[Therapeutic potential of recombinant adenovirus expressing p53 in hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of the recombinant adenoviral vector Ad-p53 on the biological behavior of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: With recombinant adenoviral vector expressing WT-p53 (Ad-p53), p53 gene was transfected into the HCC cell line, PLC/PRF/5. The cytotoxicities of Ad-p53 to cells were measured by MTT assay. Cell growth properties and cell cycle patterns were assessed with flow cytometry. The animal model was developed by injecting HCC cells into the dorsum of nude mice. Ad-p53 was injected intratumorally. The animals were killed, and then excised tumors were weighed and analyzed for p53 and p21 protein expression using western blot assay. RESULTS: The introduction of exogenous wild-type p53 resulted in the inhibition of cell growth, high G2/M ratio and cell apoptosis, and low S ratio in PLC/PRF/5. The expression of both p53 and p21 proteins was upregulated in the cells. CONCLUSIONS: Replication-deficient adenoviral vector expressing WT-p53 may be useful for gene therapy of HCC.