Knockdown of a proliferation-inducing ligand (PRIL) suppresses the proliferation of gastric cancer cells.

PURPOSE PRIL (proliferation-inducing ligand) is a newly identified member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family and modulates death ligand-induced apoptosis. Here, we investigated the effect of PRIL on cellular characteristics relating to tumor progression in human gastric cancer. METHOD Recombinant lentivirus containing APRIL siRNA was constructed and then infected MGC803 and SGC7901 gastric cancer cells. MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] colony formation and cell cycle analysis were used to study the effect of APRIL knockdown on gastric cancer cell proliferation. RESULTS PRIL expression in lentivirus infected cells was significantly reduced as evidenced by quantitative real-time PCR. Cell viability and colony formation of MGC803 and SGC7901 cells were significantly hampered in PRIL knock-down cells. Moreover, the cell cycle was arrested at G2/M phase, elucidating the mechanism underlying the inhibitory effect of siRNA on cell proliferation. CONCLUSIONS Our study indicated that PRIL functions in promoting cell growth, and lentivirus-mediated PRIL gene knockdown might be a promising strategy in the treatment of gastric cancer.