[Study on effect of arsenic trioxide on adhesion and invasion of human hepatocarcinoma cells in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To explore that the arsenic trioxide injection (ATI) has the effect in antagonizing adhesion and invasion of human hepatocarcinoma cells (HCC), and its relevant mechanism.
METHODS: Human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line SMMC-7721 and the high metastatic nude mice human HCC in situ transplantation model was taken as the objects of study, the effects of ATI on the SMMC-7721 cell movement and migration, its adhesion with fibronectin (FN) and endothelial cell (EC), as well as the CD44 and MMP-2 gene protein expression in transplanted tumor of the model mice were observed by means of cell movement and migration test, cell adhesion test and immunohistochemical method.
RESULTS: ATI could significantly inhibit SMMC-7721 cell movement and migration on FN, adhesion with FN and EC, also could lower CD44 and MMP-2 in cancer cells.
CONCLUSION: ATI has the effects of antagonizing hepatocarcinoma cell adhesion and invasion, the mechanism may be related with the action of ATI in lowering CD44 and MMP-2 expression in cancer cells.