Chemerin exhibits a tumor-inhibitory role in hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the effect of chemerin on essential metal elements in hepatic cells remains unclear. In our study, the contents of six important metal ions, including potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium, iron and zinc, were detected in human hepatoma SMMC7721 and immortal hepatic QSG7701 cells by ICP-AES. The data showed that chemerin only decreases the content of intracellular iron in SMMC7721 cells. The reduction was due to the blockage of iron entry through the decrease in the mRNA levels of divalent metal transporter 1, iron regulatory proteins and transferrin receptors. Furthermore, the reduction of the cellular iron content induced alterations of p53–p27–p21 signaling to arrest the cell cycle at S phase in SMMC7721 cells treated by chemerin. Conversely, iron addition led to recovery from the inhibitory effect of chemerin on SMMC7721 cells. The results suggest that chemerin plays an important role in inhibiting the cell proliferation of hepatocellular carcinomas by interfering with cellular iron homeostasis in this type of tumors.

中文翻译：

---

铁参与人肝癌SMMC7721细胞中凯莫瑞诱导的细胞周期阻滞

凯莫瑞在肝细胞癌中具有肿瘤抑制作用。然而，凯莫瑞对肝细胞中必需金属元素的作用仍不清楚。在我们的研究中，通过ICP-AES在人肝癌SMMC7721和永生肝QSG7701细胞中检测到了钾，钙，钠，镁，铁和锌等六种重要金属离子的含量。数据显示凯莫瑞仅降低SMMC7721细胞中细胞内铁的含量。减少的原因是由于二价金属转运蛋白1，铁调节蛋白和转铁蛋白受体mRNA含量的降低而阻止了铁的进入。此外，细胞铁含量的降低诱导了经凯莫瑞处理的SMMC7721细胞中p53–p27–p21信号的改变，从而阻止了S期的细胞周期。反过来，铁的添加导致凯莫瑞对SMMC7721细胞的抑制作用得以恢复。结果表明，凯莫瑞在这种类型的肿瘤中通过干扰细胞铁稳态来在抑制肝细胞癌的细胞增殖中起重要作用。