Adiponectin as a Potential Therapeutic Target for Prostate Cancer

The impact of obesity and sexual behavior on prostate cancer risk is mediated by testosterone levels: a mendelian randomization study and mediation analysis

Background

The relationship between obesity, sexual behavior, and prostate cancer (PCa) has been widely debated, contributing to a lack of understanding of its potential mechanisms and hindering the development of effective prevention measures.

Purpose

The aim of this study was to examine the causal effect of body mass index (BMI), age at first sexual intercourse (AFS), and bioavailable testosterone levels on PCa while also quantifying the potential roles of mediators.

Method

We conducted a Mendelian randomization (MR) study using summary statistics from genome-wide associations of BMI (152,893 European males), AFS (182,791 European males), bioavailable testosterone (184,205 European males), and PCa (79,148 cases, 61,106 controls, European ancestry). Inverse-variance weighted method, weighted median method, MR-Egger regression, Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO), and outlier test were used for MR analyses. Reverse MR and mediation analysis were performed. Data analyses were conducted from December 2022 to July 2023.

Results

The results showed that genetic liability to BMI was protective of PCa (OR, 0.82; 95% CI: 0.74-0.91; P = 3.29 × 10-4). Genetic liability to later AFS (OR, 1.28; 95% CI: 1.08-1.53; P = 5.64 × 10-3) and higher bioavailable testosterone levels (OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.01-1.24, P = 0.04) were associated with an increased risk of PCa. All of these potential causal effects could only be forwarded and were not affected by prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening. After controlling for bioavailable testosterone levels, the causal impact of BMI and AFS on PCa was no longer significant. The mediation analysis suggested that the causal influence of AFS/BMI on PCa relied on bioavailable testosterone levels.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the difference between the univariable and multivariable MR results suggested that the causal influence of BMI and AFS on PCa relied on bioavailable testosterone levels. Further work is needed to identify other risk factors and to elucidate the specific mechanisms that underlie this causal pathway.

Challenges in Pharmacological Intervention in Perilipins (PLINs) to Modulate Lipid Droplet Dynamics in Obesity and Cancer

Perilipins (PLINs) are the most abundant proteins in lipid droplets (LD). These LD-associated proteins are responsible for upgrading LD from inert lipid storage structures to fully functional organelles, fundamentally integrated in the lipid metabolism. There are five distinct perilipins (PLIN1-5), each with specific expression patterns and metabolic activation, but all capable of regulating the activity of lipases on LD. This plurality creates a complex orchestrated mechanism that is directly related to the healthy balance between lipogenesis and lipolysis. Given the essential role of PLINs in the modulation of the lipid metabolism, these proteins can become interesting targets for the treatment of lipid-associated diseases. Since reprogrammed lipid metabolism is a recognized cancer hallmark, and obesity is a known risk factor for cancer and other comorbidities, the modulation of PLINs could either improve existing treatments or create new opportunities for the treatment of these diseases. Even though PLINs have not been, so far, directly considered for pharmacological interventions, there are many established drugs that can modulate PLINs activity. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess the involvement of PLINs in diseases related to lipid metabolism dysregulation and whether PLINs can be viewed as potential therapeutic targets for cancer and obesity.

CDH13 is a prognostic biomarker and a potential therapeutic target for patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma

CDH13 is an atypical member of the cadherin family and is closely related to the clinicopathological factors and prognosis of many types of cancer. However, the role of CDH13 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remains unknown. Therefore, we comprehensively analyzed the expression level, diagnostic efficacy, clinical significance, prognostic value, immune infiltration, methylation status, genetic alteration, and biological functions of CDH13 in ccRCC patients. The results showed that CDH13 was significantly upregulated in ccRCC and strongly correlated with better survival, lower cancer stages, and lower tumor grades of ccRCC patients. Additionally, the immune infiltration analysis indicated that CDH13 might play a crucial role in regulating the tumor microenvironment of ccRCC. The results of methylation analysis showed that the epigenetic status of CDH13 was altered, and the prognosis of ccRCC patients was related not only to DNA methylation but also to m6A modification of CDH13. Finally, the results based on clinical samples further elucidated the expression pattern of CDH13 in ccRCC. In conclusion, CDH13 might be a novel prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for patients with ccRCC. And our study provides new insights into the potential molecular changes and strategies for the treatment of ccRCC.

