<i>DSCR1</i> gene and Newcastle disease virus ectopic expression effect on angiogenesis and apoptosis in gastric cancer cells

Gastric cancer (GC) accounts for 1.8% of all cancer-related deaths worldwide. Down syndrome critical region 1 (<i>DSCR1</i>), an anti-angiogenic gene, prevents tumor cell proliferation. Newcastle disease viruses (NDVs) have anticancer properties, including potent oncolysis and tumor-specific targeting which make <i>DSCR1</i> and NDV promising candidates for cancer studies. Lentiviral vectors containing <i>DSCR1</i> were generated in HEK 293 cells (LV-<i>DSCR1</i>+). MTT assay was performed to determine the optimal amount of LV-<i>DSCR1</i>+ and NDV to infect normal AGS and RPE cells. Apoptosis was studied using left ventricular acridine orange and ethidium bromide staining. Real-Time Quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR (Real-Time qRT-PCR) and flow cytometry were used to evaluate <i>DSCR1</i>‘s anti-angiogenesis activity against <i>VEGF</i> angiogenesis and apoptosis marker genes (<i>Bax</i> and <i>Bcl2</i>). Simultaneous treatment with NDV and LV-<i>DSCR1</i>+ increased <i>DSCR1</i> and <i>Bax</i> gene expression and decreased <i>VEGF</i> and <i>Bcl2</i> gene expression in AGS cells. LV-<i>DSCR1</i>+ alone increases <i>DSCR1</i> expression and decreases <i>VEGF</i> expression.NDV treatment increases <i>Bax</i> gene expression and decreases <i>Bcl2</i> gene expression. The genes expressed in normal RPE cells were nonsensical. When NDV and LV-<i>DSCR1</i>+ were inoculated together in GC cells as opposed to separately, there was a significant increase in apoptosis and decrease in angiogenesis.