title: Co-culture of hepatoma cells with hepatocytic precursor (stem-like) cells inhibits tumor cell growth and invasion by downregulating Akt/NF-κB expression.
abstract: Hepatocytic stem cells (HSCs) have inhibitory effects on hepatocarcinoma cells. The present study investigated the effects of HSC activity in hepatocarcinoma cellsin vitro. A Transwell co-culture system of hepatocytic precursor (stem-like) WB-F344 cells and hepatoma CBRH-7919 cells was used to assess HSC activity in metastasized hepatoma cellsin vitro. Nude mouse xenografts were used to assess HSC activityin vivo. Co-culture of hepatoma CBRH-7919 cells with WB-F344 cells suppressed the growth and colony formation, tumor cell migration and invasion capacity of CBRH-7919 cells. The nude mouse xenograft assay demonstrated that the xenograft size of CBRH-7919 cells following co-culture with WB-F344 cells was significantly smaller compared with that of control cells. Furthermore, the expression levels of the epithelial markers E-cadherin and β-catenin were downregulated, while the mesenchymal markers α-SMA and vimentin were upregulated. Co-culture of CBRH-7919 cells with WB-F344 cells downregulated NF-κB and phospho-Akt expression. In conclusion, hepatocytic precursor (stem-like) WB-F344 cells inhibited the growth, colony formation and invasion capacity of metastasized hepatoma CBRH-7919 cellsin vitroandin vivoby downregulating Akt/NF-κB signaling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Special Medical Care Unit I and Liver Transplantation, The Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai 200438, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Cheng-Jun
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Sui
authors.affiliation: Department of Geratology, Changhai Hospital, Shanghai 200438, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Miao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Changzheng Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200003, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wei-Qing
authors.initials: WQ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Special Medical Care Unit I and Liver Transplantation, The Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai 200438, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jia-Mei
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Changzheng Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200003, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Hong-Zhu
authors.initials: HZ
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Changzheng Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200003, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Hui-Min
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Changzheng Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200003, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Chun-Yan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Changzheng Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200003, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Hong-Yu
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Yu
keywords: Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway; cancer metastasis; hepatocytic precursor (stem-like) cells; hepatoma cells