Objective: To study the injection of NKG5SV gene to inhibit growth and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Methods: NKG5SV gene was inserted into retroviral vector pLXSN by normal methods. LacZ gene was used as control. LCI-D20 tumor together with saline, pLXSN-LacZ DNA or pLXSN-NKG5SV was subcutaneously inoculated to the nude mice. Tumor formation rate and tumor size were noted 35 days after inoculation. LCI-D20 tumor was inoculated subcutaneously. Saline, pLXSN-LacZ DNA or pLXSN-NKG5SV was intratumorally injected respectively 10 days after inoculation. Tumor growth was observed 35 days after inoculation. Liver cancer was resected 22 days after intrahepatic inoculation. Saline, pLXSN-LacZ DNA or pLXSN-NKG5SV was respectively injected at incisal margin or intraspleen. Mice were killed 35 days after inoculation to observe tumor recurrence at incisal margin, intrahepatic metastasis and extrahepatic metastasis.
Results: Tumor formation rate and tumor diameter(cm) were 1.76 +/- 0.11, 1.51 +/- 0.34, 0.33 +/- 0.04 in the control group, LacZ group, NKG5SV group respectively when tumor and different cDNA were inoculated together. Tumor diameter(cm) and weight(g) were 0.87 +/- 0.08, 0.83 +/- 0.05, 0.26 +/- 0.04; 0.43 +/- 0.06, 0.38 +/- 0.04, 0.08 +/- 0.06 in the control group, LacZ group, NKG5SV group respectively when different cDNA were injected into the LCI-D20 tumor. Sites with extrahepatic metastasis nidi, incisal margin recurrence tumor size(cm), intrahepatic metastasis nidi, metastasis involved hepatic lobes in the control group, LacZ group, NKG5SV group were 4.25 +/- 1.48, 4.25 +/- 1.04, 0.63 +/- 0.51; 1.51 +/- 0.27, 1.35 +/- 0.17, 0.81 +/- 0.17; 2.50 +/- 1.41, 2.38 +/- 1.06, 1.25 +/- 0.71; 2.13 +/- 0.99, 2.00 +/- 0.75, 1.38 +/- 0.74 respectively when NK cells were injected at incise margin. They were 4.38 +/- 1.85, 4.25 +/- 1.48, 1.00 +/- 0.75; 1.13 +/- 0.23, 0.97 +/- 0.29, 0.76 +/- 0.16; 2.50 +/- 1.41, 2.05 +/- 1.12, 0; 2.13 +/- 0.83, 1.75 +/- 0.88, 0 respectively when NK cell were injected intrasplenicly.
Conclusions: NKG5SV gene can inhibit HCC growth and postoperative metastasis and recurrence.