Objective To investigate the involvement of the E-cadherin-catenin adhesion system in the progression of human non-small cell lung carcinoma cell lines. Methods Expression of E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, and beta-catenin in seven human lung carcinoma cell lines were studied with immunocytochemistry and RT-PCR. Results Abnormal expression of at least one component of the E-cadherin/catenin complex was seen in each non-small cell lung carcinoma cell line.Conclusion The abnormal expression of E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, and beta-catenin was closely related with the occurrence of lung carcinomas.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Humans ; Ischemia ; pathology ; Neurons ; pathology ; Signal Transduction ; physiology

BACKGROUNDTo investigate the correlation between BRI gene expression and the metastatic potential in human non small cell lung cancer cell lines.

METHODSBRI gene differential expression was detected between human lung adenocarcinoma cell lines AGZY83-a and Anip973 by RT-PCR and Northern blot. Anip973 was isolated from AGZY83-a with a higher metastatic potential than its parent line. Other 6 human non small cell lung cancer cell lines, A549, TKB-18, SPC-A-1, GLC-82, 95D and PAa, were also detected for the relationship between BRI expression and metastatic potential.

RESULTSThere was a significant difference in BRI gene expression between AGZY83-a and Anip973 cell lines. BRI was overexpressed in Anip973 cells comparing to AGZY83-a cells. Up regulation of BRI gene was also observed in other 6 lung cancer cell lines, and partly correlated with their metastatic potential. Furthermore, there were two mRNA transcripts in the lung cancer cells, in which the 1.6 kb transcript was the major one.

CONCLUSIONSThe up-regulated expression of BRI 1.6 kb mRNA transcript may indicate the formation of metastatic potential of NSCLC. BRI is possibly a metastasis related gene.