title: Transcriptional repressor snail and metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to elucidate the effect of Snail transcriptional factor on invasion and metastasis and related molecular mechanisms in HCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quantitative RT-PCR was performed to evaluate Snail, E-cadherin and MMP-2 mRNA expressions in HCC tissues from 47 patients as well as the expressions with metastases in these patients. Snail siRNA was transfected into the Snail-over expressing HCC cells and Snail cDNA was transfected into the less Snail-expressed HCC cells. A pseudo metastatic model of HCC in severe combined immunodeficient mice was used to assess the effects of Snail silencing or overexpression on metastasis development.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The relative values of Snail, E-cadherin and MMP-2 mRNA for metastasis tumor was 0.92±0.13, 0.16±0.00 and 0.73±0.10, and for non-metastasis tumor was 0.23±0.01, 0.76±0.002 and 0.24±0.02, respectively. Significant relation was found between Snail and E-cadherin (p=0.013), Snail and MMP-2 (p=0.026). Furthermore, significant relation was revealed between tumor metastasis and Snail (p=0.036), E-cadherin (p=0.048) and MMP-2 mRNA (p=0.037) expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is an inverse correlation between Snail and E-cadherin expression and a positive correlation between Snail and MMP-2 expression in HCC in vitro and in vivo. Snail downregulates E-cadherin and upregulates MMP-2 expression and promotes invasion in human HCC. Furthermore, Snail inhibition could both upregulate E-cadherin and downregulate MMP-2 expression and inhibit the invasion and metastases in human HCC.
authors: Department of General Surgery, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
authors: Dong
authors: D
authors: Chen
authors: Xuefeng
authors: X
authors: Zheng
authors: Xuelong
authors: X
authors: Jiao
authors: Yuan
authors: Y
authors: Gao
authors: Kejun
authors: K
authors: Zhang
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Liang
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000556:secondary*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D015536:Down-Regulation; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2