title: TGF beta1 and related-Smads contribute to pulmonary metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma in mice model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent studies indicate that Transforming Growth Factor beta (TGF β) correlated with pulmonary metastasis of cancers. However, the correlation between TGF β and pulmonary metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is till unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  We detected the in vitro and in vivo expression levels of TGF β1/Smads by Real-time PCR and Western blot in MHCC97-H and MHCC97-L cell lines, which are HCC cell lines and have higher and lower pulmonary metastatic potential respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TGF β1 mRNA level in MHCC97-L tumors were higher than that in MHCC97-H tumors, (2.81±1.61 vs. 1.24±0.96, P=0.002), TGF β1 protein level in MHCC97-L tumors were also higher than that in MHCC97-H tumors (1.37±0.95 vs. 0.32±0.22, P<0.001). In addition, the TGF β1 mRNA level positively correlated with pulmonary metastasis, and the relations between TGF β1 and Smads were also found (R2=0.12 and 0.40, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that TGF β/ Smads promote pulmonary metastasis of HCC.
authors.affiliation: Liver Cancer Institute & Zhongshan Hospital, Institutes of Biomedical Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Guo-Cai
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qing-Hai
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Qiong-Zhu
authors.initials: QZ
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Hu-Liang
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Lun-Xiu
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Qin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D051379:Mice; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051899:Smad2 Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051899:Smad2 Protein; C497783:Smad2 protein, mouse; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1