Fig. 2

Co-culture of SMMC-7721-derived LCSLCs and LX-2 cells induced stemness of SMMC-7721 cells. a Western blot was performed to assess the α-SMA and FAP-α expression inLX-2 cells co-cultured with SMMC-7721-derived LCSLCs. β-actin was used as a loading control (left). Densitometry analysis quantify the expression of α-SMA and FAP-α respectively (*P < 0.05 vs without co-culture) (right). b and c ELISA was used to detect the concentrations of IL-6, IL-8, HGF and PDGF in condition media from co-cultured LX-2 cells and LCSLC or SMMC-7721 cells and LX-2 cells or LCSLCs or SMMC-7721 cells or LX-2 cells alone (^* P < 0.05 vs condition media from LX-2 cells or LCSLCs or SMMC-7721 cells or LX-2 cells alone; ^# P < 0.05 vs condition media from co-cultured SMMC-7721 cells and LX-2 cells). d Representative images of sphere forming cells from SMMC-7721 cells treated with or without Co-CM(× 100, left), the efficiency of sphere forming(right; ^* P < 0.05 vs SMMC-7721 cells treated without Co-CM). e Western blot analyzed the expression of CD133 and CD44 in SMMC-7721 cells treated with or without Co-CM. β-actin was used as a loading control (left). Densitometry analysis quantify the expression of CD133 and CD44 respectively (*P < 0.05 vs SMMC-7721 cells treated without Co-CM) (right)