[Establishment of a novel co-cultured liver cancer model based on tumor microenvironment].

Objective: To construct a new co-cultured liver cancer research model composed of activated hepatic stellate cells (aHSC) and liver cancer cells, explore the efficacy difference between it and traditional model, so as to establish a liver cancer research model in vitro and in vivo that can reflect the real clinical efficacy. Methods: A new co-culture model of liver cancer consisting of aHSC and liver cancer cells was constructed. The differences in efficacy between the new co-culture model and the traditional single cell model were compared by cytotoxicity test, cell migration test, drug retention test and in vivo tumor inhibition test. Western blot was used to detect the drug-resistant protein P-gp and epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related proteins. Masson staining was used to observe the deposition of collagen fibers in tumor tissues of tumor-bearing mice. CD31 immunohistochemical staining was used to observe the microvessel density in tumor tissues of tumor-bearing mice. Results: The cytotoxicity of single cell model and co-culture model was dose-dependent. With the increase of curcumin (CUR) concentration, the cell viability decreased, but the cell viability of single cell model decreased faster than that of co-culture model. When the concentration of CUR was 10 μg/ml, the cell viability of the co-culture model was 62.3% and the migration rate was (28.05±3.68)%, which were higher than those of the single cell model [38.5% and (14.91±5.92)%, both P<0.05]. Western blot analysis showed that the expressions of P-gp and vimentin were up-regulated in the co-culture model, which were 1.55 and 2.04 fold changes of the single cell model, respectively. The expression of E-cadherin was down-regulated, and the expression level of E-cadherin in the single cell model was 1.17 fold changes of the co-culture model. Drug retention experiment showed that the co-culture model could promote drug efflux and reduce drug retention. In vivo tumor inhibition experiment showed that the m-HSC+ H22 co-transplantation model had faster tumor growth and larger tumor volume than those of the H22 single cell transplantation model. After CUR treatment, the tumor growths of m-HSC+ H22 co-transplantation model and H22 single cell transplantation model were inhibited. Masson staining showed that the deposition of collagen fibers in tumor tissues of m-HSC+ H22 co-transplantation model mice was more than that of H22 single cell transplantation model. CD31 immunohistochemical staining showed that the microvessel density in tumor tissue of m-HSC+ H22 co-transplantation model was higher than that of H22 single cell transplantation model. Conclusions: The aHSC+ liver cancer cell co-culture model has strong proliferation and metastasis ability and is easy to be resistant to drugs. It is a new type of liver cancer treatment research model superior to the traditional single cell model.目的： 构建由激活肝星状细胞(aHSC)和肝癌细胞组成的新型共培养肝癌研究模型，探究其与传统模型的药效差异，以建立能够反映临床真实药效的体内外肝癌研究模型。 方法： 构建由激活肝星状细胞(aHSC)和肝癌细胞组成的新型共培养肝癌研究模型，通过细胞毒性实验、细胞迁移实验、药物滞留实验以及体内抑瘤实验比较新型共培养模型与传统单细胞模型在药效上的差异，并采用Western blot检测耐药蛋白P－gp和上皮－间质转化相关蛋白，Masson染色观察荷瘤小鼠肿瘤组织中的胶原纤维沉积情况，CD31免疫组化染色观察荷瘤小鼠肿瘤组织中的微血管密度。 结果： 单细胞模型和共培养模型的细胞毒性均存在药物浓度依赖性，随着姜黄素(CUR)浓度升高细胞存活率降低，但单细胞模型比共培养模型细胞存活率下降得更快。当CUR浓度为10 μg/ml时，共培养模型的细胞存活率为62.3%，迁移率为(28.05±3.68)%，均高于单细胞模型[38.5%和(14.91±5.92)%，均P<0.05]。Western blot检测显示，共培养模型中P－gp和vimentin表达上调，分别为单细胞模型的1.55倍和2.04倍；E－cadherin表达下调，单细胞模型中E－cadherin表达水平是共培养模型的1.17倍。药物滞留实验显示，共培养模型能促进药物外排，减少药物滞留。体内抑瘤实验显示，m－HSC+H22共移植模型比H22单细胞移植模型小鼠肿瘤增长快，肿瘤体积大。给予CUR治疗后，m－HSC+H22共移植模型和H22单细胞移植模型小鼠肿瘤增长均受到抑制。Masson染色显示，m－HSC+H22共移植模型小鼠的肿瘤组织中胶原纤维沉积多于H22单细胞移植模型。CD31免疫组化染色显示，m－HSC+H22共移植模型小鼠肿瘤组织中的微血管密度高于H22单细胞移植模型。 结论： aHSC+肝癌细胞共培养模型增殖和转移能力强，易耐药，与肝癌的临床治疗表现相似，是一种优于传统单细胞模型的新型肝癌治疗研究模型。.