title: Aquaporin 9 is down-regulated in hepatocellular carcinoma and its over-expression suppresses hepatoma cell invasion through inhibiting epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition.
abstract: Aquaporin 9 (AQP9) is the main aquaglyceroporin in the liver. Few studies have been performed regarding the role of AQP9 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we report the expression and function of AQP9 in HCC tissues and cell lines. We found that AQP9 mRNA and protein levels were down-regulated in HCC tissues and human hepatoma cell lines compared to the para-cancer normal liver tissues and normal hepatocyte line, respectively. In a human HCC SMMC-7721 cell line, over-expression of AQP9 suppressed cell invasion in vitro and xenograft tumor growth in vivo. AQP9 over-expression increased the expression of E-cadherin and decreased the expression of N-cadherin in SMMC-7721 cells and xenografted tumors, which was correlated with decreased levels of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and p-Akt. Conversely, using siRNA to knock down AQP9 over-expression could reverse the phenotype caused by AQP9 over-expression. Our findings suggest that AQP9 is down-regulated in hepatocellular carcinoma and its over-expression suppresses hepatoma cell invasion through inhibiting epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400010, China.
authors.forename: Wen-Guang
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400010, China.
authors.forename: Chuan-Fei
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400010, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: The First Branch of the First Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400010, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400010, China.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shuai
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400010, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400010, China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400010, China. Electronic address: zhechuanmei@126.com.
authors.forename: Zhe-Chuan
authors.initials: ZC
authors.lastname: Mei
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D020346:Aquaporins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000556:secondary; D002465:Cell Movement; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D058539:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D034622:RNA Interference; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013997:Time Factors; D014162:Transfection; D047368:Tumor Burden
chemical_list: C109669:AQP9 protein, human; D020346:Aquaporins; D058539:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
keywords: Aquaporin 9; Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Invasion; PI3K/AKT