ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of small interfering RNA silencing the vitamin D receptor (VDR) on the biological behavior of prostate cancer PC-3 cells. METHODS: We constructed the VDR-shRNA lentiviral vector and determined the mRNA and protein expressions of VDR by RT-PCR and Western blot. Using scratch wound healing and Transwell chamber assays, we detected the changes in the migration and invasiveness of the PC-3 cells after silencing VDR. RESULTS: The VDR-shRNA plasmid significantly interfered the VDR expression and successfully screened the cell lines with stable VDR-shRNA interference. The rate of scratch wound healing was markedly lower in the VDR interference group than in the blank control and LV3 negative control groups (59% vs 73.6% and 77.8%, P <0.05), but with no statistically significant difference between the latter two (P >0.05), and so was the count of permeable cells (P <0.05), but with no significant difference between the latter two groups, either (P >0.05). The migration ability and invasiveness of the VDR-treated cells were remarkably decreased as compared with those of the control cells. CONCLUSIONS: Down-regulated expression of the VDR gene may reduce the migration and invasiveness of prostate cancer cells.
