ABSTRACT
This study was aimed to investigate the expression level of NOV and BNIP3 mRNA in mice myelomonocytic leukemia (AML-M(4)) and its significance. The mice were inoculated intravenously with myelomonocytic leukemia cells of WEHI-3, and divided randomly into chemotherapy group and control (untreated) group. Bone marrow samples were then collected from both groups at different times. The NOV and BNIP3 mRNA expression were detected by TaqMan quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and the relationship between these expression levels and clinical significance in leukemia incidence and progression were analyzed with β-actin as the housekeeping gene. The results showed that the mean values of NOV and BNIP3 increased gradually from 2 weeks after inoculation and achieved highest level at death in control group. Expression level of NOV increased from 1.85E-05 before inoculation to 3.57E-02 at death (p < 0.05), and BNIP3 from 3.44E-03 to 3.48E-02. While 2 gene expression in the chemotherapy group decreased quickly to 2.51E-05 and 1.58E-03 (p < 0.05) respectively after chemotherapy, which were close to the level before inoculation (p > 0.05). The 2 gene expressions again rose at relapse, and difference of expression level between 2 group at death were no statistically significant (p > 0.05). It is concluded that the expression of NOV and BNIP3 in leukemia AML-M(4) is significantly higher than that in normal controls, of which high level expression is an important factor in the development of leukemia. Close relation between the therapeutic effect and expression level of these two genes suggests the great value in prognostic evaluation and MRD detection.