Prostate cancer-derived angiogenin stimulates the invasion of prostate fibroblasts

Angiogenin as a Possible Mediator of Macrophage-Mediated Regulation of Fibroblast Functions

We studied angiogenin production by human macrophages and evaluated the role of this factor in the macrophage-mediated regulation of fibroblasts. All macrophage subtypes, and especially the efferocytosis-polarized macrophages, M2(LS), actively produced angiogenin. Exogenous recombinant angiogenin dose-dependently enhanced the proliferation and differentiation of dermal fibroblasts. The addition of the angiogenin inhibitor to fibroblasts cultures suppressed the stimulating effect of exogenous angiogenin or M2(LS) conditioned media. These findings indicate the involvement of angiogenin in the macrophage-mediated paracrine regulation of skin fibroblasts.

Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Toxic Liver Fibrosis in Rats Depending on the Stages of Its Development

The aim is to study the cellular and molecular features of toxic liver fibrosis in rats and its dependence on development stages of this pathological condition.

Materials and Methods

Liver fibrogenesis in male Wistar rats was induced with the thioacetamide solution by introducing into the stomach with a probe at a dose of 200 mg/kg of animal body weight 2 times per week. The process dynamics was studied at 5 time points (control, week 3, week 5, week 7, and week 9). The mRNA levels of tweak, fn14, ang, vegfa, cxcl12, and mmp-9 genes in liver were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Immunohistochemical study was performed on paraffin sections. The CD31, CD34, CK19, α-SMA, FAP, CD68, CD206, CX3CR1, and CD45 cells were used as markers. Fibrosis degree was determined in histological sections, stained in line with the Mallory technique, according to the Ishak's semi-quantitative scale.

Results

Two simultaneously existing morphologically heterogeneous populations of myofibroblasts expressing different types of markers (FAP, α-SMA) were identified in rat liver. Prior to the onset of transformation of fibrosis into cirrhosis (F1-F4, weeks 3-7), FAP+ and SMA+ cells were localized in different places on histological specimens. All stages of liver fibrosis development were accompanied by an increase in the number (p=0.0000), a change in the phenotypic structure and functional properties of macrophages. The CK19+ cells of the portal areas differentiated into cholangiocytes that formed interlobular bile ducts and ductules, as well as hepatocytes that formed rudiments of new hepatic microlobules. Pathological venous angiogenesis and heterogeneity of endotheliocytes of the intrahepatic vascular bed were detected. Two options for changes in mRNA expression of the selected genes were identified. The level of the fn14 and mmp-9 mRNAs at all stages of fibrosis was higher (p=0.0000) than in control rats. For tweak, ang, vegfa, and cxcl12 mRNAs, the situation was the opposite - the level of genes decreased (p=0.0000). There were strong and moderate correlations between the studied target genes (p<0.05).

Conclusion

It was established that the stages of toxic fibrosis had morphological and molecular genetic features. The FAP+ cells make the main contribution to development of portal and initial stage of bridging fibrosis. The stellate macrophages and infiltrating monocytes/ macrophages can potentially be used for development of new therapeutic strategies for liver pathology treatment. One should take into account the features of the markers' expression by endothelial cells during the study of the intrahepatic vascular bed. Joint study of genes is a necessary ad-hoc parameter in fundamental and preclinical research.

Prostate-specific antigen reduction after capecitabine plus oxaliplatin chemotherapy: A case report

BACKGROUND

Prostate cancer (PC) is currently the most common malignant tumor of the genitourinary system in men. Radical prostatectomy (RP) is recommended for the treatment of patients with localized PC. Adjuvant hormonal therapy (AHT) can be administered postoperatively in patients with high-risk or locally advanced PC. Chemotherapy is a vital remedy for castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), and may also benefit patients with PC who have not progressed to CRPC.

CASE SUMMARY

A 68-year-old male was admitted to our hospital because of urinary irritation and dysuria with increased prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. After detailed examination, he was diagnosed with PC and treated with laparoscopic RP on August 3, 2020. AHT using androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) was performed postoperatively because of the positive surgical margin, extracapsular extension, and neural invasion but lasted only 6 mo. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with rectal cancer about half a year after self-cessation of AHT, and was then treated with laparoscopic radical rectal resection and adjuvant chemotherapy using the capecitabine plus oxaliplatin (CapeOx) regimen. During the entire treatment process, the patient's PSA level first declined significantly after treatment of PC with laparoscopic RP and ADT, then rebounded because of self-cessation of ADT, and finally decreased again after CapeOx chemotherapy.

CONCLUSION

CapeOx chemotherapy can reduce PSA levels in patients with high-risk locally advanced PC, indicating that CapeOx may be an alternative chemotherapy regimen for PC.

