[Experimental studies on the cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin and in vitro invasion of endometrial carcinoma cell lines].

The enhancement of the in vitro invasive ability and the morphological changes caused by anti-E-cadherin antibody HECD-1 were investigated by in vitro invasion assay and electron microscopy in three human endometrial carcinoma cell lines. The cell lines were NUE-1 (E-cadherin negative and high in vitro invasive ability), HEC-1BE and HEC-108 (E-cadherin positive and low in vitro invasive ability). In NUE-1 invasive ability was not enhanced by HECD-1, but in HEC-1BE and HEC-108 invasive ability was enhanced to 223 +/- 41.2% and 307 +/- 173% by 5 micrograms/ml HECD-1. Morphologically NUE-1 invaded the extracellular matrix (Matrigel) with a long micro villis. But in HEC-1BE and HEC-108 the villis did not invade the Matrigel, the whole cell invaded it. Together with HECD-1, HEC-1BE and HEC-108 were changed to become similar to the NUE-1 cell line with high invasive ability and the micro villis invaded the Matrigel.