Optimization of human hepatocellular cell clones with high lymphatic metastasis potential and the establishment of nude mouse model

Abstract

Objective To isolate hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell clones with high metastatic potentials from lymphatic metastatic HCC cell line and establish specific metastasis model in nude mice.Methods Cell cloning was conducted on the source cell line HCCLYM-H using limited dilution method,and 25 cell clones were obtained (No.1-25).On the first selection round,9 cell clones with potentials of continuous proliferation were seeded into the food pad off mice.The lymph node metastatic rate of 4 cell clones was 100％,and these cell clones were used for liver orthotopic transplantation for further selection.Metastasis in lungs and lymph nodes in mice was detected by series pathological examination,then cell clones with various metastatic potentials were screened.Results HCC cell clone with high lymphatic metastatic and low lung metastatic potential (HCCLYM-H2) was cstablished.The lymph node metastatic rate was 100％,while the pulmonary metastatic rate was 20％.Conclusion We established the specific lymphatic metastasis models,and the results confirmed the heterogeneity of tumor cells. Key words: Carcinoma,hepatocellular; Cell clone ; Metastasis ; Nude mouse model