Osteopontin promotes gastric cancer progression via phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway

Figure 4 Osteopontin regulates the matrix metalloproteinase 2 and vascular endothelial growth factor expression via phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin pathway. A: Western blotting analysis of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), protein kinase B (AKT), phosphorylated AKT (p-AKT) (Ser473), matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein expression levels in SGC-7901 cells after transfected into negative control short hairpin RNA (shRNA) (negative control-shRNA) or osteopontin-shRNA3. β-actin expression was used as a loading control and for normalization; B: Densitometry analysis of the protein bands of mTOR, AKT, MMP-2, p-AKT, p-AKT and AKT, VEGF; C: Western blotting assay of SGC-7901 cells administrated LY294002 inhibitor on mTOR, AKT, p-AKT (Ser473), MMP-2 and VEGF protein expression levels; D: Relative protein expression of mTOR, AKT, MMP-2, p-AKT, p-AKT/AKT and VEGF. Data are shown as the means ± SE (n = 3). ^aP < 0.05; ^bP < 0.01. AKT: Protein kinase B; mTOR: Mammalian target of rapamycin; MMP-2: Matrix metalloproteinase 2; VEGF: Vascular endothelial growth factor; NC-shRNA: Negative control short hairpin RNA; OPN: Osteopontin.