[Downregulation of HSP70 gene expression and apoptosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma SMMC-7721 cells induced by nimesulide in vitro].

AIM: To investigate the effect of nimesulide on cell apoptosis and possible mechanism in human hepatocellular carcinoma SMMC-7721 cells. METHODS: SMMC-7721 cells were treated with nimesulide at different concentrations. Cell viability was assessed by MTT assay. Cell apoptosis rate was determined with flow cytometry. The cleavage activity of PARP and caspase-9 and the expression of HSP70 were evaluated using RT-PCR and Western blotting. The influence of HSP70 on cell apoptosis was observed using RNA interference silencing HSP70 expression. RESULTS: Nimesulide significantly inhibited cell growth in SMMC-7721 cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner, and induced cell apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, nimesulide promoted the cleavage of caspase-9 and PARP and inhibited the mRNA and protein expression of HSP70. Through the specific inhibition on HSP70 gene with siRNA, cell apoptosis increased, and the apoptosis was enhanced by the cleavage activity of caspase-9 and PARP. CONCLUSION: Nimesulide could inhibit cell growth and induce apoptosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma SMMC-7721 cells via the downregulation of HSP70.

[UbcH10 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma and its clinicopathological significance].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate UbcH10 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma and explore its clinicopathological implications. METHODS: We detected UbcH10 mRNA expression using RT-PCR in normal liver cell line, cancer cell lines, surgically removed hepatocellular carcinoma tissue and corresponding adjacent non-tumor tissue and evaluated the clinicopathological significance of UbcH10. Immunohistochemistry was performed to investigate UbcH10 protein expression in hepatocellular carcinoma tissue, the adjacent tissue, and normal liver tissue specimens. RESULTS: Normal liver cell line L02 showed significantly lower UbcH10 mRNA expression levels than the cancer cell lines BEL-7402, Hep3B, HepG2 and SMMC-7721 (P<0.05). UbcH10 mRNA expression was also was significantly higher in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues than in the corresponding non-tumor tissues (P<0.05). Clinicopathological evaluation suggested that UbcH10 expression was associated with tumor invasion of the portal vein, tumor size, TNM staging, and tumor differentiation (P<0.05). Immunohistochemistry identified stronger UbcH10 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues than in the adjacent tissues and normal liver tissues (68.6%, 28.6%, and 26.7%, respectively). CONCLUSION: UbcH10 is over-expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma and may serve as a novel biomarker as well as a therapeutic target of hepatocellular carcinoma.