Inhibitory effect of antisense RNA on the gene expression of membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase and invasiveness of human gastric carcinoma cells

AIM:To investigate the influence on the gene expression of membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase(MT1-MMP)and invasiveness of human gastric carcinoma cell line BGC823 by antisense RNA. METHODS:The eukaryotic expression vector carrying MT1-MMP antisense RNA was con- structed with recombinant technology and then transfected into human gastric cancer cell line BGC823.The changes of MT1-MMP mRNA ex- pression,cell proliferation,activation of gelatin- ase A and cell invasion ability were examined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR),MTT assay,zymography and Tran- swell invasion assay,respectively. RESULTS:The eukaryotic expression vector (named pasMMP14)containing MT1-MMP an- tisense RNA was successfully constructed and transfected into BGC823 cells.The expression of MT1-MMP mRNA was down-regulated with an inhibitory rate of 36%,in comparison with that in negative control group.At the 48th hour after transfection with pasMMP14,the activity of gelatinase A was dramatically inhibited.Af- ter 72 hours,cell proliferation was significantly decreased as compared with that in pcDNA3.0 group and normal control group(t=2.358,P0.01;t=2.727,P0.01).Transwell invasion assay showed that the invasive property was greatly suppressed in pasMMP14-transfected group as compared with that in pcDNA3.0 group and normal control group(t=5.744,P0.01;t=5.695,P0.01). CONCLUSION:Antisense RNA can evidently inhibit the gene expression of MT1-MMP and invasiveness of gastric cancer cells,suggesting that MT1-MMP gene may be a molecular target of anti-invasion therapy for gastric cancer.