Fig. 2: NPC1 promotes HCC progression.

a Confirmation of NPC1 overexpression, NPC1 knockdown and re-expression in HCC cells. b-e Transwell assay to examine the effect of NPC1 on HCC cell migration (b, c) or invasion (d, e); scale bars, 100 μm. f–i 1×10⁶ Luciferase-expressing HCC cells (MHCC-97H) were injected into NOD SCID mice by tail vein. The mice were euthanized 8 weeks later by a cervical dislocation. Representative images of whole body luminescence monitoring of NOD SCID mice injected via tail vein with HCC cells 8 weeks after injection (f). Lung and liver tissues were isolated for analysis of IVIS imaging (g). Representative H&E staining images of lung tissues are shown; scale bars, 500 μm; insets: fivefold magnification; scale bars, 100 μm (h). The incidence of lung metastasis in mice (i). (n = 8 mice per group). Data are presented as the mean ± s.e.m. n = 3 (b–e) biologically independent samples (b–e). Statistical significance was determined by two-tailed unpaired Student’s t-test (b–e). a–e Data were verified in three independent experiments. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.