Abstract:OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of survivn antisense oligonucleotide(ODN) on cell proliferation and apoptosis of HL-60 cells. METHODS: Synthetic ODN was completely phosphorothioate-modified. Cationic lipid-mediated antisense ODN was transferred into HL-60 cells. The expression of survivin mRNA and protein was detected by RT-PCR and Western Blot.The incorporation of MTT was used as the measurement of HL-60 proliferation. The cell-cycle and apoptosis were analyzed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: HL-60 cells spontaneously expressed survivin mRNA and protein. Both mRNA and protein expression of survivin decreased significantly in the antisense ODN transfected cells in comparison to that in the original cells and cells transfected with sense ODN.Survivin antisense ODN significantly inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. The cell-cycle in the antisense ODN-transfected cells stopped at the G_2/M phase. CONCLUSIONS: Antisense ODN targeting at survivin mRNA can inhibit HL-60 cell proliferation and induce G_2/M stop and apoptosis.