Figure 5

XDH overexpression decreases cell motility and invasion in MHCC97H cells. (a) XDH overexpression in MHCC97H cells was confirmed by western blot analysis. The decreases in cell migration were demonstrated by corresponding decreases in coverage percentages. (b) Quantitative analysis of the numbers of invading cells in MHCC97H cells with XDH overexpression or cells treated with control vectors. (c, d) Gene profiling (c) and western blot analysis (d) of EMT marker gene expression levels in MHCC97H cells transfected with cDNA. (e) qRT–PCR analysis of TGFβ isoform transcript expression in MHCC97H cells. rel., relative. (f) Western blot analysis of TGFβ isoform and Smad2/3 phosphorylation levels in MHCC97H cells. Quantitative analysis of protein expression levels was performed using ImageJ software. (g) Representative photograph of a hematoxylin–eosin-stained lung section in nude mice after tail vein injection of MHCC97H cells. Black arrows indicate the metastatic tumor foci in the lungs. Scale bar, 100 μm. n=8 for each group. Quantitative analyses of the numbers of nodules per lung were performed. XDH, xanthine dehydrogenase; EMT, epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Unpaired t-tests were performed to assess statistical significance. All in vitro data are expressed as the mean±s.e.m. of three experiments. XDH, xanthine dehydrogenase; EMT, epithelial-mesenchymal transition; qRT–PCR, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction; HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; TGFβ, transforming growth factor beta; Smad, mothers against decapentaplegic, drosophila. ns, not significant, *P<0.05, **P<0.01, ***P<0.001, ****P<0.0001.