Human Hepatocarcinoma Cell Line (human + hepatocarcinoma_cell_line)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Insulin/protein kinase B signalling pathway upregulates metastasis-related phenotypes and molecules in H7721 human hepatocarcinoma cell line

FEBS JOURNAL, Issue 18 2003
Hui-Ling Qi
The effect of insulin on cancer metastatic potential was studied in a human hepatocarcinoma cell line, H7721. Cell adhesion to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and laminin as well as chemotactic cell migration and invasion were selected as the indices of metastasis-related phenotypes for assessment of metastatic potential ex vivo. The results indicated that insulin enhanced all of these metastasis-related phenotypes. After the cells were treated with specific inhibitor of PI3K (LY294002) or transfected with antisense cDNA of PKB (AS-PKB), all of the above phenotypes were attenuated, and they could not be significantly stimulated by insulin, indicating that the insulin effect on metastatic potential was mediated by PI3K and PKB. Only the monoclonal antibody to the sialyl Lewis X (SLex), but not antibodies to other Lewis antigens, significantly blocked the cell adhesion to HUVECs, cell migration and invasion, suggesting that SLex played a crucial role in the metastatic potential of H7721 cells. The upregulation of cell surface SLex and ,-1,3-fucosyltransferase-VII (,-1,3 Fuc T-VII, enzyme for SLex synthesis) was also mediated by PI3K and PKB, since LY294002 and AS-PKB also reduced the expressions of SLex and ,-1,3 FucT-VII, and attenuated the response to insulin. Furthermore, the alterations in the expressions of PKB protein and activity were correlated to the changes of metastatic phenotypes and SLex expression. Taken together, the insulin/PKB signalling pathway participated in the enhancement of metastatic potential of H7721 cells, which was mediated by the upregulation of the expression of SLex and ,-1,3 FucT-VII. [source]


Transfection of the c- erbB2/neu gene upregulates the expression of sialyl Lewis X, ,1,3-fucosyltransferase VII, and metastatic potential in a human hepatocarcinoma cell line

FEBS JOURNAL, Issue 12 2001
Fei Liu
The pCMV4 plasmid containing the cancer-promoting gene, c- erbB2/neu, was cotransfected into the human hepatocarcinoma cell line 7721 with the pcDNA3 vector, which contains the ,neo' selectable marker. Several clones showing stable expression of c- erbB2/neu were established and characterized by determination of c- erbB2/neu mRNA and its encoded protein p185. Expression of Lewis antigens and ,1,3-fucosyltransferases and the biological behavior of 7721 cells after c- erbB2/neu transfection were studied using mock cells transfected with the vectors pCMV4 and pcDNA3 as controls. SLex expression on the surface of mock cells was high, whereas expression of SDLex, Lex and SLea was absent or negligible. This is compatible with the abundant expression of ,1,3-fucosyltransferase VII, very low expression of ,fucosyltransferase III/VI, and almost absent expression of ,1,3-fucosyltransferase IV in the mock cells. After transfection of c- erbB2/neu, expression of SLex and ,1,3-fucosyltransferase VII were simultaneously elevated, but that of ,fucosyltransferase III/VI was not altered. The expression of both SLex and ,1,3-fucosyltransferase VII correlated positively with the expression of c- erbB2/neu in different clones, being highest in clone 13, medium in clone 6, and lowest in clone 7. In addition, the adhesion of 7721 cells to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) or P-selectin, as well as cell migration and invasion, were increased in c- erbB2/neu -transfected cells. These increases also correlated positively with the expression intensities of c- erbB2/neu, SLex and ,1,3-fucosyltransferase VII in the different clones, whereas cell adhesion to fibronectin correlated negatively with these variables. mAbs to SLex (KM93) and SDLex (FH6) significantly and slightly, respectively, abolished cell adhesion to HUVECs or P-selectin and cell migration and invasion. mAbs to SDLex and SLea did not suppress cell adhesion to HUVECs nor inhibit cell migration and invasion. Transfection of ,1,3-fucosyltransferase VII cDNA into 7721 cells showed similar results to transfection of c- erbB2/neu, and the increased adhesion to HUVECs, cell migration, and invasion were also inhibited significantly by KM93 and slightly by FH6. These results indicate that expression of ,1,3-fucosyltransferase VII and its specific product, SLex, and their capacity for cell adhesion, migration and invasion are closely related. Therefore, the c- erbB2/neu gene is proposed to be a metastasis-promoting gene, and its effects are at least partially mediated by the increased expression of ,1,3-fucosyltransferase VII and SLex. [source]


Low-dose metronomic chemotherapy with cisplatin: can it suppress angiogenesis in H22 hepatocarcinoma cells?

