Objective    To investigate the effect of transfection of wild hepatocyte cell adhesion molecule (hepaCAM) on the biological behaviors of the T24 cells of transitional cell carcinoma of bladder (TCCB).     Methods    Human TCCB cell line T24 was transfected with pEGFP-N2-hepaCAM

mock plasmid pEGFP-N2 with lipofectamine. Laser confocal microscopy was used to observe the location of hepaCAM in cells. Western blotting was used to determine the expression of hepaCAM in stably transfected cells. The cell adhesive and motility ability were tested by cell spreading assay and matrigel invasion assay. Cell proliferation ability was investigated by MTT assay.     Results    In well spread cells

hepaCAM was localized on the perinuclear membrane

whereas in the cells contacting together

it predominantly accumulated at the sites of cell-cell contacts on cell membrane. Cell clones with stable expression of hepaCAM were acquired. Cell spreading assay and matrigel invasion assay showed the cell adhesion and cell motility properties of hepaCAM transfected cells were apparently enhanced compared those with no transfection or mock-vector cells. MTT assay showed cell proliferation ability in the hepaCAM group was notably decreased when compared with the non-transfection or mock-vector groups.     Conclusion    hepaCAM can restrain malignant phenotypes of the human TCCB cells in vitro

and may inhibit the TCCB invasion and metastasis by influencing the function of some adherence and proliferation factors.