Fig. 4

Alteration of Akt1/p-Akt1 expression in HK2-modified cells. The protein levels of Akt1 and p-Akt1 in HeLa-HK2 and SiHa-HK2 cells were inhibited by the Akt1 inhibitor MK2206. The protein levels of Akt1, p-Akt1, HK2, FN1, MMP2 and MMP9 were detected by western blotting in HeLa-HK2 (A) and SiHa-HK2 (B) cells, and quantitative analysis is shown. C The protein levels of Akt1, p-Akt1, HK2, FN1, MMP2 and MMP9 in HeLa-shHK2 cells transiently transfected with an Akt1 recombinant plasmid were detected by western blotting, and quantitative analysis is shown. The migratory and invasive capacities of MK2206-treated HeLa-HK2 (D) and SiHa-HK2 (E) cells were analyzed by the transwell assay, and the number of cells is shown (scale bar, 100 μm). F An Akt1 recombinant plasmid was transiently transfected into HeLa-shHK2 cells, the migratory and invasive capacities were analyzed by the transwell assay. G The expression of HK2, Akt1, p-Akt1 and FN1 was detected in serial sections of SCC samples by using immunocytochemistry analysis (scale bar, 50 and 10 μm). The correlation between Slug and Akt1(H), p-Akt1 (I), FN1 (J), in SCC samples was confirmed by using Pearson correlation analysis, n = 15. K The positive correlation between HK2 and Akt1 expression in cervical squamous cell carcinoma and endocervical adenocarcinoma (CESC) was confirmed from the GEPIA online database. L Proposed model of the mechanisms by which HK2 promotes motility and distant metastasis in cervical cancer. The data are shown as the mean ± SD of three independent experiments. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 vs. control using one-way ANOVA