Apoptosis of Human Pancreatic Carcinoma PC-2 Cells by an Antisense Oligonucleotide Specific to Point Mutated K-ras

The prognosis of pancreatic carcinoma is poor due to the difficulty in early diagnosis, insensitivity to routine therapies and limited understanding of its pathological mechanisms. Gene therapy is now becoming an important strategy for the treatment of pancreatic carcinoma, which includes antisense gene therapy. In this study, we investigated the effect of an antisense oligonucleotide specific to point mutated K-ras on the apoptosis of human pancreatic carcinoma cells in vitro. Human pancreatic carcinoma PC-2 cells were transfected with an antisense oligonucleotide specific to a K-ras point mutation by liposomes. The effect of the antisense oligonucleotide on the apoptosis of PC-2 cells was studied using flow cytometry, TUNEL, and phase contrast microscopy. An apoptotic peak was observed in the experimental group, and most cells were arrested at the G1 phase with few cells at the S phase. The numbers of apoptotic cells in the experimental group increased as indicated by TUNEL and phase contrast microscopy. An antisense oligonucleotide specific to a K-ras point mutation promotes apoptosis in PC-2 cells in vitro perhaps by inhibition of ras gene expression.