Figure 5.

Knockdown of STAT3 or MUC1 enhances irradiation-induced apoptosis in MUC1 stably transfected SMMC-7721 cells. (A) Cells were transiently transfected with C-shRNA, S-shRNA or M-shRNA prior to irradiation exposure. Apoptotis analysis was determined by Annexin-V/propidium iodide staining. Values are results from representative experiments performed in triplicates. (B) Western blot analysis of indicated proteins in MUC1 stably transfected SMMC-7721 cells retransfected with C-shRNA, S-shRNA or M-shRNA. Left, representative western blots. Right, quantitative analysis of protein expression from three independent experiments. Data are expressed as the mean ± standard deviation. *P<0.05 vs. C-shRNA-transfected cells. MUC1, Mucin 1; STAT3, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3; Mcl-1, induced myeloid leukemia cell differentiation protein Mcl-1; Bcl-xL, BCL2 like 1; shRNA, short hairpin RNA; C-shRNA, control-shRNA; S, STAT3-shRNA; M-shRNA, MUC1 shRNA.