TIE2-high cervical cancer cells promote tumor angiogenesis by upregulating TIE2 and VEGFR2 in endothelial cells

Transcriptomic characterization of lung pericytes in systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary fibrosis

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic disease characterized by fibrosis and vascular abnormalities in the skin and internal organs, including the lung. SSc-associated pulmonary fibrosis (SSc-PF) is the leading cause of death in SSc patients. Pericytes are key regulators of vascular integrity and endothelial function. The role that pericytes play in SSc-PF remains unclear. We compared the transcriptome of pericytes from SSc-PF lungs (SScL) to pericytes from normal lungs (NORML). We identified 1,179 differentially expressed genes in SScL pericytes. Pathways enriched in SScL pericytes included prostaglandin, PI3K-AKT, calcium, and vascular remodeling signaling. Decreased cyclic AMP production and altered phosphorylation of AKT in response to prostaglandin E2 in SScL pericytes demonstrate the functional consequence of changes in the prostaglandin pathway that may contribute to fibrosis. The transcriptomic signature of SSc lung pericytes suggests that they promote vascular dysfunction and contribute to the loss of protection against lung inflammation and fibrosis.

Notoginsenoside R1 decreases intraplaque neovascularization by governing pericyte-endothelial cell communication via Ang1/Tie2 axis in atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis represents the major cause of mortality worldwide and triggers higher risk of acute cardiovascular events. Pericytes-endothelial cells (ECs) communication is orchestrated by ligand-receptor interaction generating a microenvironment which results in intraplaque neovascularization, that is closely associated with atherosclerotic plaque instability. Notoginsenoside R1 (R1) exhibits anti-atherosclerotic bioactivity, but its effect on angiogenesis in atherosclerotic plaque remains elusive. The aim of our study is to explore the therapeutic effect of R1 on vulnerable plaque and investigate its potential mechanism against intraplaque neovascularization. The impacts of R1 on plaque stability and intraplaque neovascularization were assessed in ApoE-/- mice induced by high-fat diet. Pericytes-ECs direct or non-direct contact co-cultured with VEGF-A stimulation were used as the in vitro angiogenesis models. Overexpressing Ang1 in pericytes was performed to investigate the underlying mechanism. In vivo experiments, R1 treatment reversed atherosclerotic plaque vulnerability and decreased the presence of neovessels in ApoE-/- mice. Additionally, R1 reduced the expression of Ang1 in pericytes. In vitro experiments demonstrated that R1 suppressed pro-angiogenic behavior of ECs induced by pericytes cultured with VEGF-A. Mechanistic studies revealed that the anti-angiogenic effect of R1 was dependent on the inhibition of Ang1 and Tie2 expression, as the effects were partially reversed after Ang1 overexpressing in pericytes. Our study demonstrated that R1 treatment inhibited intraplaque neovascularization by governing pericyte-EC association via suppressing Ang1-Tie2/PI3K-AKT paracrine signaling pathway. R1 represents a novel therapeutic strategy for atherosclerotic vulnerable plaques in clinical application.

Cervical cancer cell-derived Tie1 expression via PI3K/AKT signaling pathway promotes tumor progression

BACKGROUND

Tie1 orphan receptor has become a focus of research, Tie1 can form a polymer with Tie2, regulate the Ang/Tie2 pathway and play a vital role in pathological angiogenesis and tumor progression, the function of Tie1 has remained uncertain in the progression of cervical cancer (CC). Here, we investigated the functional influences of Tie1 overexpress on CC in vitro and in vivo.

METHODS

We used Immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis to detect the relative expression of Tie1 in CC, and we analyzed its connection with the overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS)of CC patients. To prove the role of Tie1 in cell proliferation and metastatic, Tie1 expression in CC cell lines was upregulated by lentivirus.

RESULTS

The high expression of Tie1 in tumor cells of cervical cancer tissues is significantly correlated with FIGO stage, differentiated tumors, tumors with diameters, deep stromal invasion. We found that cell progression was promoted in Tie1-overexpress CC cell lines in vivo and in vitro. Tie1 potentially exerts a commanding influence on the expression of markers associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

Our research indicates that Tie1 is highly connected to CC progression as it may play a role in the EMT process through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

TIE1 promotes cervical cancer progression via Basigin-matrix metalloproteinase axis

Background: Tyrosine kinase with immunoglobulin and EGF-like domains 1 (TIE1) is known as an orphan receptor prominently expressed in endothelial cells and participates in angiogenesis by regulating TIE2 activity. Our previous study demonstrated elevated TIE1 expression in cervical cancer cells. However, the role of TIE1 in cervical cancer progression, metastasis and treatment remains elusive. Methods: Immunohistochemistry staining for TIE1 and Basigin was performed in 135 human cervical cancer tissues. Overexpressing vectors and siRNAs were used to manipulate gene expression in tumor cells. Colony formation, wound healing, and transwell assays were used to assess cervical cancer cell proliferation and migration in vitro. Subcutaneous xenograft tumor and lung metastasis mouse models were established to examine tumor growth and metastasis. Co-Immunoprecipitation and Mass Spectrometry were applied to explore the proteins binding to TIE1. Immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence staining were used to verify the interaction between TIE1 and Basigin. Cycloheximide chase assay and MG132 treatment were conducted to analyze protein stability. Results: High TIE1 expression was associated with poor survival in cervical cancer patients. TIE1 overexpression promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion of cervical cancer cells in vitro, as well as tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. In addition, Basigin, a transmembrane glycoprotein, was identified as a TIE1 binding protein, suggesting a pivotal role in matrix metalloproteinase regulation, angiogenesis, cell adhesion, and immune responses. Knockdown of Basigin or treatment with the Basigin inhibitor AC-73 reversed the tumor-promoting effect of TIE1 in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we found that TIE1 was able to interact with and stabilize the Basigin protein and stimulate the Basigin-matrix metalloproteinase axis. Conclusion: TIE1 expression in cervical cells exerts a tumor-promoting effect, which is at least in part dependent on its interaction with Basigin. These findings have revealed a TIE2-independent mechanism of TIE1, which may provide a new biomarker for cervical cancer progression, and a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of cervical cancer patients.