Oxaliplatin inhibits angiogenin proliferative and cell migration effects in prostate cancer cells

Angiogenin (Ang) is a potent angiogenic protein that is overexpressed in many types of cancer at concentration values correlated to the tumor aggressiveness. Here, by means of an integrated multi-technique approach based on crystallographic, spectrometric and spectroscopic analyses, we demonstrate that the anti-cancer drug oxaliplatin efficiently binds angiogenin. Microscopy cellular studies, carried out on the prostate cancer cell (PC-3) line , show that oxaliplatin inhibits the angiogenin prompting effect on cell proliferation and migration, which are typical features of angiogenesis process. Overall, our findings point to angiogenin as a possible target of oxaliplatin, thus suggesting a potential novel mechanism for the antineoplastic activity of this platinum drug and opening the avenue to novel approaches in the combined anti-cancer anti-angiogenic therapy.

Tear Fluid Angiogenic Factors: Potential Noninvasive Biomarkers for Retinopathy of Prematurity Screening in Preterm Infants

Purpose

To determine the status of proangiogenic factors in the tear fluid of preterm infants with and without retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).

Methods

Preterm infants (n = 36) undergoing routine ROP screening included in the prospective study were categorized as No-ROP (n = 13, no ROP at any visits), ROP (if ROP was present at first visit; n = 18), or No-ROP to ROP (no disease at first visit, but developed ROP subsequently; n = 5). Infants with ROP were also grouped as progressing (n = 7) and regressing (n = 16) based on ROP evolution between the first and subsequent visits. Schirmer's strips were used to collect tear fluid and proangiogenic factors (VEGF, angiogenin, soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule, and fractalkine) levels (in picograms per milliliter) in tear fluid were measured by multiplex ELISA.

Results

Lower levels of VEGF (135 ± 69; mean ± standard deviation) and higher levels of angiogenin (6568 ± 4975) were observed in infants with ROP compared with infants without ROP (172.5 ± 54.0; 4139 ± 3909) at the first visit. Significantly lower levels of VEGF were observed in the No-ROP to ROP group compared with the No-ROP and ROP groups. The VEGF and angiogenin levels at the first visit were significantly lower in infants with ROP with progressing disease. Angiogenin levels negatively correlated with birth weight and gestational age in ROP. The area under the curve (AUC) and odds ratio (OR) analysis demonstrated that angiogenin/birth weight (AUC = 0.776; OR, 8.6); angiogenin/gestational age (AUC = 0.706; OR, 7.3) and Angiogenin/VEGF (AUC = 0.806; OR, 14.3) ratios were able to differentiated preterm infants with and without ROP.

Conclusions

The association between angiogenin and ROP suggests its possible role in ROP. The ratio of angiogenin level with birth weight, gestational age, and/or VEGF could serve as a potential noninvasive screening biomarker for ROP.

Three decades of research on angiogenin: a review and perspective

As a member of the vertebrate-specific secreted ribonucleases, angiogenin (ANG) was first isolated and identified solely by its ability to induce new blood vessel formation, and now, it has been recognized to play important roles in various physiological and pathological processes through regulating cell proliferation, survival, migration, invasion, and/or differentiation. ANG exhibits very weak ribonucleolytic activity that is critical for its biological functions, and exerts its functions through activating different signaling transduction pathways in different target cells. A series of recent studies have indicated that ANG contributes to cellular nucleic acid metabolism. Here, we comprehensively review the results of studies regarding the structure, mechanism, and function of ANG over the past three decades. Moreover, current problems and future research directions of ANG are discussed. The understanding of the function and mechanism of ANG in a wide context will help to better delineate its roles in diseases, especially in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

ANG Promotes Proliferation and Invasion of the Cell of Lung Squamous Carcinoma by Directly Up-Regulating HMGA2

Objective: To determine the mechanism of Angiogenin(ANG) function involved in the carcinogenesis of lung squamous cell carcinoma.

Methods: 12 patients' normal tissue and cancerous tissue were collected. ANG expression in the squamous cell carcinoma of the lung was evaluated by qRT-PCR and western-blot. The regulation of ANG on proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis of SK-MES-1 cells were analyzed by Cell Counting Kit-8, Transwell migration chamber, Transwell invasion chamber, and Annexin V-FITC assay, respectively. PCR array was utilized for screening potential target genes of ANG. Chromatin immunoprecipitation(ChIP) assays and luciferase assay were adopted for investigation of ANG's direct regulation on HMGA2.

Results: ANG expression is increased in the squamous cell carcinoma of the lung tissue. In vitro experiments results indicated that overexpression of ANG promotes proliferation and invasion capability of SK-MES-1 cells. The candidate proliferation, migration, and invasion related ANG target gene found was HMGA2, expression levels of which were also enhanced in lung squamous cell carcinoma tissue. The direct regulation of ANG on HMGA2 was verified by ChIP and luciferase assay results. Furthermore, down-regulating HMGA2 significantly alleviated the suppression effects of ANG on proliferation, migration, and invasion of SK-MES-1 cells.

Conclusions: Our data illustrated the mechanisms that ANG promoted the cell of SQCLC proliferation, migration, and invasion capacity via directly up-regulating HMGA2.