Adiponectin inhibits the activation of lung fibroblasts and pulmonary fibrosis by regulating the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a common pulmonary interstitial disease with a high mortality rate. Adiponectin (APN) is reportedly an effective therapy for fibrosis-related diseases. This study aimed to investigate the potential effects of APN on IPF. Male BALB/c mice were injected with bleomycin (BLM) and treated with different doses of APN (0.1, 0.25, and 0.5 mg/kg). The body weights of the mice were recorded. Immunohistochemical, hematoxylin and eosin, and Masson staining were performed to evaluate pulmonary histopathological changes. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and western blotting were performed to assess tissue inflammation. The human lung fibroblasts HELF were stimulated with TGF-β1 and treated with different doses of APN (2.5, 5, and 10 μg/ml). Cell proliferation, inflammation, and fibrosis were determined by MTT assay, EdU assay, colony formation assay, ELISA, and western blotting. APN significantly attenuated BLM-induced body weight loss, alveolar destruction, and collagen fiber accumulation in mice (p < 0.05). APN decreased the expression of α-SMA and collagen I and reduced the concentration of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, and IL-18 in lung tissues (p < 0.05). In TGF-β1-treated HELF cells, cell proliferation and colony formation were inhibited by APN (p < 0.05). Additionally, the expression of α-SMA, collagen I, and pro-inflammatory cytokines were suppressed by APN (p < 0.05). APN inhibited the phosphorylation of IκB and nuclear translocation of p65. In conclusion, these findings suggest that APN is an effective agent for controlling IPF progression. The antifibrotic effects of APN might be mediated via inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Thromboinflammatory Processes at the Nexus of Metabolic Dysfunction and Prostate Cancer: The Emerging Role of Periprostatic Adipose Tissue

Simple Summary

As overweight and obesity increase among the population worldwide, a parallel increase in the number of individuals diagnosed with prostate cancer was observed. There appears to be a relationship between both diseases where the increase in the mass of fat tissue can lead to inflammation. Such a state of inflammation could produce many factors that increase the aggressiveness of prostate cancer, especially if this inflammation occurred in the fat stores adjacent to the prostate. Another important observation that links obesity, fat tissue inflammation, and prostate cancer is the increased production of blood clotting factors. In this article, we attempt to explain the role of these latter factors in the effect of increased body weight on the progression of prostate cancer and propose new ways of treatment that act by affecting how these clotting factors work.

Abstract

The increased global prevalence of metabolic disorders including obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and diabetes is mirrored by an increased incidence of prostate cancer (PCa). Ample evidence suggests that these metabolic disorders, being characterized by adipose tissue (AT) expansion and inflammation, not only present as risk factors for the development of PCa, but also drive its increased aggressiveness, enhanced progression, and metastasis. Despite the emerging molecular mechanisms linking AT dysfunction to the various hallmarks of PCa, thromboinflammatory processes implicated in the crosstalk between these diseases have not been thoroughly investigated. This is of particular importance as both diseases present states of hypercoagulability. Accumulating evidence implicates tissue factor, thrombin, and active factor X as well as other players of the coagulation cascade in the pathophysiological processes driving cancer development and progression. In this regard, it becomes pivotal to elucidate the thromboinflammatory processes occurring in the periprostatic adipose tissue (PPAT), a fundamental microenvironmental niche of the prostate. Here, we highlight key findings linking thromboinflammation and the pleiotropic effects of coagulation factors and their inhibitors in metabolic diseases, PCa, and their crosstalk. We also propose several novel therapeutic targets and therapeutic interventions possibly modulating the interaction between these pathological states.

