Fig. 7.

Pharmacological inhibition of TGF-β signaling reduced the invasiveness and restored E-cadherin expression of CCN5-downregulated cells. (A) MCF-7-sh-scrambled and MCF-7-sh-CCN5 cells were seeded on collagen type I gel in the presence or absence of SB431542 (10 μM). Representative H&E cross-sections of the collagen gel after a 14-day culture period. White double arrow shows superficial invasion front. Black double arrow shows region of deeply infiltrated cancer cells. Individual deeply penetrated cancer cells are indicated by arrows. Scale bar = 50 μm. (B) Data indicate mean percentage of deep invasive cells counted from 6 cross-sections, with error bars indicating the standard error of mean of three experiments. Significant differences: **, P < 0.01 versus control; ***, P < 0.001 versus control. (C) Paraffin sections of 14-day collagen invasion experiments with MCF-7-sh-scrambled or MCF-7sh-CCN5 with or without SB431542 were probed with anti-E-cadherin monoclonal antibody. Scale bar = 50 μm.