Human hepatic stellate cell line LX-2 activated under acidic culture condition

We found that the number of tumor-infiltrating myofibroblasts was positively correlated to tumor acidification status in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), the predominant precursors of liver myofibroblasts, were activated and transdifferentiated into myofibroblasts under acidic culture condition. To identify the molecular phenotype of LX-2 cells in acidic culture conditions, we further conducted a gene expression profile analysis. LX-2 cells cultured in pH 7.2 or pH 6.2 medium separately for six days was used in gene expression microarray analysis.