Protective effects of physical activity in colon cancer and underlying mechanisms: A review of epidemiological and biological evidence

Numerous epidemiological studies indicate that physical activity has a protective effect against colon cancer development and progression. Further, the relevant biological mechanisms where physical activity or exercise may improve survival have also been initially examined. In this review, we provide an overview of the epidemiological evidence to date which comprises 16 cohort studies of the effects of physical activity on colon cancer outcomes including cancer recurrence, cancer-specific and overall survival. Moreover, we present four potential mechanisms involving shear pressure, systemic milieu alteration, extracellular vesicles, and immune function by which physical activity and exercise may favorably impact colon cancer. Research currently in progress will provide definitive evidence of survival benefits resulting from exercise and future work will help clarify the role of targeted exercise and the relevant mechanisms involved.

Effects of forest environment (Shinrin-yoku/Forest bathing) on health promotion and disease prevention -the Establishment of "Forest Medicine"

Humans have enjoyed forest environments for ages because of the quiet atmosphere, beautiful scenery, mild climate, pleasant aromas, and fresh, clean air. In Japan, since 2004, serial studies have been conducted to investigate the effects of forest environments (Forest bathing/Shinrin-yoku) on human health. My research team has established a new medical science called Forest Medicine. The Forest Medicine is a new interdisciplinary science, belonging to the categories of alternative medicine, environmental medicine and preventive medicine, which studies the effects of forest environments (Forest bathing/Shinrin-yoku) on human health. It has been reported that Forest bathing/Shinrin-yoku has the following beneficial effects on human health:1 Shinrin-yoku increases human natural killer (NK) activity, the number of NK cells, and the intracellular levels of anti-cancer proteins, suggesting a preventive effect on cancers. 2 Shinrin-yoku reduces blood pressure and heart rate showing preventive effect on hypertension and heart diseases. 3 Shinrin-yoku reduces stress hormones, such as urinary adrenaline and noradrenaline and salivary/serum cortisol contributing to stress management. 4 Shinrin-yoku increases the activity of parasympathetic nerves and reduces the activity of sympathetic nerves to stabilize the balance of autonomic nervous system. 5 Shinrin-yoku improve sleep. 6 Shinrin-yoku increases the levels of serum adiponectin and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate. 7 In the Profile of Mood States (POMS) test, Shinrin-yoku reduces the scores for anxiety, depression, anger, fatigue, and confusion, and increases the score for vigor, showing preventive effects on depression. 8 Shinrin-yoku may apply to rehabilitation medicine 9 Shinrin-yoku in city parks also has benefits on human health. 10 Shinrin-yoku may have preventive effect on COVID-19 by boosting immune function and by reducing mental stress.Taken together, these findings suggest that Shinrin-yoku may have potential preventive effects on non-communicable diseases.

Drug-like sphingolipid SH-BC-893 opposes ceramide-induced mitochondrial fission and corrects diet-induced obesity

Ceramide-induced mitochondrial fission drives high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity. However, molecules targeting mitochondrial dynamics have shown limited benefits in murine obesity models. Here, we reveal that these compounds are either unable to block ceramide-induced mitochondrial fission or require extended incubation periods to be effective. In contrast, targeting endolysosomal trafficking events important for mitochondrial fission rapidly and robustly prevented ceramide-induced disruptions in mitochondrial form and function. By simultaneously inhibiting ARF6- and PIKfyve-dependent trafficking events, the synthetic sphingolipid SH-BC-893 blocked palmitate- and ceramide-induced mitochondrial fission, preserved mitochondrial function, and prevented ER stress in vitro. Similar benefits were observed in the tissues of HFD-fed mice. Within 4 h of oral administration, SH-BC-893 normalized mitochondrial morphology in the livers and brains of HFD-fed mice, improved mitochondrial function in white adipose tissue, and corrected aberrant plasma leptin and adiponectin levels. As an interventional agent, SH-BC-893 restored normal body weight, glucose disposal, and hepatic lipid levels in mice consuming a HFD. In sum, the sphingolipid analog SH-BC-893 robustly and acutely blocks ceramide-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, correcting diet-induced obesity and its metabolic sequelae.

Adaptive one-class Gaussian processes allow accurate prioritization of oncology drug targets

MOTIVATION

The cost of drug development has dramatically increased in the last decades, with the number new drugs approved per billion US dollars spent on R&D halving every year or less. The selection and prioritization of targets is one the most influential decisions in drug discovery. Here we present a Gaussian Process model for the prioritization of drug targets cast as a problem of learning with only positive and unlabeled examples.

