Cell culture, Fluo-3 AM loading and laser scanning confocal microscope(LSCM), flow cytometer(FCM)and Western blot were employed to detect the regulation effect of retinoic acid on signal transduction pathway of gap junction gene connexin cx43 in HeLa. The results showed that after treated by ATRA , the second intercellular messenger [Ca 2+]i was much higher in HeLa cells(58.16 nmol/L)than in untreated cells(35.73 nmol/L). A detectable and up-regulation of Cx43 in 43kDa protein in HeLa cells increased from 1.9% to 26.3% in RA-treated cells than in untreated cells examined by FCM and Western blot. Immunoblot showed that only the treated cells had phosphorylated Cx43 protein of 43 kDa. The results suggest that the anti-tumor effect of ATRA in HeLa might be due to up-regulation of cx43 gene and its signal transduction pathway which mediates GJIC. The decreased expression of Cx genes, and the disorder and abnormal signal transduction pathway of Cx gene should be responsible for the uncontrolled tumor cell growth.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cause of Death ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; mortality