Objective: To investigate the effect of silencing hepatocyte growth factor receptor (c-Met) expression on the biological characteristics of HCT116 colon cancer cells. Methods: Cellular model of c-Met transient transfection was established by using small interfering RNA (siRNA), the expression of c-Met in colon cancer cells was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blot. The apoptosis assay, cell invasion assay, cell migration and other experiments were conducted to observe the effects of silencing c-Met on the biological characteristics of colon cancer cells. Results: RT-qPCR results showed that the relative expression levels of c-Met mRNA in siRNA-Met group, blank control group and siRNA negative control (siRNA-NC) group were 0.32±0.26, 1.01±0.03 and 1.05±0.23, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Western blot analysis showed that the expression level of c-Met protein in the siRNA-Met group was 0.24±0.03, significantly lower than 1.23±0.06 in the blank control group and 1.18±0.11 in the siRNA-NC group (P<0.05). The cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) results showed that the 72-hour absorbance (A) values of the siRNA-Met group, blank control group and the siRNA-NC group were 1.13±0.05, 1.48±0.08 and 1.53±0.07, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.01). Cell cycle results showed that the proportion of cells in G(2)/M phase was (14.65±1.41)% in siRNA-Met group , (5.07±0.70)% in blank control group and (5.63±0.71)% in siRNA-NC group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The expression levels of cell cycle regulatory proteins Cdc25c and cyclin B1 in siRNA-Met group were significantly decreased. The apoptotic rate in siRNA-Met group was (5.85±0.35)%, significantly higher than (1.00±0.17)% in blank control group and (0.91±1.14)% in siRNA-NC group (P<0.05). The expression level of apoptosis-related protein Bcl-2 in the siRNA-Met group was significantly decreased while Bcl-2 associated X protein (BAX) expression level was significantly increased. The cell scratching result showed that the cell migration abilities of the siRNA-Met group, blank control group and the siRNA-NC group were (51.33±8.62)%, (100.00±3.72)% and (102.33±6.43)%, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The number of cell penetrating into the basement membrane of the siRNA-Met group, blank control group and the siRNA-NC group were 47.50±10.60, 100.00±5.33 and 102.50±10.61, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The expressions of invasion related proteins including MMP-2 and MMP-9 in siRNA-Met group were decreased significantly. Conclusions: c-Met plays an important role in maintaining the biological characteristics of colon cancer cells. Inhibition of c-Met may have important values in the treatment of colon cancer.
目的： 探讨沉默肝细胞生长因子受体c－Met表达对结肠癌细胞生物学特性的影响。 方法： 利用HCT116结肠癌细胞，通过RNA干扰技术建立c－Met瞬时转染的细胞模型，同时设阴性对照(siRNA－NC)和空白对照。采用实时荧光定量聚合酶链反应(RT－qPCR)和Western blot检测细胞中c－Met的表达，通过细胞增殖实验、细胞周期和凋亡测定、细胞侵袭实验、细胞迁移实验等观察沉默c－Met对HCT116结肠癌细胞生物学特性的影响。 结果： siRNA－Met组、siRNA－NC组和空白对照组细胞c－Met mRNA的表达水平分别为0.32±0.26、1.05±0.23和1.01±0.03，c－Met蛋白的表达水平分别为0.24±0.03、1.18±0.11和1.23±0.06，siRNA－Met组均显著降低(均P<0.05)。转染后72 h，siRNA－Met组的吸光度值为1.13±0.05，低于siRNA－NC组(1.53±0.07，P<0.01)和空白对照组(1.48±0.08，P<0.01)。siRNA－Met组G(2)/M期细胞比例为(14.65±1.41)%，高于siRNA－NC组[(5.63±0.71)%，P<0.05]和空白对照组[(5.07±0.70)%，P<0.05]，并且siRNA－Met转染后，细胞周期调节蛋白Cdc25c和cyclin B1的表达水平显著下降。siRNA－Met组细胞凋亡率为(5.85±0.35)%，显著高于siRNA－NC组[(0.91±1.14)%，P<0.05]和空白对照组[(1.00±0.17)%，P<0.05]，并且siRNA－Met转染后，凋亡相关蛋白Bcl－2的表达水平显著下降，Bcl－2关联X蛋白(BAX)表达水平显著升高。siRNA－Met组的细胞迁移率为(51.33±8.62)% ，显著低于siRNA－NC组[(102.33±6.43)%, P<0.05]和空白对照组[(100.00±3.72)%，P<0.05]。siRNA－Met组穿透至基底膜下室面的细胞数为(47.50±10.60)个，少于siRNA－NC组[(102.50±10.61)个，P<0.05]和空白对照组[(100.00±5.33)个，P<0.05]，并且siRNA－Met转染后，侵袭相关蛋白基质金属蛋白酶2(MMP－2)和MMP－9的表达水平显著下降。 结论： c－Met在维持结肠癌细胞生物学特性中发挥重要作用，c－Met抑制剂可能在结肠癌治疗中具有重要价值。.
Keywords: Biological characteristics; Colorectal neoplasms; Hepatocyte growth factor receptor; Signal pathway.