[Antiproliferative effects on Ph+ leukemic cells transfected with antisense bcr/abl fusion gene]

To investigate the possible roles that bcr/abl fusion gene plays in Ph-chromosome positive leukemia cells, in this study the recombinant plasmids expressing antisense transcripts to bcr/abl fusion gene were transfected into K562 and BV173 cell lines by lipofectin reagent. Southern and Northern bilot hybridizations proved the integration and expression of exogenous DNA in target cells. Antisense transcripts to bcr/abl inhibited proliferation and colony-forming ability of target cells. Through flow cytometric cell cycle analysis it was found that during the early period of transfection decrease of cells in G0/G1 and S phases and increase in G2 phase were observed, suggesting block of G2 progression. Later, cells in G0/G1 phase decreased further and retardation of S and G2 progressions was obvious. The results also indicated that proliferative inhibition of target cells was accompanied by genomic DNA degradation.