title: Natural killer cells inhibit pulmonary metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma in nude mice.
abstract: Natural killer (NK) cells have been demonstrated to inhibit tumor growth. However, the role of NK cells in the inhibition of hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis is not well understood. The present study aimed to investigate the roles that NK cells may serve in inhibiting hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis. The role of isolated NK cells in the inhibition, proliferation, migration and invasion of the hepatoma cell line, MHCC97-H, was examinedin vitro. Additionally, the survival rate of NK cells labeled with carboxyfluorescein diacetate-succinimidyl ester was assessedin vivo. An orthotopic implantation model was used to evaluate the role of NK cells in suppressing MHCC97-H cellsin vivo. The effect of interleukin (IL)-2 stimulation on the tumor-inhibitory role of the NK cells was measured indirectly by analyzing the expression of various NK cell receptors and activated NK cell markers. It was observed that the NK cells inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of the MHCC97-H cellsin vitro. Furthermore, the NK cells demonstrated long-term survival in the livers of the nude mice, and inhibited lung metastasis of hepatocellular carcinomain vivo. However, liver tumor growth was not inhibited by the NK cells. IL-2 was identified to enhance the tumor-inhibitory effect of NK cells. The present study concludes that IL-2 may enhance the antitumor activity of the NK cells, and thereby inhibit the metastases of hepatocellular carcinoma in mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Disease Center, Xiamen Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xiamen, Fujian 361000, P.R. China; Post Graduate College, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350004, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Zai-Fa
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen University, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Xiamen, Fujian 361004, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wen-Xiu
authors.initials: WX
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen University, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Xiamen, Fujian 361004, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Zhen-Yu
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen University, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Xiamen, Fujian 361004, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Cheng-Rong
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen University, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Xiamen, Fujian 361004, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ya-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen University, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Xiamen, Fujian 361004, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Qin
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen University, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Xiamen, Fujian 361004, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen University, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Xiamen, Fujian 361004, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Min
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Wang
keywords: hepatocellular carcinoma; interleukin-2; invasion; natural killer cells; pulmonary metastasis