Figure 3

The overexpression and RNA interference of SFRP1 can affect the cell growth of SMMC7721 cells. (A) SMMC7721 cells were stably transfected by plasmid containing SFRP1, where both offspring subclones, SMMC7721Z and SMMC7721Y, were validated to be overexpressed through western blotting assay, whereas no expression of the gene was confirmed in SMMC7721-mock although transfected with the same vector. (B) The overexpression of SFRP1 can suppress the cell growth of SMMC7721 cells as compared with the mock. The result represents the average value of triplicate wells, with standard deviation, p < 0.01. (C) Analysis of SFRP1 expression level of SMMC7721Z and normal human liver through RT-PCR, where β-actin was used as a loading control. (D) RNA interference using both siRNA_888 and siRNA_1094 was employed to knockdown the constitutive SFRP1 in SMMC7721Z cells, where both these siRNAs were effective as compared to siRNA_NC as control, demonstrated by western blotting assay. (E) Cell growth of SMMC7721Z cells was promoted by both siRNA_888 and siRNA_1094, not siRNA_NC. The result represented the average value of triplicate wells, with standard deviation, p < 0.05.