The Effect Of MTOR-STAT3 Pathway On The Invasiveness Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma In Vitro

Background:Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) is a highly prevalent malignance and the fifth leading cause for cancer-related death annually,worldwide.Liver transplantation is one of the available methods to HCC,which is limited by its high recurrence rate due to the administration of immune depressant after operation.Object:To observe the effect of rapamycin on the invasiveness of HCC and the possible passway it viaed in vitro.Methds:HepG2 HCC cells were cultured which were divided into 3 groups and DMSO(control group) or rapamycin or insulin was added respectively for 1 hour.The differences of the invasion of HepG2 HCC cells between 3 groups were compared by adhesion test,scratch test and transwell test.Also,the expression level of p-mTOR,p-STAT3 and STAT3 of HepG2 HCC cells were observed by Wester Blot and compared.And the expression of p-STAT3 in HCC and normal liver tissue were determined respectively. Result:The group rapamycin was added showed an attenuated invasion while the insulin group displayed an enhenced invasion.The down regulated expression level of p-mTOR, p-STAT3 and STAT3 was observed in rapamycin group while the contrary phenomenon was found in insulin group.An obvious higher level of p-STAT3 was found in HCC than normal liver tissue.Discussion:Rapamycin can suppress the invasion of HCC in vitro by inhibiting the mTOR/STAT3 path,which offers the theorial evidence for the using of rapamycin in liver transplantation for HCC.