Metastatic breast carcinoma induces vascular endothelial dysfunction in Balb-c mice: Role of the tumor necrosis factor-α and NADPH oxidase

Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Death in Breast Cancer Patients Without Chemotherapy or (and) Radiotherapy: A Large Population-Based Study

Background

Cardiovascular death (CVD) in breast cancer patients without chemotherapy (CT) or (and) radiotherapy (RT) has not been studied yet. This study evaluates the correlation between breast cancer and CVD risk independent of chemotherapy or (and) radiotherapy.

Methods

Data of female breast cancer patients without receiving CT or RT were retrieved from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result (SEER) database (2004–2015). Data were divided into two cohorts: tumor resection cohort and no resection cohort. The CVD risk in patients was expressed as standardized mortality ratios (SMRs). A 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to balance inter-group bias, and competing risk regressions were utilized to evaluate the impact of tumor resection on CVD.

Results

The CVD risk was significantly higher (SMR = 2.196, 95% CI: 2.148–2.245, P<0.001) in breast cancer patients who did not receive CT or RT compared to the general population. Breast cancer patients without tumor resection showed higher CVD risk than patients who underwent tumour resection (tumor resection SMR = 2.031, 95% CI: 1.983–2.079, P<0.001; no resection SMR = 5.425, 95% CI: 5.087–5.781, P<0.001). After PSM, the CVD risk among patients without tumor resection indicated an increase of 1.165-fold compared to patients with tumor resection (HR=1.165, 95% CI: 1.039–1.306, P=0.009).

Conclusions

Female breast cancer patients are at higher risk of CVD despite unexposure to cardio-toxic CT or RT. However, female breast cancer patients subjected to tumor resection have decreased CVD risk. These results indicated that monitoring female breast cancer patients not receiving RT or CT might serve as a preventative measure against CVD.

Coptisine Alleviates Pristane-Induced Lupus-Like Disease and Associated Kidney and Cardiovascular Complications in Mice

Systemic lupus erythaematosus (SLE) is a chronic multi-system autoimmune disease with a high prevalence of kidney and cardiovascular complications. Considering that Rho-associated coiled-coil-containing protein kinases (ROCKs) play important roles in SLE, inflammation, and cardiovascular disease, we hypothesized that coptisine, which has been found to inhibit ROCKs, may have an effect on SLE. The effect of coptisine was assessed in female BALB/c mice intraperitoneally injected with 0.5 mL of pristane. Serum autoantibodies were tested every month, blood pressure was measured every 2 months, and serum inflammatory markers, spleen pathologic characteristics, renal injury and vascular function were observed at 6 months. The results showed that coptisine decreased the levels of serum autoantibodies and serum inflammatory markers in the SLE mice, improved the pathologic characteristics of the spleen, and simultaneously improved renal injury, decreased inflammatory responses in the kidneys, reduced blood pressure, and improved vascular endothelial function. Western blot assays revealed that inhibiting the activation of the NF-κB and Rho/ROCK signalling pathways and downstream signalling molecules might be the potential mechanisms of the effects of coptisine. Our findings suggest that therapy with coptisine may be a strategy for preventing SLE and ameliorating associated kidney and cardiovascular complications.

Bivalent furostene carbamates as antiproliferative and antiinflammatory agents

Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer in women affecting about 12% of world's female population. It is a multifactorial disease, mostly invasive in nature. Diosgenin and related compounds are potent antiproliferative agents. Carbamate derivatives have been synthesized at C26 of furostene ring after opening spiroketal bond (F-ring) of diosgenin. Compound 10 possessed significant antiproliferative activity against human breast cancer cells by arresting the population at G1 phase of cell division cycle and induced apoptosis. Induction of apoptosis was observed through the caspase signalling cascade by activating caspase-3. Moreover, carbamate 10 exhibited moderate antiinflammatory activity by decreasing the expression of cytokines, TNF-α and IL-6 in LPS-induced inflammation in primary macrophage cells. Furthermore, compound 10 significantly reduced Ehrlich ascites carcinoma significantly in mice. It was well tolerated and safe in acute oral toxicity in Swiss albino mice. The concomitant anticancer and antiinflammatory properties of carbamate 10 are important and thus, can further be optimized for a better anti-breast cancer candidate.

