Effect of hypoxia on invasion and migration of lung carcinoma cells and its molecular basis / 中国病理生理杂志

ABSTRACT

AIM: To investigate the effect of hypoxia on the invasion and migration of lung carcinoma cells. METHODS: Lung carcinoma cell H128 was exposed to normoxia (air, 5% CO 2), hypoxia (5% O 2,5% CO 2,90% N 2) or anoxia (95% N 2,5% CO 2) conditions for 48 hours. The migration ability of the cells was assayed by wound healing methods. The invasiveness ability was determined with HABM-HEM model. The cells exposed to hypoxia were inoculated under skin in nude mice, and then the growth of the tumor and the rate of metastasis to lymph node or lung were observed. The expression of E-cadherin and ?1-integrin on the cells were also assayed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: Compared with normoxic group, the invasiveness and migration in hypoxic group were increased. The rates of tumorgenesis and metastasis to lung in anoxic group were evidently decreased. The expression of E-cadherin was decreased, and the expression of ?1-integrin was increased in hypoxic group. In anoxia group, the invasiveness, migration, the expression of E-cadherin and ?1-integrin were all decreased. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate hypoxia down-regulated the expression of E-cadherin, up-regulated the expression of ?1-integrin, and increased the invasiveness and metastasis of carcinoma cells. Serious hypoxia decreased the expression of adhesive molecules, and the proliferation, invasiveness and migration were also decreased.