title: Identification of side population cells in human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines with stepwise metastatic potentials.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify the side population (SP) cells from four hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines with stepwise metastatic potentials.
  
  
  METHODS
  SP cells were sorted from HCCLM3, MHCC97-H, MHCC97-L and Hep3B by flow cytometry, and then analyzed by differentiation study, clonogenic assay, chemoresistance study and tumorigenicity assay in vivo. The expression of ABCG(2) in SP cells was detected by immunocytochemistry, western blotting and real-time quantitative PCR, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was significant difference in SP proportion among HCCLM3, MHCC97-H, MHCC97-L and Hep3B (28.7 +/- 1.6%, 14.5 +/- 0.6%, 4.2 +/- 0.4%, 0.9 +/- 0.1%, respectively, P < 0.01). All the SP cells showed similar characteristics of self-renewal, high clonogenicity, remarkable chemo-resistance and high expression of ABCG(2). As low as 2,000 SP cells could initiate tumors in non-obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency mice successfully.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SP cells purified from HCC cell lines harbors cancer stem cell-like properties, and may be related to the metastatic potentials and therapeutic-resistance of HCC.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital and Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, the Chinese Ministry of Education, 136 Yi Xue Yuan Road, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Guo-Ming
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Xin-Rong
authors.initials: XR
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Shuang-Jian
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Wei-Zhong
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Ai-Wu
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Ke
authors.forename: Zhen-Bin
authors.initials: ZB
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Yi-Zhou
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Guo-Huan
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Wen-Zhen
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Wu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Zhi-Hui
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Zhi-Quan
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000070997:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Member 2; D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / Q000235:genetics; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000145:classification* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000145:classification* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000473:pathology*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D010641:Phenotype; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D014410:Tumor Stem Cell Assay
chemical_list: C116614:ABCG2 protein, human; D000070997:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Member 2; D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins