RESUMEN
Background and purpose: Urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor is related to invasion and metastasis of tumor. Inhibition of uPAR expression in tumor cells results in reducing its metastasis. This study was aimed to construct an expression vector with short hairpin RNA (shRNA) of uPAR, which could pave the way for RNAi-mediated tongue squamous cell carcinoma therapy. Methods: Genome sequences of uPAR gene were retrieved from Genhank and cDNA was designed to code expression of shRNA for uPAR gene. The cDNA was synthesized and inserted into the eukaryotic expression vector pWH1, and the recombinant pWH1-uPAR expression vector was identified by enzyme cutting method. Then, pWH1-uPAR expression vector was transfected into tongue squamous cell carcinoma Ts cells by Lipofectomine 2000. At last, the expression of uPAR in Ts cells transfected with pWH1-uPAR expression vector was observed by RT-PCR, immunocytochemistry staining and Western blot. MTT assay was performed to measure the proliferation of Ts cell. Results: The uPAR shRNA eukaryotic expression vector was successfully constructed. Compared with Ts cells and Ts cells transfected with plasmid pWH1, the Ts cells transfected with pWHI-uPAR expression vector showed a lower mRNA and protein expression of uPAR. The inhibition rate of proliferation was 32.9% of Ts cells by transfected with pWHl- uPAR. Conclusion: The constructed uPAR shR.NA expression vector could inhibit the expression of uPAR in tongue squamous cell carcinoma, which may be helpful for further research on the function of uPAR and provide effective methods for therapy of tongue squamous cell carcinoma.