RESULTS

Since the absence of negative samples does not allow standard methods for automatic selection of hyperparameters, we propose a novel approach for hyperparameter selection of the kernel in One Class Gaussian Processes. We compare our methods with state-of-the-art approaches on benchmark datasets and then show its application to druggability prediction of oncology drugs. Our score reaches an AUC 0.90 on a set of clinical trial targets starting from a small training set of 102 validated oncology targets. Our score recovers the majority of known drug targets and can be used to identify novel set of proteins as drug target candidates.

AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION

The matrix of features for each protein is available at: https://bit.ly/3iLgZTa. Source code implemented in Python is freely available for download at https://github.com/AntonioDeFalco/Adaptive-OCGP.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

miR-593-3p Promotes Proliferation and Invasion in Prostate Cancer Cells by Targeting ADIPOR1

Background

Accumulating evidence has indicated that dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) contributes to the tumorigenesis of prostate cancer (PCa). Nevertheless, the role of miR-593-3p in the development of PCa remains unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the role and mechanisms of miR-593-3p in PCa cells.

Methods

RT-PCR was used to detect the expression levels of miR-593-3p. CCK-8, colony formation, spheroid formation and transwell assays were performed to examine the proliferation, migration and invasion of C4-2, DU145 and RWPE-1 cells. And then, transcriptome sequencing, dual-luciferase reporter assay and Western blot were taken to identify the target gene and downstream mechanisms of miR-593-3p.

Results

Here, we found that miR-593-3p promoted PCa cell proliferation, colony formation, spheroid formation, migration and invasion. Further mechanistic studies revealed that miR-593-3p possessed binding sites of ADIPOR1 3ʹ-UTR and played an important role in 5ʹ-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. In addition, the transfection of si-ADIPOR1 also enhanced the PCa cell proliferation and invasion.

Conclusion

Our study provides an empirical investigation of miR-593-3p, which exerts oncogenic function through targeting ADIPOR1 in PCa cells.

Associations of General and Abdominal Obesity with the Risk of Glioma Development

Simple Summary

While obesity is a well-known risk factor for the development of various types of cancer, conflicting results have been reported concerning the relationship between obesity and the risk of glioma. To date, no studies have evaluated the association between obesity and risk of glioma development in Eastern Asian populations, who usually have greater fat mass and less muscle and are more likely to develop several metabolic diseases than Western populations of the same body mass index (BMI) category. In this nationwide population-based study, we suggest, for the first time, positive associations of general and central obesity with the risk of glioma development. In addition, we demonstrate a stronger association between abdominal obesity and the risk of glioma development than BMI and the risk of glioma development.

Abstract

The association between obesity and the risk of glioma remains unclear. We sought to evaluate the potential association between general and abdominal obesity and the risk of glioma based on a nationwide population-based cohort study of Koreans. Using data from the Korean National Health Insurance System cohort, 6,833,744 people older than 20 years who underwent regular national health examination in both 2009 and 2011 were followed until the end of 2017. We documented 4771 glioma cases based on an ICD-10 code of C71 during the median follow-up period of 7.30 years. Individuals with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25.0 kg/m² were at significantly higher risk of developing glioma than those with a BMI < 25.0 kg/m² (HR 1.08 CI 1.02–1.15). Individuals with a waist circumference (WC) ≥ 90 cm (males)/85 cm (females) also had a significantly higher risk of glioma than those with a WC < 90 cm (males)/85 cm (females) (HR 1.16 CI 1.09–1.24). In the group with a BMI ≥ 25.0 kg/m², individuals with abdominal obesity were at significantly higher risk of developing glioma (HR 1.18 CI 1.09–1.27) than those without abdominal obesity. The role of abdominal obesity in this association was stronger in women than in men. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that obese people may be at higher risk of glioma, especially centrally obese people from an Asian population with a BMI ≥ 25.0 kg/m². Loss of visceral fat in people with abdominal obesity may reduce their risk of developing glioma.

