Inhibition of human UDP-glucose dehydrogenase expression using siRNA expression vector in breast cancer cells.

UDP-glucose dehydrogenase (UGDH) catalyzes two oxidations of UDP-glucose to yield UDP-glucuronic acid. Pathological over-production of extracellular matrix components may be linked to the availability of UDP-glucuronic acid, therefore UGDH is a potential therapeutic target. RNA interference (RNAi) has been adapted to knock down the expression of human UGDH. A UGDH siRNA plasmid was constructed using a pRNA-U6.1/Neo vector and transfected into breast cancer cells, ZR-75-1, with an efficiency of up to 50%. Western blot analysis showed that the UGDH expression was efficiently knocked down at protein levels by RNAi in ZR-75-1 cells.