Original Article
Copyright ©2009 The WJG Press and Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Nov 21, 2009; 15(43): 5432-5441
Published online Nov 21, 2009. doi: 10.3748/wjg.15.5432
Effects of angiopoietin-1 on attachment and metastasis of human gastric cancer cell line BGC-823
Xi-Long Ou, Hui-Juan Chen, Wei-Hao Sun, Cheng Hang, Liu Yang, Yun-Yan Guan, Fang Yan, Bao-An Chen
Xi-Long Ou, Cheng Hang, Liu Yang, Bao-An Chen, Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu Province, China
Hui-Juan Chen, Department of Gastroenterology, the Second Hospital of Nanjing, Southeast University, Nanjing 210003, Jiangsu Province, China
Wei-Hao Sun, Department of Geriatrics, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China
Yun-Yan Guan, Department of Intensive Care Unit, Wuxi Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuxi 214001, Jiangsu Province, China
Fang Yan, Department of Oncology, Changhai Hospital, Shanghai 200433, China
Author contributions: Ou XL and Chen HJ contributed equally to this work; Ou XL, Chen HJ, Sun WH and Hang C designed the research; Ou XL, Chen HJ and Hang C performed the research; Yang L, Yan F and Guan YY contributed analytic tools; Ou XL, Chen HJ and Hang C analyzed the data; Ou XL and Chen HJ wrote the paper; Sun WH, Chen BA and Hang C wrote part of the paper.
Correspondence to: Xi-Long Ou, Associate Professor, Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu Province, China. ouxilong@126.com
Telephone: +86-25-83272034 Fax: +86-25-83272011
Received: June 1, 2009
Revised: July 10, 2009
Accepted: July 17, 2009
Published online: November 21, 2009
Abstract

AIM: To evaluate the effects of angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) on adhesion of gastric cancer cell line BGC-823 and expression of integrin β1, CD44V6, urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2).

METHODS: BGC-823 cells were transfected transiently with adenovirus-Ang-1 (Ad-Ang-1). Cells transfected transiently with adenovirus-green fluorescent protein (Ad-GFP) and untransfected cells were used as a negative and blank control group, respectively. The cell adhesion rate between cell and extracellular matrix (ECM) was determined by cell adhesion assay. To investigate whether Ang-1 could reinforce gastric carcinoma metastasis, we performed migration and invasion assays in BGC-823 cells. The mRNA and protein expression of integrin β1, CD44V6, uPA and MMP-2 were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting, respectively. The expression of integrin β1 and CD44V6 was measured by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS: BGC-823 cells were transfected successfully. The adhesion rate increased significantly in the Ad-Ang-1 group (P < 0.05). The Ad-Ang-1-transfected group had a significant increase in migration and invasion compared with that of the mock-transfected and Ad-GFP groups. The mRNA and protein expression of integrin β1, CD44V6, uPA and MMP-2 in the Ad-Ang-1 group was higher than that in the Ad-GFP and blank control groups (P < 0.05). Compared with mock-transfected and Ad-GFP groups, integrin β1 and CD44V6 expression intensity greatly increased (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Transfection of Ang-1 into human gastric cancer cell line BGC-823 can significantly increase expression of integrin β1 and CD44V6, by which cell adhesion and metastasis to the ECM are promoted.

Keywords: Angiopoietin-1, CD44V6, Cell adhesion, Gastric cancer, Integrin β1, Matrix metalloproteinase-2, Neoplasm metastasis, Urokinase-type plasminogen activator