Association between Nm23-H1 gene expression and metastasis of ovarian carcinoma

Metastasis is the leading cause of treatment failure and death of ovarian cancer. However, The molecular mechanisms associated with acquisition of metastatic ability in ovarian cancer are poorly understood. This study aimed at selecting the ovarian carcinoma cell lines with high frequency metastasis and studing the association between nm23-H1 gene expression in the model of ovarian carcinoma cells so as to provide the evidence for systematical experimental studying and clinical practice.

Each ovarian cancer cell line was transplanted subcutaneously into the flank of nude mice, and the metastatic behavior was evaluated by counting the number of lung tumor foci at different time. The metastatic tumors were cultured in vitro, then established substrain and transplanted subcutaneously three times. The mRNA and protein level of nm23 in 8 human ovarian cancer cell lines were examined.

Four cell lines have high frequency metastatic potentiality. The subpopulation of cells with high frequency metastasis could be screened by injection several times. The expression of nm23 mRNA and protein in human ovarian cancer cells is inversely related to metastatic behavior in experimental animals (r=0.96, P=0.0001).

The difference of metastatic potential, which was determined by genetic and molecular levels, was significant among different type of cell lines and subtypes. The expression of nm23 mRNA and protein in human ovarian carcinomas were correlated closely with the reduced metastatic behavior in experimental animals and may serve as a sensitive prognostic indicator of ovarian cancer.