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PATHOLOGY, Issue 1 2010
Fang-Zhen Shen
Summary Low-dose chemotherapy drugs can suppress tumours by restraining tumour vessel growth and preventing the repair of damaged vascular endothelial cells. Cisplatin is a broad-spectrum, cell cycle-non-specific drug, but has serious side effects if used at high doses. There have been few reports on the anti-angiogenic effects of low-dose cisplatin and hence the effect of low-dose metronomic (LDM) chemotherapy on the proliferation and neovascularization of H22 hepatocarcinoma cells is discussed in this research. The influence of LDM chemotherapy with cisplatin on human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) and proliferation of the HepG2 human hepatocarcinoma cell line were measured using MTT assays. The LDM group was treated with cisplatin 0.6 mg/kg/day; the control group with saline 0.2 ml; the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) group with cisplatin 9 mg/kg/day. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP-2) were detected using immunohistochemical staining. A chicken chorio-allantoic membrane (CAM) model was used to check the inhibitory effect of LDM chemotherapy with cisplatin on neovascularization in vivo. Low-dose cisplatin inhibited HUVEC proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner, but was ineffective in inhibiting HepG2 cell proliferation. Tumour growth was delayed in mice receiving LDM cisplatin, without apparent body weight loss, compared with mice that received MTD cisplatin. Microvessel density and expression of VEGF and MMP-2 were much lower in mice receiving LDM cisplatin than in the control and MTD groups. Continuous low-dose cisplatin suppressed CAM angiogenesis in vivo. LDM chemotherapy with cisplatin can inhibit the growth of blood vessel endothelial cells in vitro and shows anti-angiogenic ability in vivo. [source]


Enhanced Growth Inhibition of Hepatic Multicellular Tumor Spheroids by Lactosylated Poly(ethylene glycol)-siRNA Conjugate Formulated in PEGylated Polyplexes

CHEMMEDCHEM, Issue 9 2007
Motoi Oishi Prof.
Abstract PEGylated polyplexes (lac-PEGylated polyplexes) composed of poly(L -lysine) and lactosylated poly(ethylene glycol)-small interfering RNA conjugate, which inhibits the RecQL1 gene product, were revealed to show an appreciable growth inhibition of multicellular HuH-7 spheroids (human hepatocarcinoma cell lines) for up to 21 days (IC50=6,nM); this system used as an in,vitro three-dimensional (3D) model mimicking the in,vivo biology of tumors. The PEGylated polyplexes thus prepared had a size of approximately 110,nm with clustered lactose moieties on their periphery as targeting ligands for the asialoglycoprotein-receptor-expressing HuH-7 cells. In contrast, OligofectAMINE/siRNA (cationic lipoplex) was observed to have almost no growth-inhibitory effect against HuH-7 spheroids, even though the lipoplex showed a stronger growth-inhibitory effect than the lac-PEGylated polyplexes on conventional monolayer-cultured HuH-7 cells. The FITC-tagged conjugate in the lac-PEGylated polyplexes showed smooth penetration into the HuH-7 spheroids compared with that in the lipoplexes, as observed by confocal fluorescence-scanning microscopy. This indicates that the small size of approximately 100,nm and the reduced nonspecific interaction due to the nonionic and hydrophilic lactosylated PEG layer contributes to the smooth penetration of the PEGylated polyplexes into the spheroid interior, eventually facilitating their uptake into the cells composing the spheroids. Cellular apoptosis indicating programmed cell death was also observed in the HuH-7 spheroids treated with the PEGylated polyplexes, revealing that the observed growth inhibition was indeed induced by the RNAi of the RecQL1 siRNA. These data suggest that the smart PEGylated polyplexes can indeed penetrate into the multiple cell layers of 3D tumor masses in,vivo, exerting therapeutic effects through the RNAi. [source]