EFFECT OF STAT3 SPECIFIC SHRNA EXPRESSION VECTOR ON PROLIFERATION AND APOPTOSIS OF HUMAN PANCREA-TIC CANCER CELLS

Objective To construct signal transduction and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) short hairpin RNA (shRNA) expression vector and to investigate its inhibitory effects on STAT3 expression, cell proliferation and apoptosis of human pancreatic cancer. Methods Three pairs of hairpin-like oligonucleotide sequences specific for human STAT3 gene were designed and synthesized. The annealed oligonucleotide fragments were subcloned into pRNAT-U6.1/Neo plasmid. The STAT3 shRNA expressing vectors were confirmed by PCR and DNA sequencing. STAT3 mRNA and protein expression were examined by using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot, respectively. MTT assay and flow cytometry were performed to detect the state of cell proliferation and cell apoptosis, respectively. Results PCR and DNA sequencing showed that the oligonucleotide fragments were correctly inserted into pRNAT-U6.1/Neo plasmid. STAT3 expression and cell proliferation in the transfected cells was inhibited significantly by three STAT3 shRNA expressing vectors (P0.05). ConclusionSTAT3 shRNA expression vector can effectively inhibit the expression of STAT3. Silencing of STAT3 with RNAi can significantly inhibit the proliferation and promotes the apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells and may provide a novel therapeutic target for treating pancreatic cancer.