Involvement of hepatoma-derived growth factor in growth inhibition of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by vitamin K2

Abstract

Objective To investigate the regulation of hepatoma-derived growth factor (HDGF) expression by vitamin K2. MethodsSemi-quantitative reverse-transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect the mRNA levels of HDGF after exposure to 0, 10 and 30 μmol/L vitamin K2 for 96 h, and Western blotting to detect the protein level of HDGF. Results RT-PCR revealed that vitamin K2 could inhibit the HDGF mRNA in a dose-dependent manner. The HDGF protein expression was significantly suppressed in 10 and 30 μmol/L vitamin K2 groups[(0. 915 ±0. 025) and (0. 530 ±0. 030) respectively]as compared with the control group (P ＜ 0. 01 ). Conclusion Vitamin K2 inhibits the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells through down-regulating HDGF expression. Key words: Carcinoma,hepatocellular; Hepatoma-derived growth factor; Vitamin K2