肿瘤相关巨噬细胞在肝癌上皮细胞间质转型中的作用

Role of tumor-associated macrophages in epithelial-mesenchymal transition of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells

目的检测肿瘤相关巨噬细胞对肝癌细胞迁移能力的作用及机制。方法将肝癌细胞与THP-1细胞来源的巨噬细胞共培养,利用Transwell细胞迁移实验与细胞划痕实验检测肝癌细胞迁移能力的变化情况,观察肝癌细胞形态变化,并用RT-PCR检测上皮细胞间充质转化相关分子E-cadherin与N-cadherin的变化。结果与THP-1细胞来源的巨噬细胞共培养后,肝癌细胞的迁移能力明显增强,由上皮细胞形态向间质细胞形态转变,E-cadherin表达降低,而N-cadherin表达则升高。结论在肝癌中,肿瘤相关巨噬细胞可能通过EMT增强肝癌细胞的迁移能力。

Objective To explore the effect and mechanism of tumor-associated macrophages on human hepatocellular carcinoma （ HCC） cells.Methods The HCC cells were cocultured with macrophages from PMA-treated THP-1 cells and cell migration was detected by transwell migration test and wound-healing assay.The expressions of E-cadherin and N-cadherin were measured by RT-PCR.Results The ability of cell migration was significantly increased after being cocultured with mocrophages from PMA-treated THP-1 cells.A transition from epithelial morphology to mesenchymal morphology was observed.The expression of E-cadherin decreased and the expression of N-cadherin increased.Conclu-sion Our findings suggest that tumor-associated macrophages may promote the cell migration through epithelial-mesen-chymal transition.