Figure 3.

AJAP1 inhibits HCC cell migration and lung metastasis. (a) Representative image from the wound healing assay (left panel). AJAP1 knockdown with LV-shAJAP1 enhanced SMMC7721 and Huh7 cell migration in vitro, whereas AJAP1 overexpression with LV-AJAP1 suppressed HCCLM3 and SK-Hep-1 cell migration. Representative images were obtained at 0 and 24 h after scratching, and wound closure was quantified by measuring the area without migrated cells using ImageJ software (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA) (right panel). Scale bar=200 μm. (b) Representative images of migration and invasion assays for HCC cell lines. (c) In vivo metastasis assay using stably transfected cell lines injected into nude mice via the tail vein and representative images of the lungs of mice. (d) Number of lung metastatic nodules in each group. (e) Representative images of lung tissue samples from different experimental groups after H&E staining of lung metastatic nodules (n=10/group). Scale bars=500 μm. The data are expressed as mean±S.D. of three independent experiments. *P<0.05; **P<0.01; ***P<0.001