Hepatocyte growth factor enhances the invasion activity of human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines.

We investigated whether hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) enhances the invasion activity of three human HCC cell lines, HLF, HLE, and HC-4, in vitro. The analysis of the invasiveness consisted of the production of u-PA and the chemotaxis for fibronectin. Invasion activity of all cell lines was enhanced by the addition of recombinant human hepatocyte growth factor (rhHGF) to the medium. HGF stimulated the production of u-PA in HLF cells. HGF accelerated the chemotaxis of HC-4 and HLE. These data suggest that HGF increase the invasion activity of human HCC cell lines by affecting the production of u-PA or the chemotaxis for fibronectin.