AdipoRon and Other Adiponectin Receptor Agonists as Potential Candidates in Cancer Treatments

The high mortality rate together with an ever-growing number of annual cases have defined neoplastic disorders as “the real 21st-century disease”. Its dubious distinction also results from conventional therapy failure, which has made cancer an orphan disease. Therefore, innovative and alternative therapeutic strategies are mandatory. The ability to leverage human naturally occurring anti-tumor defenses has always represented a fascinating perspective, and the immuno blockage approval in cancer treatment represents in timeline the latest success. As a multifunctional organ, adipose tissue releases a large amount of adipokines having both carcinogenic and antitumor properties. The negative correlation between serum levels and risk for developing malignancies, as well as the huge number of existing preclinical studies, have identified adiponectin as a potential anticancer adipokine. Nevertheless, its usage in clinical has constantly clashed with the inability to reproduce a mimic synthetic compound. Between 2011 and 2013, two distinct adiponectin receptor agonists were recognized, opening new scenarios even in cancer. Here, we review the first orally active adiponectin receptor agonists AdipoRon, from the discovery to the anticancer evidence. Including our latest findings in osteosarcoma models, we summarize AdipoRon and other existing agonists state-of-art, questioning about the feasibility assessment of this strategy in cancer treatment.

Metabolic Syndrome Pathophysiology and Predisposing Factors

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of cardiometabolic risk factors with high prevalence among adult populations and elevated costs for public health systems worldwide. Despite the lack of consensus regarding the syndrome definition and diagnosis criteria, it is characterized by the coexistence of risk factors such as abdominal obesity, atherogenic dyslipidemia, elevated blood pressure, a prothrombotic and pro-inflammatory state, insulin resistance (IR), and higher glucose levels, factors indubitably linked to an increased risk of developing chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The syndrome has a complex and multifaceted origin not fully understood; however, it has been strongly suggested that sedentarism and unbalanced dietary patterns might play a fundamental role in its development. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview from the syndrome epidemiology, costs, and main etiological traits from its relationship with unhealthy diet patterns and sedentary lifestyles.

Adipocytes protect fibroblasts from radiation-induced damage by adiponectin secretion

Prostate and colon cancers are among the most common cancers diagnosed annually, and both often require treatment with radiation therapy. Advancement in radiation delivery techniques has led to highly accurate targeting of tumor and sparing of normal tissue; however, in the pelvic region it is anatomically difficult to avoid off-target radiation exposure to other organs. Chronically the effects of normal urogenital tissue exposure can lead to urinary frequency, urinary incontinence, proctitis, and erectile dysfunction. Most of these symptoms are caused by radiation-induced fibrosis and reduce the quality of life for cancer survivors. We have observed in animal models that the severity of radiation-induced fibrosis in normal tissue correlates to damaged fat reservoirs in the pelvic region. We hypothesize that adipocytes may secrete a factor that prevents the induction of radiation-associated fibrosis in normal tissues. In these studies we show that the adipokine, adiponectin, is secreted by primary mouse adipocytes and protects fibroblasts from radiation-induced cell death, myofibroblast formation, and senescence. Further, we demonstrated that adiponectin does not protect colorectal or prostate cancer cells from radiation-induced death. Thus, we propose that adiponectin, or its downstream pathway, would provide a novel target for adjuvant therapy when treating pelvic cancers with radiation therapy.

The association between adiponectin gene rs182052 polymorphism and cancer risk: a meta-analysis

Background: The evidence for an association between the adiponectin gene (ADIPOQ) polymorphism rs182052 and cancer risk is inconsistent. We performed a meta-analysis to obtain more precise conclusions.

Methods: The PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases were searched until July 11, 2019. And seven epidemiology studies were retrieved, including 4,929 cases and 5,625 controls. Odds ratios (ORs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to evaluate the strength of the association.

Results: The meta-analysis demonstrated that rs182052 significantly increased the risk of cancer under the allele, homozygote, dominant, and recessive models, based on an overall analysis (A vs. G: OR, 1.09, 95% CI, 1.03–1.15, P=0.003; AA vs. GG: OR, 1.20, 95% CI, 1.07–1.34, P=0.002; AA+GA vs. GG: OR, 1.12, 95% CI, 1.03–1.22, P=0.010; AA vs. GA+GG: OR, 1.12, 95% CI, 1.01–1.23, P=0.025). In the stratified analysis by ethnicity, rs182052 significantly increased the cancer risk in both Asian and Caucasian populations under one or several genetic models. In the stratified analysis by cancer type, rs182052 significantly increased the risk of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) under the five models.

