Peroxisome proliferator- activated receptor gamma inhibits liver cancer proliferation and metastasis in vitro

Objective To investigate the inhibitory effect of peroxisome proliferator- activated receptor gamma ( PPARγ) on the development, progression, invasion, and metastasis of liver cancer cells. Methods Hepatocellular carcinoma ( HCC) MHCC97L cells were randomly assigned to be transfected with Ad- PPARγ or Ad- LacZ ( control) . The cells were also exposed to PPARγ agonist rosiglitazone. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasive ability were evaluated using MTS assay, flow cytometry, wound healing test, and transwell invasion assay. Multiple comparisons of means between groups were conducted using one- way analysis of variance with Bonferroni correction; the means of two groups were compared using the t test. Results Ad- PPARγ transfection resulted in higher expression of PPARγprotein in HCC cells compared with control cells, which suppressed cell proliferation ( P < 0. 01) , induced cell apoptosis ( P < 0. 01) , and suppressed cell migration and invasion. Moreover, the invasiveness of HCC cells transfected with Ad- PPARγ was reduced by 20% ~ 60%.Rosiglitazone enhanced the inhibitory effect of Ad- PPARγ on the growth and migration of HCC cells. Conclusion PPARγ exerts an inhibitory effect on the proliferative, invasive, and metastatic potential of HCC cells in vitro. This study sheds new light on the search for potential markers and gene therapies for liver cancer.