Comparison of the inhibiting effects of four antisense oligedeoxynucleotide phosphorothioates on hepatitis B virus gene expression

In this study we evaluated the effects of four antisense oligodeoxynucl eotide phosphorothioates(ODN)asainst antigen expression of HBV gene,Four ODNs were synthesized with an average length of fifteen bases directed against the region upstream of the core gene initiation cedon(#1893-1907),against the region upstream and downstream of the polymerase codin8 gene initiation codon(#2297-2313,# 2797-2813),against the 3 region of 3.5 kb RNA for initiation of reverse transcription(#1817-l831).An ODN with random sequences was also synthesized as control.ODNs were tested agair1st HBV in both HBV transient and stable expressing systems.When being added to epG2 2.2.15 cells at 20 μmol/L every other day,compared to control,all our ODNs showed variable ex tent of inhibition on the expression of HBsAg.The inhibiting rates at day 4 were:C-ODN,24.5%;P-ODN,13%.PM-ODN,38.4%;PBS-ODN,28.4%,However all ODNs had no effect on the ex pression of HBeAg in th is cell line,After being cotransfected into the HepG2 cells with HBV DNA dime