Fig. 3

CPT1A partially accelerates BC metastasis through the EMT process. (A) Representative images of CPT1A differentially expressed BC cells for scratch healing at 0 and 24 h after scratch. Wound healing percentage was quantified width of 24 h/0 h by Image J. Scale bar: 200 μm. (B) Representative images of the transwell (migration) assay of BC cells with differential CPT1A expression. Scale bar: 50 μm. (C-D) MDA-MB-231 cells with differential CPT1A expression cells were injected into the nude mice respectively via tail vein for in vivo metastasis (n = 3). Representative images showed the number of lung metastasis nodules (C), and HE staining (D) of the lung tissues. Size of each grid: 1 mm × 1 mm. Scale bar: 200 μm. (E) Morphological changes of the four groups of BC cells. (F) Protein expression of EMT markers (E-cadherin, ZEB2, Vimentin, Snail, Twist) were detected by Western blot in CPT1A differentially expressed BC cells. (G) IF staining of E-cadherin and Vimentin in BC cells with differential expression of CPT1A (blue: nuclear staining; green: E-cadherin staining; red: Vimentin staining), Scale bar: 25 μm. (H) IHC staining of E-cadherin and Vimentin in the four groups of xenograft tumor tissues. Scale bar: 50 μm. *P < 0.05 and **P < 0.01