Conclusions: Meta-analysis based on present studies suggests that rs182052 can increase the cancer risk.

Intermittent Fasting: Physiological Implications on Outcomes in Mice and Men

Intermittent fasting (IF) is a widely practiced dietary method that encompasses periodic restriction of food consumption. Due to its protective benefits against metabolic diseases, aging, and cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, IF continues to gain attention as a preventative and therapeutic intervention to counteract these chronic diseases. Although numerous animal studies have reported positive health benefits of IF, its feasibility and efficacy in clinical settings remain controversial. Importantly, since dietary interventions such as IF have systemic effects, thoroughly investigating the tissue-specific changes in animal models is crucial to identify IF's mechanism and evaluate its potential adverse effects in humans. As such, we will review and compare the outcomes and underlying mechanisms of IF in both animal and human studies. Moreover, the limitations of IF and inconsistencies between preclinical and clinical studies will be discussed to provide insight into the gaps between translating research from bench to bedside.

The Role of Metabolic Syndrome in Endometrial Cancer: A Review

Endometrial cancer is one of the most common cancers of the female reproductive system. Although surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy can significantly improve the survival of patients, the treatment of patients with very early lesions and a strong desire to retain reproductive function or late recurrence is still in the early stages. Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a clustering of at least three of the five following medical conditions: central obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high serum triglycerides, and low serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Obesity, diabetes and hypertension often coexist in patients with endometrial cancer, which increases the risk of endometrial cancer, also known as the "triple syndrome of endometrial cancer." In recent years, epidemiological and clinical studies have found that MS associated with metabolic diseases is closely related to the incidence of endometrial cancer. However, the key molecular mechanisms underlying the induction of endometrial cancer by MS have not been elucidated to date. Characterizing the tumor metabolism microenvironment will be advantageous for achieving a comprehensive view of the molecular mechanism of metabolic syndrome associated with endometrial cancer and for providing a new target for the treatment of endometrial cancer. This review focuses on recent advances in determining the role of metabolic syndrome-related factors and mechanisms in the pathogenesis of endometrial cancer. We suggest that interfering with the tumor metabolic microenvironment-related molecular signals may inhibit the occurrence of endometrial cancer.

CXC chemokine ligand 1 mediates adiponectin-induced angiogenesis in ovarian cancer

OBJECTIVES

Adiponectin is a cytokine secreted from adipose tissue that regulates energy homeostasis, inflammation, and cell proliferation. Obesity is associated with increased risk of various cancers, including ovarian cancer. Adipokines, including adiponectin, have been implicated as a factor linking obesity and carcinogenesis. The oncogenic role of adiponectin is not known with regard to various cancer types. We sought to determine the role of adiponectin in angiogenesis in ovarian cancer in vitro.

METHODS

We transfected SKOV3 cells with vascular endothelial growth factor small interfering RNA in order to identify the independent angiogenic role of adiponectin in ovarian cancer. The vascular endothelial growth factor knockdown SKOV3 cell lines were treated with adiponectin for 48 h. The cytokines involved in adiponectin-mediated angiogenesis were explored using the human angiogenesis cytokine array and were verified with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The angiogenic effect of adiponectin was evaluated using the human umbilical vein endothelial cell tube formation assay. We also investigated the effects of adiponectin treatment on the migration and invasion of SKOV3 cells.

RESULTS

The number of tubes formed by human umbilical vein endothelial cell decreased significantly after knockdown of vascular endothelial growth factor (via transfection of vascular endothelial growth factor small interfering RNA into SKOV3 cells). When these vascular endothelial growth factor knockdown SKOV3 cells were treated with adiponectin, there was an increase in the number of tubes in a tube formation assay. Following adiponectin treatment, the CXC chemokine ligand 1 secretion increased in a cytokine array. This was confirmed by both enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot. The increased secretion of CXC chemokine ligand 1 by adiponectin occurred regardless of vascular endothelial growth factor knockdown. In addition, the induction of migration and invasion of SKOV3 cells were significantly stronger with adiponectin treatment than they were without.

