[High KHSRP expression promotes gastric adenocarcinoma metastasis: the mediating role of the JAK1/STAT3 signaling axis].

Objective: To investigate the regulatory effect of KHSRP on progression of gastric adenocarcinoma and the role of the JAK1/STAT3 signaling axis in mediating its effect.

Methods: KHSRP mRNA expression level was detected using qRT-PCR in 120 pairs of gastric adenocarcinoma and adjacent tissues, 4 gastric adenocarcinoma cell lines (MKN-28, HGC-27, CRL-5822, and SNU-1) and normal human gastric mucosal GES-1 cells. In HGC-27 cells with KHSRP knockdown and SNU-1 cells with KHSRP overexpression, cell proliferation, migration, invasion and expression levels of JAK/STAT were evaluated using CCK-8 assay, Transwell migration and invasion assays, and Western blotting. In BALB/c-nude mice, HGC-27 cells with KHSRP knockdown and SNU-1 cells overexpressing KHSRP were injected either subcutaneous or via the tail vein to observe subcutaneous xenograft growth and lung metastasis of the tumor cells.

Results: Gastric adenocarcinoma tissues and cell lines all showed significantly increased KHSRP expression as compared with the adjacent tissues and GES-1 cells. In HGC-27 cells, KHSRP knockdown significantly inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion, while KHSRP overexpression enhanced the malignant behaviors of SNU-1 cells. In nude mice, inoculation of HGC-27 cells with KHSRP knockdown resulted in smaller tumor volume and weight, slower cell proliferation rate and fewer lung metastatic foci, and KHSRP-overexpressing SNU-1 cells produced the opposite results. KHSRP knockdown in HGC-27 cells significantly down-regulated the expression levels of JAK1 and STAT3, which were obviously increased in KHSRP-overexpressing SNU-1 cells.

Conclusion: High expressions of KHSRP promote progression and metastasis of gastric adenocarcinoma possibly by regulating the JAK1/STAT3 signaling axis.