Effects of TESTIN gene expression on proliferation and migration of the 5-8F nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line.

PURPOSE: To investigate effects of the TESTIN (TES) gene on proliferation and migration of highly metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line 5-8F and the related mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The target gene of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line 5-8F was amplified by PCR and cloned into the empty plasmid pEGFP-N1 to construct a eukaryotic expression vector pEGFP-N1-TES. This was then transfected into 5-8F cells. MTT assays, flow cytometry and scratch wound tests were used to detect the proliferation and migration of transfected 5-8F cells. RESULTS: A cell model with stable and high expression of TES gene was successfully established. MTT assays showed that the OD value of 5-8F/TES cells was markedly lower than that of 5-8F/GFP cells and 5-8F cells (p<0.05). Flow cytometry showed that the apoptosis rate of 5-8F/TES cells was prominently increased compared with 5-8F/GFP cells and 5-8F cells (p<0.05). In vitro scratch wound assays showed that, the width of the wound area of 5-8F/TES cells narrowed slightly, while the width of the wound area of 5-8F/ GFP cells and 5-8F cells narrowed sharply, suggesting that the TES overexpression could inhibit the migration ability. CONCLUSIONS: TES gene expression remarkably inhibits the proliferation of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line 5-8F and reduces its migration in vitro. Thus, it may be a potential tumor suppressor gene for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.