Antisense oligonucleotide targeting survivin inducing apoptosis of hepatic cancer cells

Objective Survivin is a recently described inhibitor of apoptosis. It is undetectable in normal tissue of adults, but abundantly expressed in transformed cells and a variety of human cancers. This study was aimed to investigate the effect of antisense oligonucleotide (ASODN) targeting survivin on hepatic cell apoptosis, proliferation and sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs. Methods ASODN targeting survivin was designed and constructed. Cultured cells were divided into 6 groups: control group, lipofectin group, oligonucleotide(ODN) group, 200 nmol/L ASODN group, 400 nmol/L ASODN group and 600 nmol/L ASODN group. After transfection for 20 h, cultured cells were harvested to carry on the next tests. Cell morphological change was observed with invert microscope; survivin protein expression was detected by Western blot; apoptotic index (AI) and proliferative index (PI) were examined by flow cytometry; rate of inhibition (IR) by chemotherapeutic drugs was determined by the colorimetric MTT cell viability/proliferation assay. Results Expression of survivin in ASODN groups was significantly decreased compared with that in the control, lipofectin and ODN group; abnormal morphological change of cells was observed in ASODN transfected groups; the AI of ASODN groups was significantly higher than that of other groups; the PI of ASODN groups was significantly lower than that of other groups; the IR of chemotherapeutic drugs in ASODN groups was significantly higher than that of other groups. Conclusions Expression of survivin may decrease in hepG2 cells after ASODN transfection. ASODN targeting survivin can induce cell apoptosis, inhibit cell proliferation and sensitize hepatocarcinoma cells to chemotherapy.