title: Expression of natriuretic peptide receptor-A in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas and the relationship with tumor invasion and migration.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The natriuretic peptide receptor-A (NPRA) has been investigated as a receptor of natriuretic peptides in the cardiovascular system. In this study, however, we analyze the expression status of NPRA and the relationship with tumor invasion in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) for the first time.
  
  
  METHODS
  Western blots were used to examine the expression status of protein in human ESCC cell lines. Then, we used immunohistochemistry to detect the expression of NPRA in 45 ESCC specimens and 40 corresponding nontumor tissues. The clinical data were analyzed through statistical methods. Sh-RNA-NPRA was transfected into Eca109 cells to detect the relationship between NPRA and cell invasion through transwell assays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In esophageal squamous cells, the expression of NPRA was strongly detected in the cytoplasm, while undetectable or very weak in the nucleus. The positive rates of NPRA in cancer tissues are significantly higher than that in nontumor tissues (P<0.05). Clinicopathological analyses revealed that increased NPRA expression correlated with differentiation and TNM stage (P<0.05), while it showed no statistically significant association with age, gender, and lymph node metastasis. In analysis of prognosis, we found that highly.Transwell assays showed that NPRA promoted Eca109 cell migration and invasion in vitro and may be involved in MMP2 and MMP9 activation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NPRA protein is highly expressed in ESCC tissues and could promote Eca109 cell migration and invasion in vitro.
authors.forename: Zhilong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Haoqian
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Department of second Thoracic surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Yanta West Road no, 277, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China. wangjsh@mail.xjtu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jiansheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002465:Cell Movement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics; D017461:Receptors, Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D017461:Receptors, Atrial Natriuretic Factor; C091715:atrial natriuretic factor receptor A