Platelet lysates in Hepatocellular Carcinoma patients after radiofrequency ablation facilitate tumor proliferation, invasion and vasculogenic mimicry

Background: Platelets play important roles in tumorigenesis, angiogenesis and metastatic dissemination of tumor cells. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) could increase the circulating tumor cells in patients with primary or metastatic lung tumors. Whether platelet lysates in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after RFA promote tumor progression has not been elaborated. Methods: HCC patients within Milan Criteria and without taking anti-platelet drugs were selected in the study. MTT assay, colony formation assay, transwell assay, tube formation and western blot were used to evaluate the effect of platelet lysates on HCC cells in vitro. Lung metastatic assay was performed in vivo. Results: Platelet lysates from patients after RFA promoted cell proliferation, colony formation, migration, invasion and vasculogenic mimicry in Hep3B and HCCLM3 cells compared with those from patients before RFA. Platelet lysates after RFA significantly increased the expression of p-Akt, p-Smad3 and snail, and decreased the expression of E-cadherin compared with those before RFA in Hep3B and HCCLM3 cells. Hep3B-Luc2-tdT cells incubation with platelet lysates from patients after RFA displayed enhanced lung metastasis compared with those before RFA. Conclusions: Platelet lysates from HCC patients after RFA promoted the proliferation, migration, invasion and vasculogenic mimicry of HCC cells, which indicated that RFA in combination with anti-platelet drug may be used to improve the prognosis of HCC.