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Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and receptor (c-met) in normal and malignant astrocytic cells
W C Welch1, P L Kornblith, G K Michalopoulos
1Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, PA, USA.
Background:
Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a multifunctional peptide that binds to a specific receptor, c-met. Both HGF and c-met have been identified in normal brain and on glial tumors. The purpose of this study is to further define the biologic importance of HGF and c-met on normal and malignant glial cells grown in vitro.
Materials And Methods:
Nine human malignant glioma-derived tumor cell cultures and cultures of astrocytes derived from normal brain were examined for c-met and HGF transcripts using Northern blot or RT-PCR analysis. Cellular invasiveness was quantitated by mechanical assay and mitogenesis was determined by cell count.
Results:
C-met was expressed in five of seven malignant glioma-derived tumor cell cultures and in both normal astrocyte cultures. HGF transcript was not detected in any of the cell cultures. HGF supplementation enhanced invasiveness in c-met positive cell lines and did not alter cellular mitogenesis in the assayed cultures.
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that HGF is a potent stimulator of invasiveness in c-met positive malignant glioma-derived tumor cells and is not an active cytokine with regards to in vitro glial cell proliferation. HGF may therefore stimulate glioma cellular invasion in vivo through binding to its receptor and by activating tyrosine kinase secondary messengers.