Protein kinase Cα downregulation via siRNA-PKCα released from foldable capsular vitreous body in cultured human retinal pigment epithelium cells

Xiaoqing Chen, Yaqin Liu, Zhaoxin Jiang, Lian Zhou, Jian Ge, Qianying Gao
State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China

Abstract: We previously found that downregulation of protein kinase Cα (PKCα) can inhibit retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cell proliferation involved in the development of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). In this study, we tested whether PKCα could be downregulated via small interfering RNA (siRNA)-PKCα released from foldable capsular vitreous body (FCVB) in cultured human RPE cells. SiRNA-PKCα content, determined by ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometer, was released from FCVB containing 200, 300, 400, 500, and 600 nm siRNA-PKCα in a time-dependent manner from 1 to 96 hours and a dose-dependent manner at five concentrations. The content (y) had a good linear relationship with time (x), especially in the 600 nm siRNA-PKCα group (y = 16.214x, R² = 0.9809). After treatment with siRNA-PKCα released from FCVBs, the PKCα was significantly decreased by RT-PCR, Western blot, and immunofluorescence analysis in RPE cells. These results indicate that PKCα was significantly downregulated by siRNA-PKCα released from FCVB in human RPE cells and provide us with a new avenue to prevent PVR.

Keywords: small interfering RNA–protein kinase Cα, foldable capsular vitreous body, drug delivery system, retinal pigment epithelium, protein kinase Cα