Effect of HGF/c-Met pathway in oral squamous cell carcinoma on EMT and metastatic potential

• KIMURA Kazutaka

  Graduate School of Dentistry (Second Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery), Osaka Dental University.

• OHNISHI Yuichi

  Second Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Osaka Dental University.

• OKAMURA Tomoharu

  Department of Oral Pathology, Osaka Dental University.

• TOMINAGA Kazuya

  Department of Oral Pathology, Osaka Dental University.

• NAKAJIMA Masahiro

  Second Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Osaka Dental University.

Abstract

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is characterized by highly invasive tumor cells. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) signaling plays an important role in the induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process that converts immotile epithelial cells into motile mesenchymal cells and is involved in cancer metastasis by promoting tumor cell scattering. The c-Met, which is a transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptor that may be activated by HGF, regulates the associated downstream gene expression. This process is important to cell migration in normal and cancerous conditions. This study explored the potential effects of c-Met on HGF-induced EMT in an OSCC cell line. We investigated the function of c-Met in the process of EMT, and its molecular mechanism in oral cancer. OSCC cell line, HSC3 cells, were treated with HGF for varying durations. EMT-associated proteins, including E-cadherin and vimentin, were examined by western blot analysis. The role of c-Met in the mediation of EMT-like changes was investigated using western blot analysis and knockdown by c-Met inhibitor. Moreover, we carried out investigations using immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence staining. We found that treatment with HGF induced EMT-like changes and enhanced the migrative potential of HSC3 cells. Furthermore, HGF-mediated EMT-like changes were associated with c-Met activation, and these changes could be blocked by c-Met knockdown. In particular, immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence staining of c-Met strongry expressed in the invasion front of the tumor cells. This study clearly demonstrated a crucial function for c-Met in EMT development in oral cancer. c-Met-targeted treatment may be an effective therapy for oral cancer. We believe that our data demonstrated that c-Met inhibitor could reduce HGF-induced EMT and cell motility via c-Met blockade and down-regulation of the pro-survival extracellular signal-regulated kinases pathway. (J Osaka Dent Univ 2020; 54: 135-144)

Journal

• Journal of Osaka Dental University

  Journal of Osaka Dental University 54 (1), 135-144, 2020-04-25

  Osaka Odontological Society

Keywords

• HGF
• c-Met
• Oral squamous cell carcinoma
• SU11274

Details

• CRID: 1390566775154573824
• NII Article ID: 130007879940
• DOI: 10.18905/jodu.54.1_135
• ISSN: 21896488
• ISSN: 04752058
• Text Lang: en
• Data Source:
  • JaLC
  • CiNii Articles
  • KAKEN
• Abstract License Flag: Disallowed