Fig. 4
Activated HSCs promoted the in vivo tumor progression of heat-treated residual HCC cells. a HSCs cells were found in the tumors at 2 weeks after the inoculation of heat-treated residual MHCC97H cells with CFSE-labelled pHSCs. b, c Up-regulation of Ki-67, PCNA, cyclin D1 and Snail mRNA expression was found in the tumors formed from heat-exposed residual MHCC97H and pHSCs compared with the tumors from heat-exposed residual MHCC97H alone, as detected by qRT-PCR. The protein expression of PCNA and E-Cadherin was shown by immunohistochemical analysis. d Xenograft tumorigenicity assay. Heat-exposed residual MHCC97H (2 × 104 cells) with 100 ng/mL POSTN subcutaneously inoculated into NOD/SCID mice developed more and larger tumors compared to the cells injected alone. Red arrows on the left flank represent the tumors formed by heat-exposed residual MHCC97H cells with 100 ng/mL POSTN while black arrows on the right flank represent the tumors formed by heat-exposed residual MHCC97H cells alone. The number and images of tumors developed in mice after 8 weeks are shown. The two groups were compared by using Fisher exact test. e The mRNA expression of NANOG, CD133, EpCAM was significantly up-regulated in the tumors generated from heat-exposed residual MHCC97H cells with 100 ng/mL POSTN. **P < 0.01; *P < 0.05