Objective To detect the expressions of RhoA and Snail in gastric cancer tissues， and explore the relati-onship of these expressions to the biological behavior of the gastric cancer. Methods The expressions of RhoA and Snail protein in the paraffin-embedded specimens of 189 gastric cancer patients were detected by immunohistochemical method. The relationships of their expressions to clinicopathologic features of gastric cancer or survival， and the relevance of RhoA expression and Snail expression were analyzed. Results ① The expressions of RhoA and Snail protein in the gastric cancer tissues were significantly higher than those in the paraneoplastic tissue （RhoA：P=0.008；Snail：P=0.000） and the normal gastric mucosa tissue （RhoA：P=0.010；Snail：P=0.000）；The expression of RhoA had no significant difference between the paraneoplastic tissue and the normal gastric mucosa tissue （P=0.782）， however， the expression of Snail in the paraneoplastic tissue was significantly higher than that in the normal gastric mucosa tissue （P=0.001）. ② The expression of RhoA in the gastric cancer tissue was associated with TNM staging and Lauren type （P＜0.05）， but it was not associated with tumor diameter， lymph node metastasis， or differentiation degree （P＞0.05）. The expression of Snail in the gastric cancer tissue was associated with tumor diameter， lymph node metastasis， differentiation degree， TNM staging， or Lauren type （P＜0.05）. The expressions of RhoA and Snail in the gastric cancer tissue were not associated with patients’ gender and age （P＞0.05）. ③ The expression of RhoA protein was significantly positi-vely correlated with Snail protein in the gastric cancer（rs=0.203， P=0.005）. ④ The TNM staging of tumor， RhoA and Snail expressions， and lymph node metastasis were all the independent prognostic factors of postoperative gastric cancer patients （P＜0.05）. Conclusions RhoA and Snail proteins express in gastric cancer tissues， and involves in gastric carcinogenesis and the development process， and RhoA/Snail signaling pathway may play an important role in invasion and metastasis of gastric cancer.
ObjectiveTo investigate the expressions of Snail and N-cadherin protein in thyroid papillary carcinoma (PTC) tissues and cell lines, and then discuss the clinical value of Snail and N-cadherin expressions. MethodsImmunohis-tochemical SP technique was performed to detect the expressions of Snail and N-cadherin protein in 60 cases of PTC, and the relation between the expression of Snail or N-cadherin and clinicopathologic indicators was analyzed. Western blot was used to investigate the constitutive and inducible expressions of Snail and N-cadherin protein. Results①The positive rates of Snail and N-cadherin protein expressions were 85.0% (51/60) and 78.3% (47/60) respectively in the PTC tissues of 60 patients with PTC, which were significantly higher than those (0, 0, respectively) in the corresponding normal tissues adjacent to the cancer (P < 0.01).②The positive rates of Snail and N-cadherin protein expressions in the PTC with lymph node metastasis were significantly higher than those in the PTC without lymph node metastasis (P < 0.01), which were not related with the gender, age, tumor size of the patients (P > 0.01).③There was a positive correlation between Snail and N-cadherin protein positive expression (rs=0.721, P < 0.001).④The constitutive and inducible expressions of Snail and N-cadherin in the PTC tissues and cell lines further were identified by Western blot. ConclusionsSnail and N-cadherin could constitutively express in PTC, which might play important roles in the development and metastasis of PTC. Snail and N-cadherin might be used as effective indicators.
To investigate the effects of Snail1 gene silence on the expression of tight junction proteins and the migration ability of Hep-2 cells, Hep-2 cells were transfected with plasmids which is containing the shRNA of Snail1 gene, and cultured till the cells could be passaged stably (named Sh-snail1 cells). The expression of tight junction proteins (ZO-1, Occludin, Claudin-5) were detected by Western blot. The migration ability of Sh-snail1 cells was investigated by wound healing assay, and the protein expression of members of RhoGTPase family (RhoA, Cdc42) was detected by Western blot, which is closely related to the migration ability. Our results showed that the expression of tight junction proteins (ZO-1, Occludin, Claudin-5) was significantly increased; the migration ability of Sh-snail1 cell was inhibited; the expression of RhoA and Cdc42 was downregulated. All of these indicated that silencing the gene of Snail1 in Hep-2 cells can up-regulate the expression of tight junction proteins and down regulate the expression of Cdc42 and RhoA, and further inhibit the migration of Hep-2 cells. Furthermore, opening of the tight junctions between cells and the stronger migration ability of cancer cells are important processes in cancer metastasis. It is confirmed that the Snail1 gene is closely related to the two processes, providing an experimental basis for targeted therapy of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.
ObjectiveTo investigate the expressions of Snail and VEGF gene in invasion ductal carcinoma tissues and analyze their clinicopathologic relationship. MethodsThe expressions of Snail and VEGF gene were detected on mammary gland hyperplasia (30 cases), intraductal breast cancer (30 cases), and invasion ductal carcinoma (70 cases) by in situ hybridization， to compare with the expression difference of the two genes in the different pathological changed tissues of mammary gland and among the clinicopathological facters of invasion ductal carcinoma as well as the relationship. ResultsThe expression rate of Snai mRNA in mammary gland hyperplasia， intraductal breast cancer, and invasion ductal carcinoma was 23.3% (7/30)， 46.7% (14/30), and 81.4% (57/70), respectively, there was statistical difference among them (χ 2=32.4, Plt;0.05)； The expression rate of VEGF mRNA in mammary gland hyperplasia， intraductal breast cancer, and invasion ductal carcinoma was 33.3% (10/30)， 50.0% (15/30), and 71.4% (50/70), respectively, there was statistical difference among them (χ 2=13.4, Plt;0.05). The expression rates of Snail mRNA and VEGF mRNA in lymphatic metatasis group were significantly higher than those in no lymphatic metatasis group 〔92.7% (38/41) vs. 65.5% (19/29)， χ 2=8.29, Plt;0.05； 85.4% (35/41) vs. 51.7% (15/29), χ 2=9.42, Plt;0.05， respectively 〕. The expression rates of Snail mRNA and VEGF mRNA in Ⅲ-Ⅳ stage of TNM clinical stage were significantly higher than those in Ⅰ-Ⅱ stage 〔939% (46/49) vs. 52.4% (11/21), χ 2=14.14， Plt;0.05； 81.6% (40/49) vs. 47.6% (10/21), χ 2=8.32， Plt;0.05〕. The expressions of Snail mRNA and VEGF mRNA were related to the expressions of ER, PR, HER-2, and vessel cancer embolus （Plt;0.01）. The expressions of Snail mRNA and VEGF mRNA were not related to age, tumor size, and histological grade (Pgt;0.05). There was a positive correlation between the expressions of Snail mRNA and VEGF mRNA （r=0.67， Plt;0.05）. ConclusionsThe overexpressions of Snail mRNA and VEGF mRNA in invasion ductal carcinoma has a synergetic effect on occurrence and development, therefore, combined detecting the expressions of Snail mRNA and VEGF mRNA are some significance to predict infiltration and metastasis of the invasion ductal carcinoma.