[A double suicide gene system driven by KDR promoter selectively kills human hepatic carcinoma cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells].

OBJECTIVE: To study the selective killing effects of adenovirus (Ad)-mediated double suicide gene system driven by KDR promoter (KDR-CdglyTK) on the human hepatic carcinoma cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs).

METHODS: KDR-expressing BEL-7402 and HUVECs and HepG2 cells that did not express KDR were infected by KDR-CdglyTK, and the infection efficiency and the expression of CdglyTK in the cells was detected by RT-PCR. The infected cells were treated with the the prodrugs 5-FC and GCV at different concentrations, and the cell-killing effects and bystander effects were evaluated by MTT method.

RESULTS: At the multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 100, the recombinant AdKDR-CDglyTK showed similar infection efficiency in the 3 cell lines. RT-PCR demonstrated CDglyTK expression in the recombinant adenovirus and the 3 infected cell lines. BEL-7402 and HUVECs infected by the KDR-CdglyTK, but not the HepG2 cells, were highly sensitive to the prodrugs (P<0.001). Bystander effects of the double suicide gene system were observed in the coculture of the infected and non-infected BEL-7402 and HUVECs.

CONCLUSION: The double suicide gene system driven by KDR promoter has specific killing effect on KDR-expressing hepatocellular carcinoma cells and HUVECs.