To investigate the expression mechanisms of hypoxic regulation of NF-κBp65/MMP-9 in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2).

HepG2 were induced by CoCl₂, and MTT assay was used for detection of cellular proliferation. The expression of NF-κBp65/MMP-9 in cytosolic proteins was determined by Western blotting.

After hypoxic treatment, the activity of cytoplasmic NF-κBp65/MMP-9 increased when the concentration of CoCl₂ was between 50~200 μmol/L, while MMP-9 expression was dose-dependent. When the concentration of CoCl₂ exceeded 200 μmol/L, MMP-9 expression was not obvious, while NF-κBp65 expression increased with the concentration of CoCl₂. The migration and invasion capacity of cells positively correlated with MMP-9 expression.

NF-κBp65 and MMP-9 expressions of HepG2 increase under certain hypoxic environment, and the increased cell migration and invasion positively correlate to the expression of MMP-9.