Fig. 1

MAL is expressed at high levels in normal gastric glands but expressed at low levels in primary tumors and metastases. The expression of MAL in pericancerous (A) and primary GC samples (B) was detected using immunohistochemical staining. The expression of the MAL protein in pericancerous and primary GC samples was detected using Western blot analysis (C), and the statistical quantification in the two different types of GC samples is shown (D). The MAL mRNA expression level in the two different types of GC tissue samples was analyzed using RT-qPCR; pericancerous samples were used as the control (E). Confocal microscopy images show the double labeling of MAL and CD44 in pericancerous (F) and primary tumors (F). The experiments were performed at least 3 times independently, and one representative result is shown. The results are presented as the means ± SD. *P < 0.05 and **P < 0.01. A–B Scale bars = 100 μm; F scale bar = 25 μm