Functional inhibition of F11 receptor (F11R/junctional adhesion molecule-A/JAM-A) activity by a F11R-derived peptide in breast cancer and its microenvironment

Purpose

To examine the involvement of the F11R/JAM-A protein in breast cancer metastasis, we utilized the F11R/JAM-A antagonistic peptide 4D (P4D) in experiments of transendothelial migration (TEM) of breast cancer cells.

Methods

Experiments were conducted in the mouse 4T1 breast cancer model utilizing the human mammary epithelial cell and endothelial cell lines. The levels of soluble F11R/JAM-A (sJAM-A) in the murine plasmas were measured by ELISA. Levels of F11R/JAM-A mRNA and protein in cell lines were assessed by qRT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. Cell surface expression of F11R/JAM-A was demonstrated by flow cytometry. Functional tests included the TEM of breast cancer cells and adhesion of breast cancer cells to the endothelium. The endothelial permeability was studied by fluorescent tracer assay and by the Real-Time Cell Analysis (RTCA).

Results

The tumor inducers Tβ4 and TGF-β1 reduced the levels of sJAM-A in murine plasma, and reduced the F11R/JAM-A protein levels in the human microvascular endothelial cell line HMEC-1. The adhesion and TEM measured between breast cancer cells and inflamed or Tβ4-treated endothelium were inhibited by P4D. The presence of P4D did not destabilize the pre-existing tight junctions in the endothelial monolayer. The barrier-protecting effect of P4D was stronger than that of forskolin, when a booster dose of P4D was applied to the inflamed endothelium.

Conclusions

F11R/JAM-A protein can be considered as a novel target in the treatment of breast cancer metastasis. In vivo and clinical studies are needed to further investigate the effectiveness of F11R/JAM-A-derived peptide as a possible anti-metastatic drug.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s10549-019-05471-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Alterations in NO- and PGI2- dependent function in aorta in the orthotopic murine model of metastatic 4T1 breast cancer: relationship with pulmonary endothelial dysfunction and systemic inflammation

Background

Patients with cancer develop endothelial dysfunction and subsequently display a higher risk of cardiovascular events. The aim of the present work was to examine changes in nitric oxide (NO)- and prostacyclin (PGI₂)-dependent endothelial function in the systemic conduit artery (aorta), in relation to the formation of lung metastases and to local and systemic inflammation in a murine orthotopic model of metastatic breast cancer.

Methods

BALB/c female mice were orthotopically inoculated with 4T1 breast cancer cells. Development of lung metastases, lung inflammation, changes in blood count, systemic inflammatory response (e.g. SAA, SAP and IL-6), as well as changes in NO- and PGI₂-dependent endothelial function in the aorta, were examined 2, 4, 5 and 6 weeks following cancer cell transplantation.

Results

As early as 2 weeks following transplantation of breast cancer cells, in the early metastatic stage, lungs displayed histopathological signs of inflammation, NO production was impaired and nitrosylhemoglobin concentration in plasma was decreased. After 4 to 6 weeks, along with metastatic development, progressive leukocytosis and systemic inflammation (as seen through increased SAA, SAP, haptoglobin and IL-6 plasma concentrations) were observed. Six weeks following cancer cell inoculation, but not earlier, endothelial dysfunction in aorta was detected; this involved a decrease in basal NO production and a decrease in NO-dependent vasodilatation, that was associated with a compensatory increase in cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)- derived PGI₂ production.

Conclusions

In 4 T1 metastatic breast cancer in mice early pulmonary metastasis was correlated with lung inflammation, with an early decrease in pulmonary as well as systemic NO availability. Late metastasis was associated with robust, cancer-related, systemic inflammation and impairment of NO-dependent endothelial function in the aorta that was associated with compensatory upregulation of the COX-2-derived PGI₂ pathway.

