[VEGF antisense oligonucleotide inhibits the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in human leukemic cell lines].
OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antisense phosphorothioated oligodeoxynucleotide (AS-ODN) on the expression of VEGF in human leukemic cell lines (HL-60 and K562 cells). METHODS: The levels of VEGF mRNA and protein in leukemic cells incubated with VEGF AS-ODN were measured by RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry assay and ELISA. MTT test was used to examine the influence of the culture supernatant (CS) of VEGF AS-ODN treated leukemic cells on the proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (ECV304). RESULTS: After leukemic cells were treated with different concentrations (2.5 approximately 15.0 micro mol/L) of VEGF AS-ODN for 24 h, VEGF mRNA level in the cells decreased remarkably in a concentration dependent manner, no change was found in the VEGF missense ODN treated cells (MS-ODN). When the leukemic cells were treated with 5 micro mol/L VEGF AS-ODN for 24 h, VEGF protein level decreased greatly both in the cells and in the CS; and the proliferation stimulating effect of the treated CS on the ECV304 cells reduced. Meanwhile, there was no obvious change in VEGF protein and its effect in the VEGF MS-ODN treated group. CONCLUSION: VEGF AS-ODN could inhibit VEGF expression in human leukemic cell lines in vitro.