title: Surrounding cells affect the gene expression pattern of human beta-defensins in squamous cell carcinoma in vitro.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Defensins are basic peptides involved in non-immune bio-defense mechanisms in a normal epithelium. Human oral squamous cell carcinoma cells (OSCC) also produce human beta-defensins (HBDs), although their exact function is not clear. This study aimed to analyze the variation in gene expression levels of hBDs in co-cultures of OSCC with murine cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two OSCC cell lines (HSC-3, HSC-4) were co-cultured with mouse embryonic fibroblasts, NIH/3T3 or a mouse chondrogenic cell line derived from teratocarcinoma, ATDC5, for 1.5 days. Expression patterns of the hBD genes were investigated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  hBD1 expression increased when co-cultured with NIH/3T3 but decreased when co-cultured with ATDC5. Expression of hBD2 and hBD4 tended to decrease. OSCC cells formed colonies when co-cultured with NIH/3T3 but were scattered when co-cultured with ATDC5.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  hBDs expression in OSCC is dependent on the type of co-cultured cells and differences in gene expression may be responsible for the morphological differences observed. OSCC may produce HBDs for purposes other than bio-defense by surrounding cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Reconstructive Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan phc61is1@s.okayama-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Saori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kida-Takaoka
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Function and Anatomy, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoichiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamaai
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Reconstructive Surgery, Okayama University Hospital, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuyoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mizukawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Diagnosis and Dentomaxillofacial Radiology, Okayama University Hospital, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Reconstructive Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iida
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018243:Teratocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment; D023083:beta-Defensins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C406407:DEFB1 protein, human; C106641:DEFB4A protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D023083:beta-Defensins
keywords: Beta-defensins; carcinoma; co-culture techniques; real-time polymerase chain reaction; squamous cell