Original Article
Copyright ©2011 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Mar 7, 2011; 17(9): 1152-1159
Published online Mar 7, 2011. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v17.i9.1152
Hepatoma cell line HepG2.2.15 demonstrates distinct biological features compared with parental HepG2
Ran Zhao, Tian-Zhen Wang, Dan Kong, Lei Zhang, Hong-Xue Meng, Yang Jiang, Yi-Qi Wu, Zu-Xi Yu, Xiao-Ming Jin
Ran Zhao, Tian-Zhen Wang, Lei Zhang, Hong-Xue Meng, Yang Jiang, Yi-Qi Wu, Xiao-Ming Jin, Department of Pathology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, Heilongjiang Province, China
Dan Kong, Cancer Research Institute of Kanazawa University Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan
Zu-Xi Yu, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States
Author contributions: Zhao R and Wang TZ contributed equally to this work; Jin XM, Zhao R, Wang TZ and Kong D conducted the experiments; Yu ZX supplied critical reagents; Zhang L and Meng HX maintained animals; Jiang Y and Wu YQ analyzed the data; Jin XM, Zhao R and Wang TZ wrote the manuscript.
Supported by Graduate Innovation Foundation of Harbin Medical University No. HCXB2010010 and Key Technology Project of Heilongjiang Science and Technology Department, No. ZJY04-0102
Correspondence to: Xiao-Ming Jin, PhD, Professor, Department of Pathology, Harbin Medical University, 194 Xuefu Road, Nangang District, Harbin 150081, Heilongjiang Province, China. jinxm55@yahoo.com.cn
Telephone: +86-451-86669472 Fax: +86-451-86669472
Received: November 12, 2010
Revised: November 29, 2010
Accepted: December 6, 2010
Published online: March 7, 2011
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the biological features of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-transfected HepG2.2.15 cells.

METHODS: The cell ultrastructure, cell cycle and apoptosis, and the abilities of proliferation and invasion of HBV-transfected HepG2.2.15 and the parent HepG2 cells were examined by electron microscopy, flow cytometry, 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and trans-well assay. Oncogenicity of the two cell lines was compared via subcutaneous injection and orthotopic injection or implantation in nude mice, and the pathological analysis of tumor formation was performed. Two cytoskeletal proteins were detected by Western blotting.

RESULTS: Compared with HepG2 cells, HepG2.2.15 cells showed organelle degeneration and filopodia disappearance under electron microscope. HepG2.2.15 cells proliferated and migrated slowly in vitro, and hardly formed tumor and lung metastasis in nude mice. Flow cytometry showed that the majority of HepG2.2.15 cells were arrested in G1 phase, and apoptosis was minor in both cell lines. Furthermore, the levels of cytoskeletal proteins F-actin and Ezrin were decreased in HepG2.2.15 cells.

CONCLUSION: HepG2.2.15 cells demonstrated a lower proliferation and invasion ability than the HepG2 cells due to HBV transfection.

Keywords: HepG2.2.15, HepG2, Hepatitis B virus, Biological feature, Tumor