Fig. 4

CLDN6 inhibits breast cancer metastasis via the upregulation of WIP expression in vitro and vivo. A-D Wound healing assay and transwell migration and invasion assays were performed in MCF-7/CLDN6 and MDA-MB-231/CLDN6 cells with or without WIP knockdown. Results were from three independent experiments. Scale bar: 200 μm (A) and 50 μm (C). E Representative examples of lungs with metastatic foci (red arrowheads) are shown. Representative H&E staining of lung sections from the three groups (n = 5 mice/group), zoomed-in image (right). Scale bar: 5 mm (left), 500 μm (right). F The number of surface metastatic nodes per lung in each group. G The areas were quantified with Image-Pro Plus and the tumor ratio (%) was determined as (tumor area)/(total lung area) × 100%. H The number of mice with lung metastasis was counted in each group. I Representative IHC images of CLDN6, WIP, and LC3 in the lung metastatic tumor tissues. Scale bar: 20 μm. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01 and ***P < 0.001