STUDY ON IN VITRO INVASIVE POTENTIAL OF RENAL CELL CARCINOMA CELL LINES AND EFFECT OF GROWTH FACTORS (EGF AND TGF-β₁) ON THEIR IN INVASIONS

Abstract

Renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) frequently metastasize to distant organs in their clinical course. However, the mechanism of the metastasis had not been fully elucidated. In vitro invasion assay has been reported to be a rapid method for the evaluation of the invasive potential of various malignant cells. In vitro invasive potential of RCC has not been investigated by this method. Thus, in the present study, we first attempted to characterize the in vitro invasive potential of four human RCC cell lines which had been established in our institute. Secondly, we investigated the influence of two growth factors (EGF, TGF-β1) on the invasive potential of these cell lines when the two factors were applied as chemoattractants.
SMKT-R-3 and R-4 cell lines showed more cell penetration through Matrigel than SMKT-R-1 and R-2 cell lines, suggesting that the former cell lines have higher invasive potential.
While invasive potential varied in each cell line, it was enhanced by EGF in all cell lines. However, TGF-β1 suppressed the invasive potential of all four cell lines. These results suggest that two factors have different actions on the invasion of RCCs.