OBJECTIVETo observe the sensitivity of the PC-3 cell lines transfected with the PCI-NEO-SNCG plasmid to Cisplatin (DDP), 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), Adriamycin (ADM), Vincristine (VCR) and Paclitaxel (TAX), and to explore the influence of the SNCG expression on the effectiveness of anti-tumor drugs.

METHODSThe plasmids PCI-NEO and PCI-NEO-SNCG were transfected into the hormone-independent prostate cancer cell lines PC-3. RT-PCR was adopted to examine the expression of SNCG in the PC-3 cell lines. The MTT method was employed to detect the suppressive effects of different anti-tumor drugs (DDP, ADM, 5-FU, VCR and TAX) on the cell lines transfected with PCI-NEO and PCI-NEO-SNCG. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the cell cycles and apoptosis of the transfected cells treated with TAX.

RESULTSThe 5 anti-tumor drugs suppressed the growth of the cell lines transfected with the plasmids PCI-NEO and PCI-NEO-SNCG in a time-dependant manner. The comparison between the growth-suppressing effects of different anti-tumor drugs on the PC-3 cell lines showed no significant differences between the group transfected with PCI-NEO and that with PCI-NEO-SNCG in DDP, 5-FU, ADM and VCR (P > 0.05), while the rate of suppression of TAX on the latter cell lines was significantly lower than that on the former (P < 0.01). Compared with the PCI-NEO-SNCG plasmid transfected cell lines, after treated with TAX for 48 hours, those transfected with the PCI-NEO plasmid exhibited a significantly larger proportion of cells remaining in the G2-M stage (P < 0.01), a smaller proportion in the G0-G1 and S stages (P < 0.01) and a significantly higher expression of Caspase-3 (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe significant reduction of the growth-suppressing effect of TAX in the SNCG-transfected PC-3 cell lines suggests that the expression of SNCG may restrain the effect of TAX. These findings have provided evidence and guide to the individual chemotherapy of prostate cancer.