Abstract: Objective GKN2(gastrokines 2) protein expression is detected in gastric cancer tissues, the distal gastric mucosa tissues and the adjacent normal gastric tissues; the effect of GKN2 overexpression is displayed on proliferation, migration and invasion in human gastric cancer cell line MKN28. Methods Immunohistochemistry was performed to observe GKN2 expression in gastric cancinoma tissues, adjacent gastric mucosa tissues and distal gastric mucosa tissues. Then, the GKN2 gene eukaryotic expression vector Xhol_GKN3SP-hGKN2-TEV-SBP_Xhol was transfected into human gastric cancinoma MKN28 cells. Western blot was used to verify the expression of GKN2 in MKN28 cells. Cell viability, migration and invasion ability were investigated by MTT, Transwell migration assay and Transwell invasion assay. Results GKN2 expression in gastric cancinoma tissues (6.67%,6/90) lowered in comparison with those in the adjacent normal gastric tissues (43.75%,21/48) or distal gastric mucosa tissues (83.36%,19/22) respectively (P < 0.05). The viability of MKN28 cells was significantly inhibited after transfected by GKN2 vs untransfected cells (P < 0.05). GKN2 overexpression decreased the cells’ number passing through both the membrane and matrigel, compared to those of untransfected cells(P < 0.05). Conclusions Downregulation of GKN2 protein expression is associated with the occurrence of gastric cancer; GKN2 overexpression can suppress the proliferation, migration and invasion of MKN28 cells.

Key words: Stomach Neoplasms, Gastrokine 2 , Proliferation, Migration, Invasion