HEPATOCYTE GROWTH-FACTOR ENHANCES THE INVASION ACTIVITY OF HUMAN HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA CELL-LINES

We investigated whether hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) enhances the in vasion activity of three human HCC cell lines, HLF, HLE, and HC-4, in vitro. The analysis of the invasiveness consisted of the production of u-PA and the chemotaxis for fibronectin. Invasion activity of all cel l lines was enhanced by the addition of recombinant human hepatocyte g rowth factor (rhHGF) to the medium. HGF stimulated the production of u -PA in HLF cells. HGF accelerated the chemotaxis of HC-4 and HLE. Thes e data suggest that HGF increase the invasion activity of human HCC ce ll lines by affecting the production of u-PA or the chemotaxis for fib ronectin.