MESSENGER-RNA LEVELS OF NM23 IN MURINE ASCITES HEPATOMA (H22) CLONES WITH DIFFERENT LYMPHATIC METASTATIC POTENTIAL

Levels of expression of the nm23 gene inversely correlated with metast atic potential in several rodent tumor model systems and human breast carcinoma. In the present study, we examined nm23 mRNA levels in two m urine ascites hepatoma models (H22-16A3-F and H22-A2-P) with different metastatic potentials. Metastatic H22-16A3-F (80% metastatic rate) an d non-metastatic H22-A2-P: clones were both derived from murine ascite s hepatoma (H22). We found that a 0.8-kb nm23 transcript was expressed in both cell clones. The nm23 gene was expressed at a higher level in non-metastatic H22-16A3-F. The present data suggest that the expressi on of nm23 mRNA might be associated with metastasis of murine ascites hepatoma (H22), though heterogeneity of nm23 steady-state expression l evels among the H22 clones remains to be investigated.