CONCLUSION

Adiponectin treatment of ovarian cancer cells induces angiogenesis via CXC chemokine ligand 1 independently of vascular endothelial growth factor. These findings suggest that adiponectin may serve as a novel therapeutic target for ovarian cancer.

Therapeutic advances in hormone-dependent cancers: focus on prostate, breast and ovarian cancers

Hormonal cancers affect over 400,000 men and women and contribute collectively to over 100,000 deaths in the United States alone. Thanks to advances in the understanding of these cancers at the molecular level and to the discovery of several disease-modifying therapeutics, the last decade has seen a plateauing or even a decreasing trend in the number of deaths from these cancers. These advanced therapeutics not only effectively slow the growth of hormonal cancers, but also provide an insight on how these cancers become refractory and evolve as an altogether distinct subset. This review summarizes the current therapeutic trends in hormonal cancers, with focus on prostate, breast and ovarian cancers. The review discusses the clinical drugs being used now, promising molecules that are going through various stages of development and makes some predictions on how the therapeutic landscape will shift in the next decade.

Molecular targets for the therapy of cancer associated with metabolic syndrome (transcription and growth factors)

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is one of the leading risk factors for the development of cardiovascular diseases, type II diabetes mellitus and reproductive system diseases. Currently, not only cardiovascular disease and reproductive history risks related with MS are frequently discussed, but it has been also shown that MS is associated with increased risk of some common cancers (endometrial cancer, postmenopausal breast cancer, colorectal cancer, biliary tract cancers and liver cancer for men). Further studies are required to understand the mechanisms of the involvement of MS components in the pathogenesis of malignant neoplasms. Changes in the expression of transcription and growth factors in the peripheral tissues as well as in cancer tissues of patients with MS were revealed. Transcription factors (AMP-activated protein kinase-1, STAT3, sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ), leptin and adiponectin receptors seem to be the most promising molecular targets for the therapy of cancers associated with MS.

[Effect of globular adiponectin on proliferation, migration and tube formation of ovarian microvascular endothelial cells]

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the effect of globular adiponectin on angiogenesis of ovarian microvascular endothelial cells (OMECs).

METHODS

Mouse OMECs were isolated and purified by density gradient centrifugation with Percoll and identified by immunofluorescence analysis of follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR), luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR), and endothelial cell marker von Willebrand factor (vWF). The capillary-like tube formation of OMECs was determined by vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) treatment in Matrigel matrix. OMECs treated with recombinant globular adiponectin protein were examined for cell proliferation with MTS assay and cell migration with scratch wound healing assay, and capillary-like tube formation was tested in Matrigel matrix. Western blotting was performed to detect the effect of globular adiponectin on AMPK phosphorylation.

RESULTS

The signals of LHR and vWF, but not that of FSHR, were detected in the isolated cells. VEGFA treatment of the cells induced capillary-like tube formation, indicating their properties of ovarian-specific endothelial cells. Treatment with 1 and 3 µg/mL of recombinant globular adiponectin significantly increased the number of OMECs by (158.72∓14.50) % and (186.50∓4.20)% (P<0.01) and resulted in scratch wound closure rates of (49.43∓3.43)% (P<0.05) and (69.67∓1.2) % (P<0.01) respectively. The cells treated with 3 µg/mL globular adiponectin formed a capillary-tube length 6.63∓0.66 folds greater than that formed by the control cells (P<0.01). Treatment of the cells with 3 µg/mL globular adiponectin for 15 and 30 min resulted in pAMPK/AMPK ratios of 0.86∓0.08 and 0.66∓0.13, respectively significantly higher than that in the control cells (0.13∓0.12, P<0.01). Compound C obviously suppressed the tube formation and AMPK phosphorylation induced by globular adiponectin.

CONCLUSION

Globular adiponectin promotes angiogenesis of OMECs through activation of the AMPK signal pathway.