Fig. 6.

Autophagy blockage inhibited GC metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Sec62 inhibition combined with autophagy blockage exerts synergetic anti-metastatic effects on GC cells. Transwell assays demonstrated the inhibitory effects of autophagy blockage induced by HCQ on GC cell migration and invasion (A–C and G–I). Scratch healing assays confirmed that GC cell migration was inhibited after HCQ treatment (D–F and J–L). In vivo rescue experiments using HCQ (50 mg/kg) intraperitoneal injection of nude mice verified that autophagy inhibition could rescue the promotive effect of Sec62 on GC metastasis. Hematoxylin and eosin staining of the lungs (M). The incidence of lung metastasis (N) and the number of metastatic nodules in the lungs (O) in diverse groups. HCQ hydroxychloroquine. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.0001