Abstract: Epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a key process in cancer development. Communication between cancer cells and normal cells may facilitate cancer progression. Conditioned medium (CM) from cultured cancer cells containing secreted factors may affect behaviors of normal cells.In this study, normal bladder epithelial HCV29 cells were cultured with CM from malignant bladder cancer YTS-1 cells (Y-CM). In comparision with control cells, HCV29 treated with Y-CM showed the increased expression of mesenchymal markers fibronectin and N-cadherin enhanced cell proliferation, migration,and inhibition of cell apoptosis. Furthermore, N-glycan profiles of Y-CM treated and control HCV29 were compared by MALDI-TOF-MS and lectin microarray. The treated cells showed lower levels of high-mannose type N-glycan structures,and higher levels of complex-type, hybrid-type, fucose-type and sialic acid-type structures. Taken together, our findings indicated that CM derived from bladder cancer cells induced an EMT-like process in normal bladder epithelial cells and altered their N-glycan profile.

Key words: conditioned medium, EMT, N-glycan, bladder cancer