Hepatocarcinoma cells stimulate hepatocyte growth factor secretion in human liver myofibroblasts.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the main type of primary liver cancer, is characterized by a high rate of intra-hepatic invasion. The stroma of HCC is infiltrated by myofibroblasts. We have previously shown that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) secreted by human liver myofibroblasts greatly increased the in vitro invasiveness of 3 human HCC cell lines. In this study we show that the conditioned medium (CM) from the same HCC cell lines dose-dependently stimulates HGF secretion by myofibroblasts. This effect was post-transcriptional as no increase in HGF mRNA was observed. We show that the effect of CM is not due to IL-1, IL-6, IGF-1, bFGF or PDGF, previously shown to stimulate HGF synthesis in other models. Our data demonstrate that HCC cells increase HGF secretion by liver myofibroblasts in a paracrine way that could act to enhance invasion.
Guirouilh
J
J
Groupe de Recherches pour l'Etude du Foie, INSERM E 9917, 33076 Bordeaux cedex, France.
Castroviejo
M
M
Balabaud
C
C
Desmouliere
A
A
Rosenbaum
J
J
D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000494:pharmacology; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000494:pharmacology; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I