Actual invasive potential of human hepatocellular carcinoma revealed by in situ gelatin zymography.
BACKGROUND
The matrix-degrading proteinases are believed to play an important role in the invasion and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but no one has ever seen the in situ matrix-degrading activity in HCCs.


OBJECTIVE
To demonstrate the cellular localization of actual gelatinolytic activity and to investigate the invasive potential of human HCC.


METHODS
HCC cases (30) were subjected to in situ gelatin zymography and SDS-gelatin gel zymogram.


RESULTS
In situ gelatin zymography revealed a heterogeneous gelatinolytic activity in HCC cells, as well as stromal cells of noncancerous livers. The gelatinolytic intensity was stronger in 15 HCC nodules than in the corresponding noncancerous livers and was significantly associated with the cancer invasion to the capsule of the HCCs and to the portal veins. An intense gelatinolytic activity was detected in HCC cells in the front of tumor invasion. SDS-gelatin gel zymogram revealed gelatinases A and B that were mostly in latent forms.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study demonstrates high gelatinolytic activity at the invasive front of HCCs at a cellular level and that HCC has an invasive potential with the gelatin (matrix)-degrading metalloproteinases. Furthermore, it suggests the importance of the activation mechanism of gelatinolytic enzymes in the invasion and metastasis of HCCs.
Kaneyoshi
T
T
Department of Medicine and Medical Science, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Okayama 700-8558, Japan.
Nakatsukasa
H
H
Higashi
T
T
Fujiwara
K
K
Naito
I
I
Nouso
K
K
Kariyama
K
K
Kobayashi
Y
Y
Uemura
M
M
Nakamura
S I
SI
Iwasaki
Y
Y
Tsuji
T
T
D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005780:Gelatin; D018093:Gelatinases / Q000032:analysis*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000032:analysis; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery / Q000821:virology; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000473:pathology; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000473:pathology
D007527:Isoenzymes; D005780:Gelatin; D018093:Gelatinases