Cyclophilin A: An Independent Prognostic Factor for Survival in Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Treated with Bevacizumab and Chemotherapy

Colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks as second most common cause of cancer-related deaths. The CRC management considerably improved in recent years, especially due to biological therapies such as bevacizumab. The lack of predictive or prognostic biomarkers remains one of the major disadvantages of using bevacizumab in the CRC management. We performed a prospective study to analyze the prognostic and predictive roles of three potential serum biomarkers (Cyclophilin A (CypA), copeptin and Tie2) investigated by ELISA in 56 patients with metastatic CRC undergoing bevacizumab and chemotherapy between May 2019 and September 2021 at baseline and after one and six months of therapy. We showed that low levels of CypA at baseline and after one month of treatment were associated with better overall survival (OS) (42 versus 24 months, p = 0.029 at baseline; 42 versus 25 months, p = 0.039 after one month). For copeptin and Tie2, Kaplan-Meier curves showed no correlation between these biomarkers and OS or progression-free survival. When adjusting for baseline and post-treatment factors, a multivariate Cox analysis showed that low values of CypA at baseline and after one month of treatment were independent prognostic factors for OS and correlated with a better prognosis in metastatic CRC patients.

LINC00460 promotes angiogenesis by enhancing NF-κB-mediated VEGFA expression in cervical cancer cells

Angiogenesis is a characteristic of tumor development and is key for tumor growth and metastasis. LINC00460 is a long non-coding RNA that plays important yet complex roles in cancer development and progression. Here, we explored the functional mechanism of action of LINC00460 in cervical cancer (CC) angiogenesis for the first time. We found that conditioned medium (CM) from LINC00460-knockdown CC cells attenuated human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) migration, invasion, and tube formation, whereas LINC00460 upregulation had the opposite effects. Mechanistically, LINC00460 stimulated VEGFA transcription. Suppressing VEGF-A reversed the effects of CM from LINC00460-overexpressing CC cells on HUVEC angiogenesis. Recombinant VEGFA eliminated the suppressive effects of CM from LINC00460-knockdown CC cells. Furthermore, LINC00460 enhanced VEGFA expression and promoted angiogenesis by activating the NF-κB pathway. Our data illustrate that LINC00460 can promote angiogenesis by activating the NF-κB-VEGFA axis, suggesting that the axis is a promising target for blocking tumor angiogenesis.

[Expression of Tyrosine Kinase Receptor 2 in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and the Effect on Cell Proliferation and Migration and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Process]

Objective

To study the expression of tyrosine kinase receptor 2 (Tie2) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and its effect on cell proliferation and migration and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process.

Methods

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) tests were conducted to examine the expression of Tie2 in OSCC tissues and normal oral mucosa tissues. Western blot was performed to examine the expression of Tie2 in dysplastic oral keratinocyte (DOK) cell line and OSCC cell lines, and the cell line with high Tie2 expression was selected as the experimental cell line. The Tie2-silenced lentiviral vector was successfully transfected onto the experimental cell line for subsequent experiments. Cell proliferation and cloning abilities were examined with CCK-8 and clone formation assays. Cell migration ability was examined with scratch and Transwell assays. The remodeling ability of cytoskeletal F-actin and the expressions of E-cadherin and N-cadherin were examined with confocal laser scanning microscope. Western blot was performed to examine the expression of EMT-related signature proteins, including E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and vimentin, and the expression of the protein kinase B (AKT) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK).

Results

IHC results showed that the Tie2-positive rate of the OSCC group (74.5%) was significantly higher than that of the control group (19.4%) ( P<0.0001). The expression of Tie2 was higher in HSC-4 and SCC-9 cell lines compared to that in DOK cells. The lentiviral shRNA-162 group showed the best silencing effect, which was used as the experimental group and applied in subsequent experiments. Compared with those of the control group, the proliferation, cloning and migration capacities of the cells of the experimental group were significantly reduced. Furthermore, the green fluorescence intensity of the cytoskeleton F-actin was reduced, the number of filamentous pseudopods at the leading edge of the cells decreased and their length was shortened, and the expression of E-cadherin was significantly increased, while the expression of N-cadherin and vimentin was significantly reduced in the experimental group in comparison with those of the control group. The expression of p-AKT and p-ERK proteins decreased, while AKT and ERK protein expression increased.

Conclusion

Tie2 was highly expressed in most OSCC cells. Silencing Tie2 can inhibit the proliferation, cloning, and migration ability of OSCC cells, inhibit F-actin remodeling, and alter the expression of its EMT-related signature proteins by regulating AKT and ERK signaling pathway, which suggests that Tie2 may be involved in the growth, metastasis and EMT process of OSCC.