Effect of alpha-fetoprotein on the growth of human hepatoma cells in vitro]

The stimulatory activity of human alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) on the growth of mouse hepatoma-22 cells had been reported in our previous paper. The present work aimed at further investigation of the effect of AFP on human hepatoma cell growth by MTT colorimetric assay. The results showed that AFP could stimulate the growth of SMMC-7721 human hepatoma cells in vitro. The present results also showed that the stimulatory effect of AFP on the growth of SMMC-7721 cells was decreased by the anti-serum of AFP. The anti-AFP antibody alone could suppress the growth of SMMC-7721 cells. On the other hand, AFP and anti-AFP antibody had no effect on the growth of HL-60 human leukemia cells, indicating that the tumor cell growth stimulating effect of AFP was not simply due to non-specific addition of exogenous protein and this effect of AFP showed strict tumor cell specificity. In addition, MCF-7 human breast cancer cell growth was also promoted by AFP and inhibited by anti-AFP antibody. Because AFP cell-surface receptors have been detected in MCF-7 breast cancer cells, and AFP could also be produced and secreted by MCF-7 cells, the possibility may be considered: AFP may bind with its receptors on tumor cell membrane for the purposes of growth stimulation.