Akt pathway is involved in the upregulation of MMP-2 and MMP-9 and the invasion and migration of gastric cancer cells mediated by PRL-3. (A) The expression of PRL-3, Akt and p-Akt/Akt was analyzed in SGC7901 cells (vehicle), SGC7901 cells transfected with empty control (NC), plasmid SGC7901/EGFP-PRL-3 cells (high) and SGC7901PRL-3-RNAi cells (low) by western blotting. (B) Relative expression of Akt in A. (C) Relative p-Akt/Akt protein expression ratio in A was determined as a ratio to that in the vehicle group. Vehicle group was used as a control. The experiments were repeated at least three times independently. Vehicle, SGC7901 cells; NC, SGC7901 cells transfected by control empty; high, plasmid SGC7901/EGFP-PRL-3 cells; low, SGC7901/PRL-3-RNAi cells. Each bars shows the mean ± standard deviation from three independent experiments; *P<0.05.