Establishment and characterization of human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line FHCC-98.
OBJECTIVE
To establish a novel human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell line FHCC-98 from HCC tissue and to provide a suitable model for studying HCC occurrence, progress and metastasis.


METHODS
Serially passaged cells were cultured and their morphologies were observed under light and electron microscope. Cytogenetic study was conducted by using flow cytometry and chromosome analysis. Expressions of tumor markers such as alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), cytokeratin (CK) and hepatoma metastasis-associated factor HAb18G/CD147 on the FHCC-98 cells were detected by immunocytochemistry or Western blotting. Lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) isoenzymes were detected by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). Xenograft was performed by inoculating FHCC-98 cells into the flanks of nude mice.


RESULTS
Morphology of FHCC-98 cells was the same as that of other malignant cells. The expressions of the cells were positive for HAb18G/CD147 and CK, and negative for AFP. Its population doubling time was 21.4 h. The cell DNA was tetraploid and the major chromosomes were triploid by cytogenetics analysis. The tumorigenicity in nude mice was 100%. PAGE showed four bands representing LDH2, LDH3, LDH4 and LDH5.


CONCLUSIONS
FHCC-98 is a novel HCC cell line and an ideal cell model for further exploring the mechanism of hepatocellular carcinoma invasion and metastasis.
Lou
Chao-Yang
CY
Department of Cell Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, Shaanxi Province, China.
Feng
Ying-Ming
YM
Qian
Ai-Rong
AR
Li
Yu
Y
Tang
Hao
H
Shang
Peng
P
Chen
Zhi-Nan
ZN
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D048430:Cell Shape; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor