Expression of hepaCAM and Its Effect on Proliferation of Tumor Cells in Renal Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

To evaluate hepaCAM (hepatocyte cell adhesion molecule) gene expression in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and to explore its effect on proliferation of 786-0 cells. hepaCAM is a tumor suppressor gene, which has been identified as a member of immunoglobulin superfamily cell adhesion molecule. Two-step reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to determine hepaCAM expression in 30 paired (RCC and the adjacent non-RCC) renal specimens. Transfection studies were carried out by expressing green fluorescent protein and green fluorescent protein-fused hepaCAM in 786-0 cells. Significant downregulation of hepaCAM was detected in 25 of 30 RCC patients tested. When transfected into 786-0 cells, the number of colony formation was reduced by 5-fold according to colony formation assay. MTT (3-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) showed the inhibition rates on the fourth, fifth, and sixth days of culturing were 26.5%, 38.1%, and 35.7%, respectively. Our data show that hepaCAM is frequently downregulated in RCC, and that exogenous hepaCAM exhibits antiproliferative effect on 786-0 cells, suggesting that silencing of hepaCAM may be associated with carcinogenesis of RCC.