Angiogenin interacts with the plasminogen activation system at the cell surface of breast cancer cells to regulate plasmin formation and cell migration

Angiogenin (ANG), a 14-kDa pro-angiogenic secreted protein, has been shown to play a role in cell migration and tumor invasion, which involve proteolytic cleavage of plasminogen to generate plasmin. However, the mechanism by which ANG regulates plasmin formation and cell migration was not known. Our studies here detected elevated levels of secreted and cell surface-bound ANG in highly invasive metastatic breast cancer cells. ANG was also detected at very high levels in the tumor cells in infiltrating ductal carcinomas. By immunofluorescence and immunoprecipitation analysis, ANG was detected at the leading edges of the cell surfaces where it colocalized and interacted with members of the plasminogen activation system (PAS) such as annexin A2 (A2), calpactin (S100-A10) and urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR). Analysis of lipid raft (LR) and non-lipid raft (NLR) regions of the cell membranes showed the predominance of ANG, A2 and S100-A10 in the LR regions. In contrast, uPAR was detected predominantly in the NLR fractions, suggesting that ANG interacts with uPAR at the junctions of LR and NLR regions. ANG knockdown in T47D and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines did not affect the cellular expression of A2, S100-A10 and uPAR but decreased cell migration and plasmin formation. Neutralization of ANG with monoclonal antibodies similarly decreased the migration of MDA-MB-231 cells. In the presence of ANG, uPAR was observed to interact with uPA, which is necessary for plasmin formation. Conversely, in the absence of ANG, uPAR did not interact with uPA and FAK and Src kinases were observed to be dephosphorylated. Exogenous addition of recombinant ANG to ANG knocked down MDA-MB-231 cells restored FAK phosphorylation, uPAR interactions with uPA, plasmin formation as well as migration of these cells. Taken together, our results identified a novel role for ANG as a member of the uPAR interactome that facilitates the interaction of uPAR with uPA, leading to plasmin formation and cell migration necessary for tumor invasion and metastasis of breast cancer cells.

Circulating fibroblast-like cells in men with metastatic prostate cancer

BACKGROUND

Metastatic prostate cancer is an incurable disease. During the development of this disease, prostate cancer cells enter the bloodstream as single cells or clusters of cells. Prostate fibroblasts, a cancer-promoting cell type in the prostate cancer microenvironment, could in theory incorporate into these migrating cell clusters or follow cancer cells into the bloodstream through holes in the tumor vasculature. Based on this idea, we hypothesized that fibroblast-like cells, defined here as cytokeratin 8/18/19(-) /DAPI(+) /CD45(-) /vimentin(+) cells, are present in the blood of men with metastatic prostate cancer.

METHODS

Veridex's CellSearch® system was used to immunomagnetically capture EpCAM(+) cells and clusters of cells heterogeneous for EpCAM expression from the blood of men with metastatic prostate cancer, localized cancer, and no known cancer, and immunostain them for the presence of cytokeratins 8/18/19, a nucleus, CD45, and vimentin. Fibroblast-like cells were then quantified.

RESULTS

Fibroblast-like cells were present in 58.3% of men with metastatic prostate cancer but not in any men with localized prostate cancer or no known cancer. The presence of these cells correlated with certain known indicators of poor prognosis: ≥ 5 circulating tumor cells, defined here as cytokeratin 8/18/19(+) /DAPI(+) /CD45(-) cells, per 7.5 ml of blood, and a relatively high serum prostate-specific antigen level of ≥ 20 ng/ml.

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of fibroblast-like cells in the blood may provide prognostic information as well as information about the biology of metastatic prostate cancer.

MSC and Tumors: Homing, Differentiation, and Secretion Influence Therapeutic Potential

: Mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSC) are adult multipotent progenitors with fibroblast-like morphology able to differentiate into adipocytic, osteogenic, chondrogenic, and myogenic lineages. Due to these properties, MSC have been studied and introduced as therapeutics in regenerative medicine. Preliminary studies have also shown a possible involvement of MSC as precursors of cellular elements within tumor microenvironments, in particular tumor-associated fibroblasts (TAF). Among a number of different possible origins, TAF may originate from a pool of circulating progenitors from bone marrow or adipose tissue-derived MSC. There is growing evidence to corroborate that cells immunophenotypically defined as MSC are able to reside as TAF influencing the tumor microenvironment in a potentially bi-phasic and obscure manner: either promoting or inhibiting growth depending on tumor context and MSC sources. Here we focus on relationships between the tumor microenvironment, cancer cells, and MSC, analyzing their diverse ability to influence neoplastic development. Associated activities include MSC homing driven by the secretion of various mediators, differentiation towards TAF phenotypes, and reciprocal interactions with the tumor cells. These are reviewed here with the aim of understanding the biological functions of MSC that can be exploited for innovative cancer therapy.

An automated cell-counting algorithm for fluorescently-stained cells in migration assays

A cell-counting algorithm, developed in Matlab^®, was created to efficiently count migrated fluorescently-stained cells on membranes from migration assays. At each concentration of cells used (10,000, and 100,000 cells), images were acquired at 2.5 ×, 5 ×, and 10 × objective magnifications. Automated cell counts strongly correlated to manual counts (r² = 0.99, P < 0.0001 for a total of 47 images), with no difference in the measurements between methods under all conditions. We conclude that our automated method is accurate, more efficient, and void of variability and potential observer bias normally associated with manual counting.