Objective: To investigate the association between the expression of heparanase (Hpa) and the invasion of choriocarcinoma by studying the expression of Hpa in human choriocarcinoma cell lines JEG-3 and JAR and human chorionic villous tissues.
Methods: (1) Matrigel invasion assays were used to detect in vitro invasive ability of JEG-3 cells and JAR cells. (2) Expression of Hpa protein in the human chorionic villous tissues and choriocarcinoma cell lines (JEG-3 cells and JAR cells) were detected by immunocytochemistry and western blot.
Results: (1) The invasive cell number was significantly larger in JEG-3 cells than in JAR cells (191 +/- 17 vs 106 +/- 13, P < 0.05). (2) Hpa protein mainly located in cytoplasm by immunocytochemistry. (3) Hpa protein expression was stronger in JEG-3 cells than in the JAR cells (1.560 +/- 0.180 vs 0.610 +/- 0.170, P < 0.05); the Hpa protein expression was significantly stronger in choriocarcinoma cell lines than in human chorionic villous tissues (0.190 +/- 0.008) by western blot (P < 0.05). (4) The data suggested that there were significantly positive correlations between Hpa and the invasiveness of choriocarcinoma cells (r = 0.89, P < 0.05).
Conclusions: (1) Hpa protein expression is significantly stronger in choriocarcinoma cell lines than in the human chorionic villous tissues. (2) Activation of Hpa enhances the invasion capability of choriocarcinoma. (3) Overexpression of Hpa may be related to the oncogenesis of choriocarcinoma and Hpa may play an important role in invasion of choriocarcinoma.