Background & objective: The presence of Coxsackie and adenovirus receptor (CAR) on target cell surface is required for efficient adenovirus transfection; lack or down-regulated expression of CAR on cancer cells is the main cause of inefficiency of adenovirus-based gene therapy. This study was to evaluate enhancive effect of trichostatin A (TSA), a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, on the transfection efficiency of adenovirus in ovarian carcinoma cell line A2780, and explore its possible application to adenovirus-based gene therapy.
Methods: mRNA and protein levels of CAR on A2780 cells were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot before and after treatment of TSA. Transfection efficiency of adenovirus was valued by flow cytometry (FCM). In vitro antitumor effect of adenovirus/thymidine kinase (ADV/TK) was detected by MTT assay.
Results: After treatment of TSA, mRNA and protein levels of CAR on A2780 cells were obviously increased. Transfection rates of adenovirus were (1.24+/-0.14)% in untreated group, (7.58+/-0.32)% in 5 nmol/L of TSA treated group, and (7.94+/-0.28)% in 100 nmol/L of TSA treated groups. In vitro antitumor effect of ADV/TK was 4-10 folds in TSA (5 or 100 nmol/L) treated groups compared with that in untreated group.
Conclusion: TSA could enhance transfection efficiency of adenovirus in ovarian carcinoma cells, and may be useful in gene therapy for ovarian carcinoma.