Fig. 4. TIMP3 inhibits the migration and invasion in cervical cancer cells.

a, b RT-qPCR and western blotting showed TIMP3 levels in HeLa C33A cells with overexpress or knockdown plasmid. c Transwell assays showed that TIMP3 suppresses cells’ migration and invasion. Scale bar: 50 μm. d Western blotting showed the protein levels of E-cadherin, vimentin, and cytokeratin after transfection with TIMP3 overexpression or shR-TIMP3. e Wound-healing assays showed that migration was suppressed by TIMP3 overexpression and promoted by shR-TIMP3. Scale bar: 50 μm. f Co-transfection with miR-G-10 and TIMP3 partly rescued the suppression of miR-G-10 on TIMP3 and (g) cell migration and invasion in HeLa and C33A. Scale bar: 50 μm. h The protein levels of MMP9, ADM17, and β-integrin in HeLa and C33A cells transfected with miR-G-10 or anti-miR-G-10. i HeLa cells were transfected with the indicated combinations of pcDNA3, miR-G-10, pcDNA3/TIMP3, and shR-TIMP3. Western blot assay was used to measure the protein level of MMP9 and ADAM17. All of the experiments were repeated three times. *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001. NS not significant