Objective: To investigate the effect of human sense- and antisense-transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF beta 1) gene on human pulmonary giant cell carcinoma cell (PLA-801D) proliferation.
Methods: PLA-801D cells were transfected with an expression vector containing a full length human sense- or antisense-TGF beta 1 gene by gene transfer. The changes of cell proliferation, expressions of nm23 mRNA and c-myc mRNA and the feature of apoptosis were studied on transfected cells and untransfected cells.
Results: The cells transfected by sense-TGF beta 1 gene showed higher TGF beta 1 activity in the conditioned media, growth inhibition in vitro and decreased coloning formation in anchorage-independent assay. The tumorigenic rate was reduced about 47%, the metastasis was inhibited in athymic nude mice as compared with untransfected cells group. The mechanism of such changes described may be associated with the higher expression of nm23 mRNA, and the lower expression of c-myc mRNA as well as the apoptosis in sense-TGF beta 1 gene transfected cells. However, opposing changes were observed in the antisense-TGF beta 1 gene transfected cells.
Conclusion: TGF beta 1 acts as a negative growth regulator of the PLA-801D in vitro as well as in vivo.