Reduction of β-catenin expression in hepatocellular carcinoma inhibited the enhanced metastatic potential of hypoxia / 中华肝胆外科杂志

ABSTRACT

ObjectiveTo explore the role of β-catenin in the proinvasive consequences of hypoxia in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).MethodsWe established in vitro and in vivo hypoxic models using the highly metastatic MHCC97 and the stable red fluorescent protein-expressing MHCC97-R cells.The role of β-catenin in hypoxia-mediated aggressiveness was investigated by β-catenin knockdown.ResultsHypoxia caused a pronounced arrest of proliferation in MHCC97 cells,suppressed tumor growth in MHCC97-R xenografts,but promoted in vitro invasiveness and in vivo metastasis.β-Catenin-silencing by short hairpin significantly inhibited the enhanced invasiveness of MHCC97 cells due to hypoxia,reduced the increase in distant metastasis by hepatic arterial ligation,but failed to further restrain cell proliferation.Conclusionβ-Catenin in HCC cells plays an essential role in the hypoxia-induced metastatic potential.A reduction of βcatenin expression inhibited the proinvasive consequences of hypoxia in HCC.