title: hSulf-1 inhibits cell proliferation and migration and promotes apoptosis by suppressing stat3 signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: Human sulfatase-1 (hSulf-1) has been shown to desulfate cellular heparin sulfate proteoglycans and modulate several growth factors and cytokines. However, hSulf-1 has not been previously shown to mediate the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (stat3) signaling pathway, which is known to regulate cell proliferation, motility and apoptosis. The present study investigated the role of hSulf-1 in stat3 signaling in hepatocellular cancer. hSulf-1 expression vector and stat3 small interfering RNA (siRNA) were constructed to control the expression of hSulf-1 and stat3 in HepG2 cells. hSulf-1 was found to inhibit the phosphorylation of stat3 and downregulate its targeted protein. MTT and Transwell chamber assays, as well as Annexin V/propidium iodide double-staining methods, were used to examine the effects of hSulf-1 on stat3-mediated motility, proliferation and apoptosis in HepG2 cells. Transfection with hSulf-1 cDNA and/or stat3 siRNA inhibited cell proliferation and motility, concurrent with G0/G1and G2/M phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Overall, the results of the current study suggested that hSulf-1 functions as a negative regulator of proliferation and migration and as a positive regulator of apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma, at least partly via the downregulation of stat3 signaling.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Wuhan Puai Hospital, Wuhan, Hubei 430033, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jiwei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Boyong
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Zhisu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
keywords: hepatocellular carcinoma; human sulfatase-1; stat3 signaling