Objective:To investigate the effect of mitofusin-2 gene (mfn2) transfection on the proliferation and chemosensitivity of hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2.
Methods :The experiment were divded into three groups: pEGFPmfn2 transfected cells, pEGFP-N2 transfected cells and HepG2 cells. The mRNA expression in cells was detected by RT-PCR and protein expression by Western-blot assay. Cell counting method and MTT assay were used to detect the cell proliferation of HepG2 cells. Cell cycle of HepG2 cells was observed by flow cytometry, and chemosensitivity observed by MTT assay.
Results:The viable count of pEGFPmfn2-transfected cells was less than that of pEGFP-transfected cells and untransfected cells at 48 h after transfection (P<0.05). Flow cytometry assay showed that in the cell cycle, the G0/G1 phase proportion was significantly higher in pEGFPmfn2-transfected cells［(83.2±1.5)%］ than in pEGFP-transfected cells and untransfected cells after transfection (P<0.05), and MTT assay showed that mfn2 gene could increase their chemosensitivity to 5-FU.
Conclusions:Mfn2 could inhibit the proliferation of HepG2 cells, which might result from blockage of the cell cycle. It also could increase the chemosensitivity of HepG2 cells.