocyst development. However, transfection with10 to 40 M antisense oligo had reduced in vitro blastocyst development to 15, 10% and 0; Forthe embryos which exposed to 40 M As arrested at the 16-cell stage, there was no blastocystformation within the heat shock groups. In contrast, transfection had no effect on embryonicsensitivity to heat shock, above 25% of embryos developed to blastocyst stage in controlgroups.

INDUCTION OF C-MYC GENE AMPLIFICATION BY HYDROXYUREA AND ITS INHIBITION BY HOMOHARRINGTONINE

Induction of c-myc gene amplification in L1210 cells by hydroxyurea and its inhibition by homohar-ringtonine were investigated using the DNA-DNA molecular hybridization technique. When the cells were treated with hydroxyurea 1.0 mM for 16 hours, and incubated a further 16 hours in a drug-free medium, the c-myc gene amplified 23.5-fold. If homohar-ringtonine 50 μM was used at the same time as hydroxyurea, gene amplification did not occur. Cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein biosynthesis, produced a similar effect. Our results indicated that a (or some) protein factor(s) might be involved in gene amplification. Detailed analysis showed that the synthesis of this protein factor(s) started 4 hours before the initiation of the S phase but did not continue in the S phase. It was also found that this protein factor(s) was very labile and began to degrade 2 hours after its appearance.

Down-regulation of Notch-1 gene expression inhibits growth of TJ-905 glioblastoma

Objective To study the inhibitory effect of siRNA on glioblastoma (GBM) Notch-1 gene expression in addition to the growth of TJ-905 glioblastoma. Methods Three small interference RNAs (siRNAs) targeting Notch1 gene,named siRNA1,siRNA2,siRNA3,synthesized chemically in vitro with gene bank BLAST. TJ-905 cells were transfected twice with the siRNA by using Oligofectamine

Gene transfer of huCTLA4-Ig to inhibit the acute rejection of liver allograft in rats

To observe the effect of gene transfer of huCTLA4-Ig to inhibit the acute rejection of liver allograft in rats.Methods With AdEasy vector system,the recombinant adenovirus containing huCTLA4-Ig gene was constructed.Using ex vivo gene transfer technique,exogenous gene was introduced to the liver graft during cold preservation and expressed locally in the graft.The effect of inhibition of acute rejection and inducing liver graft tolerance was observed.Results No recipients in group A (without any treatment,n=5) or group B (treated with Ad-GFP,n=4) died within 3 weeks after transplantation and severe acute rejection (massive periportal infiltration,endothelilitis,damage to biliary epithelium and severe tissue destruction) was confirmed pathologically in the graft.In contrast,all recipients in group C (treated with Ad-huCTLA4-Ig,n=5) achieved long-term liver allograft survival (>150 days).Histological examination of Ad-huCTLA4-Ig transduced allografts demonstrated a mild to moderate periportal inflammation and mild injury to liver graft on day 8 posttransplant.A mild mononuclear infiltration was observed;however,there was complete preservation of the bild ducts and no evidence of vascular injury on day 150 posttransplant.The mean IL-2 concentration in serum was (362.09±45.84) ng/L at day 1 pretransplant.In control animals (groups A and B),serum IL-2 concentration was elevated to a high level within 7 days posttransplant,which was about 1.5 to 2.5 times as much as that before transplant.In contrast,in huCTLA4-Ig-treated animals (groups C),IL-2 concentration in serum was maintained at a relative low level,which was near or less than that before transplant (P<0.01).Conclusion Using ex vivo gene transfer technique,huCTLA4-Ig gene can be introduced to the liver graft during cold preservation.The modified graft can express and excrete immunoregulatory protein locally,which can suppress acute alloimmune response and is responsible for prolongation of graft survival without using routine immunosuppressive drugs.These findings provide some experimental evidence that gene delivery of sequences encoding immunoregulatory proteins can be applied to clinical liver transplantation for inhibiting the acute alloimmune response and achieving graft tolerance.7 refs,2 tabs.