Effects of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) on human glioma cellsin vitro: HGF acts as a motility factor in glioma cells

Abstract

Expression of c‐Met, the receptor for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and the biological roles of HGF were examined in cultured human glioma cells. All of the 5 glioma cell lines examined expressed c‐Met protein as well as the c‐met gene. Expression of the c‐met gene was also confirmed in a glioblastoma tissue. Three cell lines (MGM‐3, U251, KG‐I‐C) demonstrated chemotactic response to HGF in a dose‐dependent manner. The response was not only chemotactic but also chemokinetic as judged by a checkerboard analysis. The amounts of c‐Met mRNA and protein were abundant in the cell lines which showed a migratory response to HGF. Moreover, c‐Met protein expression was highest in U251 with the highest migratory response to HGF. Among the cell lines, KG‐I‐C produced notable amounts of HGF protein as well as of c‐Met, suggesting that HGF may act in an autocrine fashion in this case. HGF did not act as an apparent growth factor in the glioma cell lines examined. Furthermore, HGF stimulated the production of metalloproteinase, probably gelatinase A, in U251 cells.