Fasudil ameliorates endothelial dysfunction in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats: a possible role of Rho kinase

Endothelial dysfunction is a major contributor to the pathogenesis of vascular disease in diabetes mellitus and RhoA/Rho-kinase (ROCK) system appears to play a crucial role in this setting. The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of the selective ROCK inhibitor, fasudil, on diabetes-related endothelial dysfunction and elucidated its underlying mechanism(s). Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 50 mg/kg), and fasudil (5 mg/kg per day) was orally administered for 8 weeks. Our results showed that fasudil administration attenuated the increased activity/expression of ROCK (627.5 ± 27 vs. 247.8 ± 19.1) and the NADPH oxidase subunits, NOX2 and p47phox, in diabetic rat aorta. Fasudil could reduce the elevated tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α (70.2 ± 14.1 vs. 25.3 ± 5.2) and transforming growth factor (TGF-β) levels and restored the deficit in antioxidant level of the diabetic aorta. Additionally, fasudil markedly improved the endothelial dysfunction in the diabetic aorta (73.8 ± 8.1 vs. 47.42 ± 8.69) and corrected the dysregulated endothelial nitric oxide (eNOS) expression. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that fasudil effectively ameliorates the endothelial dysfunction in STZ-induced diabetic rats through inhibition of the Rho/ROCK pathway and thereby reducing the TNF-α-mediated NADPH oxidase activation.

Overview of Antagonists Used for Determining the Mechanisms of Action Employed by Potential Vasodilators with Their Suggested Signaling Pathways

This paper is a review on the types of antagonists and the signaling mechanism pathways that have been used to determine the mechanisms of action employed for vasodilation by test compounds. Thus, we exhaustively reviewed and analyzed reports related to this topic published in PubMed between the years of 2010 till 2015. The aim of this paperis to suggest the most appropriate type of antagonists that correspond to receptors that would be involved during the mechanistic studies, as well as the latest signaling pathways trends that are being studied in order to determine the route(s) that atest compound employs for inducing vasodilation. The methods to perform the mechanism studies were included. Fundamentally, the affinity, specificity and selectivity of the antagonists to their receptors or enzymes were clearly elaborated as well as the solubility and reversibility. All the signaling pathways on the mechanisms of action involved in the vascular tone regulation have been well described in previous review articles. However, the most appropriate antagonists that should be utilized have never been suggested and elaborated before, hence the reason for this review.

Anti-tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (Infliximab) Attenuates Apoptosis, Oxidative Stress, and Calcium Ion Entry Through Modulation of Cation Channels in Neutrophils of Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis

Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is known to be associated with increased neutrophil activation and oxidative stress, however, the mechanism of neutrophil activation is still unclear. We have hypothesized that the antioxidant and anti-tumor necrosis factor properties of infliximab may affect intracellular Ca(2+) concentration in the neutrophils of AS patients. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of infliximab on calcium signaling, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in neutrophils of AS patients. Neutrophils collected from ten patients with AS and ten healthy controls were used in the study. In a cell viability test, the ideal non-toxic dose and incubation time of infliximab were found as 100 μM and 1 h, respectively. In some experiments, the neutrophils were incubated with the voltage-gated calcium channel (VGCC) blockers verapamil + diltiazem (V + D) and the TRPM2 channel blocker 2-aminoethyl diphenylborinate (2-APB). Intracellular Ca(2+) concentration, lipid peroxidation, apoptosis, caspase 3, and caspase 9 values were high in neutrophils of AS patients and were reduced with infliximab treatment. Reduced glutathione level and glutathione peroxidase activity were low in the patients and increased with infliximab treatment. The intracellular Ca(2+) concentrations were low in 2-APB and V + D groups. In conclusion, the current study suggests that infliximab is useful against apoptotic cell death and oxidative stress in neutrophils of patients with AS, which seem to be dependent on increased levels of intracellular Ca(2+) through activation of TRPM2 and VGCC.

Analysis of the intricate relationship between chronic inflammation and cancer

Deregulated inflammatory response plays a pivotal role in the initiation, development and progression of tumours. Potential molecular mechanism(s) that drive the establishment of an inflammatory-tumour microenvironment is not entirely understood owing to the complex cross-talk between pro-inflammatory and tumorigenic mediators such as cytokines, chemokines, oncogenes, enzymes, transcription factors and immune cells. These molecular mediators are critical linchpins between inflammation and cancer, and their activation and/or deactivation are influenced by both extrinsic (i.e. environmental and lifestyle) and intrinsic (i.e. hereditary) factors. At present, the research pertaining to inflammation-associated cancers is accumulating at an exponential rate. Interest stems from hope that new therapeutic strategies against molecular mediators can be identified to assist in cancer treatment and patient management. The present review outlines the various molecular and cellular inflammatory mediators responsible for tumour initiation, progression and development, and discusses the critical role of chronic inflammation in tumorigenesis.