Purpose To investigate bax expression and induction of apoptosis in normal cultured retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells ． Methods Cultured human RPE cells were transfected by PMDNA3-hbax，which incoded the whole bax gene and may be induced by Zn2+ under the MTII promoter， through lepofectin mediated protocol．The tested RPE cells were divided into three groups of A，PMDNA3-hbax transfected ;B，PMDNA3 (nude vector) transfected and C ，normal RPE cells．After transfection， DNA gel electrophoreses were perform ed ，the tested RPE cell cycles were analyzed with flow cytometry (FCM)． Results The gel electrophoretogram showed DNA ladder phenomenon，FCM confirmed the apoptosis of RPE cells PMDNA3-hbaxtransfected ， consisting of significant apoptotic peak sited before the G 1 phase and the apoptotic rate was 36%． Conclusion The foreign bax gene can be effectively conducted in to the RPE cell through lepofectinmediated protocol and induced expression ． The foreign bax overexpression may induce the cultured human RPE cell susceptibi lity to apoptosis． (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis, 2001,17:132-134)
Citation： LIU Shaoshan,HUI Yannian,WANG Yusheng. Overexpression of Bax and induction of apoptosis in human retinal pigment epithe lial cell lines. Chinese Journal of Ocular Fundus Diseases, 2001, 17(2): 132-134. doi: Copy