Abstract: Objective:?To explore the molecular mechanism of ANGPTL4 in the progression and lymph node metastasis of tongue cancer, in order to provide a new molecular target for the treatment of tongue cancer.. Methods:?The ANGPTL4 gene in tongue cancer cells was silenced by small interfering RNA (siRNA). The transfection efficiency was tested by qRT-PCR. The biological behavior of tongue cancer cells after ANGPTL4 silencing was determined by CCK-8, Transwell and scratch experiments. The expressions of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition（EMT）related markers were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. Results:?After silencing ANGPTL4 by siRNA, the proliferation was significantly reduced （P<0.01） and migration ability of tongue cancer cells was weakened (P＜0.05). The expression of downstream related genes of EMT, E-cadherin was up-regulated and DDR1, Vimentin, ZEB-1 were down-regulated. Conclusions:?Silencing ANGPTL4 can enhance the adhesion between tongue cancer cells, thereby reducing the migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of tongue cancer cells. ANGPTL4 may be a key target for lymph node metastasis of tongue cancer.

Key words: ANGPTL4, tongue cancer , proliferation and migration , lymphatic metastasis