ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purposes of study was to assess the expression patterns of heat shock protein 33 (HSP33) after gene transfection and to evaluate the protective effects of heat shock protein 33 from apoptosis and oxidative stress in transfected human corneal epithelial cell. METHODS: The cultured human corneal epithelial cells were divided control and experimental group. Experimental group was transfected with HSP 33. After transfection, the experimental group was treated with etoposide (induced apoptosis) and hydrogen peroxide (induced oxidative stress). The expression patterns of HSP 33 was0 examined by western blot. The viability (cell protection rate of heat shock protein) and protective effect against apoptosis after etoposide and hydrogen peroxide treatment were measured using 3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. RESULTS: Expression of Heat shock protein 33 was increased in the transfection group compared with non-transfection group. The increased cell number (viability=anti-apoptotic effect of heat shock protein) of transfection group with induced HSP 33 etoposide and hydrogen peroxide treatment show that Hsp 33 appeared to have protective effect in Human corneal epithelial cell from apoptosis and oxidative stress. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that experimentally induced heat shock protein 33 could protect etoposide-generated apoptosis and hydreogen peroxide generated oxidative stress in human corneal epithelial cell.