Fig. 2

IL6 level was significantly increased in the CRC-HSCs co-culture system and animal model of CRC with liver metastasis. A Figure demonstrates the experimental set up for control (upper panel) and experiment (lower panel) of the co-culture system. B, C Representative photographs of HCT-116 (B) and CT26 (C) cell migration in the co-culture system (left panel); and quantitative results were analyzed using Image J software (right panel). Pictures were taken at 24 h after treatment. Data are shown as mean ± SD from three independent experiments. **P < 0.01 vs. the corresponding control. D The levels of the cytokines or growth factors in the HCT-116 conditioned medium and co-culture system were detected by using the Luminex liquid suspension chip assay. The concentration of the cytokines or growth factors in each group, and the fold change of two compared groups (left panel), as well as the levels of IL6 and IL8 (right panel) were shown. E, G The IL6 (E) and IL8 (G) content in the medium of HCT-116, LX-2 or co-culture system were detected by using the ELISA assay. F, H The IL6 (F) and IL8 (H) content in the medium of CT26, JS1 or co-culture system were detected by using the ELISA assay. I Luminance signals in the livers of the mice in each group. Different number of the CT26-luc cells were inoculated into the spleen of BALB/c mice. Mice were randomly divided into 3 groups, including sham-operated control, model-25w cell number and model-50w cell number groups, and the luminance signals in the livers were detected by using the IVIS Lumina XRMS Series III every 5 days. J Luminance signals in the liver tissues. K images of livers with CRC tumors. L Tumor number of mice. M The mRNA level of FAP. N, O The IL6 (N) and IL8 (O) contents in the liver tissues of the mice in each group. The homogenate of the liver tissues in each group was detected by using the ELISA assay. For E–H: data are shown as mean ± SD from three independent experiments. **P < 0.01, *P < 0.05 vs. CRC cells; ^$P < 0.05 vs. HSCs. For L–O: **P < 0.01, *P < 0.05 vs. sham-operated control, n = 6