According to a study from Nishinomiya, Japan, "Vitamin K-2 has been reported to suppress the growth of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in vitro and hepatocarcinogenesis in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related cirrhosis in vivo. Hepatoma-derived growth factor (HDGF) is a unique nuclear targeting growth factor that is highly expressed in HCC cells and is a possible prognostic factor for patients with HCC."
"We investigated the regulation of HDGF expression by vitamin K-2. Three HCC-derived cell lines, HepG2, HuH-7, and SK-Hep-1, were used. Cell number was determined with the MTT assay. The expression levels of HDGF mRNA and protein were measured by the real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method and ELISA and Western blot analysis, respectively. The HDGF promoter activity was measured by a dual luciferase-reporter assay. Vitamin K-2 suppressed the growth of the three HCC cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. Vitamin K-2 significantly suppressed the expression of the HDGF protein and mRNA in three cell lines. By a luciferase assay, vitamin K-2 significantly suppressed the promoter activity of the HDGF protein. Based on some luciferase-reporter plasmids containing truncated promoter regions, the possible responsive site of vitamin K-2 seems to reside in the region -1 to -150 bp of the HDGF gene," wrote T. Yamamoto and colleagues (see also Hepatocellular Cancer).
The researchers concluded: "These findings suggested that regulation of the HDGF gene expression is one of the crucial mechanisms of vitamin K-2-induced cell growth suppression for HCC."
Yamamoto and colleagues published the results of their research in the Journal of Gastroenterology (Involvement of hepatoma-derived growth factor in the growth inhibition of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by vitamin K-2. Journal of Gastroenterology, 2009;44(3):228-235).
For additional information, contact T. Yamamoto, Hyogo College Medical, Division Hepatobiliary & Pancreat Medical, Dept. of Internal Medical, 1-1 Mukogawa Cho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo 6638501, Japan.
The publisher of the Journal of Gastroenterology can be contacted at: Springer Tokyo, 1-11-11 Kudan-Kita, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo, 102-0073, Japan.
Keywords: Japan, Nishinomiya, Carcinogenesis, Cirrhosis, Diagnosis, Diagnostics, Enzyme Research, Enzymes, Enzymology, Fibrosis, Gastroenterology, HCV, Hepatitis C Virus, Hepatocellular Cancer, Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Hepatology, Hepatomas, Infectious Disease, Luciferase, Oncology, Polymerase, Proteins, Proteomics, Reverse Transcriptase, Transcriptase, Viral, Virology.
This article was prepared by Virus Weekly editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Virus Weekly via NewsRx.com.
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