Objective      To determine the effect of CXCL16/CXCR6 axis on the proliferation

invasion and migration of ovarian cancer stem cells (OCSCs).       Methods      CD133

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OCSCs were isolated from ovarian cancer cell line A2780 by serum-free culture selection. The difference of CXCL16 and CXCR6 expression between CD

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OCSCs and CD133

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non-ovarian cancer stem cells (nOCSCs) was detected by real-time PCR

enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and flow cytometry.  CCK-8 assay was used to assess the effect of CXCL16 on proliferation of OCSCs. Transwell migration assay and Matrigel invasion assay were used to determine invasion and migration ability of OCSCs after blocking CXCL16 or CXCR6 with neutralizing antibody or short hairpin RNA (shRNA).       Results      Compared with nOCSCs

CXCL16 and CXCR6 at mRNA expression level were increased in OCSCs (P0.01). OCSCs had more CXCL16 secretion (2 434.00±204.65 ng/mL) than nOCSCs (129.33±31.64 ng/mL) (P0.01). And the CXCR6 expression in OCSCs (60.6%) was higher than that in nOCSCs (2.4%) (P0.01). CCK-8 assay showed that the proliferation of OCSCs was not affected after blocking CXCL16 with neutralizing antibody (P0.05). When CXCL16 or CXCR6 was blocked with neutralizing antibody

OCSCs showed decrease of invasion and migration ability (P0.01). Invasion and migration ability of OCSCs was also significantly inhibited when blocking CXCL16 with shRNA (P0.01).       Conclusion      Autocrine chemokine CXCL16 can bind to CXCR6 to maintain high ability of invasion and migration of CD133

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OCSCs.