Abstract: BACKGROUND AND AIM: To study the effects of the transfection of recO gene in vitro on the oxidation resistance and the secretion of some inflammatory factors of human skin fibroblas (HSF) exposed to UVB. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The recO gene from deinococcus radiodurans was cloned into pcDNA3.1/NT-GFP-TOPO vector, and was introduced into human skin fibroblasts, cells which were then irradiated with 0, 30, 90, 120 mJ/cm2 doses of UVB. The untransfection group and the blank vector transfected group, were also treated with the same doses of UVB as controls. The activity of LDH and SOD, and the content of MDA, IL-6 and TNF-α in each group were detected. RESULTS: After UVB exposure for 24 h, the activity of total SOD decreased, and the activity of LDH and the content of MDA, IL-6 and TNF-α increased with increasing of UVB doses in the two control groups. However, the SOD activity increased and the IL-6 secretion decreased in the recO transfection group exposed to the same dose of UVB. There were significant differences of the SOD activity and IL-6 secretion between the test group and the control groups in the 30-120 mJ/cm2 range(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: To a certain extent, the transfection of recO gene could inhibit the oxidative damage and the generation of some inflammatory factors, which were induced by UVB irradiation.

Key words: recO gene, UVB irradiation, skin fibroblasts