Activated androgen receptor accelerates angiogenesis in cutaneous neurofibroma by regulating VEGFA transcription

The natural compound atraric acid suppresses androgen-regulated neo-angiogenesis of castration-resistant prostate cancer through angiopoietin 2

Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is an aggressive lethal form of prostate cancer (PCa). Atraric acid (AA) not only inhibits the wild-type androgen receptor (AR) but also those AR mutants that confer therapy resistance to other clinically used AR antagonists, indicating a different mode of AR antagonism. AA induces cellular senescence and inhibits CRPC tumour growth in in vivo xenograft mouse model associated with reduced neo-angiogenesis suggesting the repression of intratumoural neo-angiogenesis by AA. In line with this, the secretome of CRPC cells mediates neo-angiogenesis in an androgen-dependent manner, which is counteracted by AA. This was confirmed by two in vitro models using primary human endothelial cells. Transcriptome sequencing revealed upregulated angiogenic pathways by androgen, being however VEGF-independent, and pointing to the pro-angiogenic factor angiopoietin 2 (ANGPT2) as a key driver of neo-angiogenesis induced by androgens and repressed by AA. In agreement with this, AA treatment of native patient-derived PCa tumour samples ex vivo inhibits ANGPT2 expression. Mechanistically, in addition to AA, immune-depletion of ANGPT2 from secretome or blocking ANGPT2-receptors inhibits androgen-induced angiogenesis. Taken together, we reveal a VEGF-independent ANGPT2-mediated angiogenic pathway that is inhibited by AA leading to repression of androgen-regulated neo-angiogenesis.

The Influence of Young Age on Difficulties in the Surgical Resection of Carotid Body Tumors

Simple Summary

The aim of this study was to reveal the factors affecting the complexity and difficulties in performing surgery to resect carotid body tumors (CBTs). We analyzed 20 patients with 21 CBTs. We used the “same day surgery” procedure, including preoperative embolization of the feeding arteries in the morning and resection surgery in the afternoon of the same day. Four patients underwent resection of the carotid artery, followed by reconstruction. These four patients were between 18 to 23 years of age at the time of surgery. The mean blood loss and operative time in these patients differed significantly from those in older patients. These results indicated that young age may influence the difficulties faced in CBT surgery, resulting in an increased risk of carotid artery resection. The results obtained from our study could help surgeons safely and effectively perform resection surgery for CBTs.

Abstract

This study evaluated patient characteristics that affect the complexity and difficulties of performing surgery to resect carotid body tumors (CBTs). We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 20 patients with 21 CBTs who were enrolled in the study. The median patient age was 46 years and the mean tumor diameter was 37.6 mm. The mean blood loss and operative time were 40.3 mL and 183 min, respectively. Four patients underwent resection of the carotid artery followed by reconstruction. These four patients were between 18 to 23 years of age at the time of surgery. The mean blood loss and operative time in these patients were 166 mL and 394 min, respectively, which differed significantly from those of older patients. Therefore, young age influenced the difficulties faced in surgical resection of CBT, with an increased risk of blood loss and carotid artery resection.

The role of androgen receptors in vascular and cell proliferation of the prostate adenocarcinomas

Prostate adenocarcinoma (PA) is by incidence and prognosis a unique model for investigating the biomolecular mechanisms involved in tumor progression. In this study, we analyzed the immunoexpression of androgen receptor (AR), cluster of differentiation 105 (CD105) and Ki67 for 61 cases of PA, in relation to the main clinicopathological parameters of the lesions. The AR scores, CD105 microvessel density (MVD) and Ki67 proliferation index (PI) were significantly higher in patients with serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) above 20 ng/mL, in ductal, colloid and sarcomatoid types of PA, in growth patterns 4–5 or mixed, respectively in the case of high-grade advanced stage tumors, with perineural and vascular invasion, as well as in groups with a reserved prognosis. The results obtained, reflected in the positive linear correlation of AR, CD105 and Ki67 expression, indicate synchronous endocrine, angiogenic and proliferative mechanisms involved in tumor progression, which can be used to optimize the targeted tumor therapy.

Knockdown of SERPINE1 reverses resistance of triple‑negative breast cancer to paclitaxel via suppression of VEGFA

Breast cancer (BC) has a poor prognosis and a high number of visceral metastases. Serine protease inhibitor, clade E member 1 (SERPINE1) is a molecule involved in several human malignancies. However, it remains unknown if SERPINE1 plays a role in the development of taxane resistance in TNBC cells. In the present study, the role and mechanism of SERPINE1 in the development of paclitaxel (PTX) resistance in TNBC cells were investigated. A bioinformatics analysis of gene expression profiles in PTX‑resistant cells indicated that SERPINE1 was significantly associated with PTX resistance. Furthermore, the levels of SERPINE1 mRNA and protein were higher in PTX‑resistant cells with respect to those in PTX‑sensitive parent cells. Knockdown of SERPINE1 significantly inhibited cell survival and induced cell apoptosis in vitro. In addition, SERPINE1 silencing led to downregulation of the key angiogenetic vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA). Furthermore, suppression of SERPINE1 markedly attenuated tumor growth in vivo. Collectively, these findings indicated that SERPINE1 significantly contributed to the proliferation and apoptosis of TNBC cells by regulating VEGFA expression. The present study demonstrated SERPINE1 as an oncogene in PTX drug resistance of breast cancer, and revealed that it may serve as a possible target for treating BC.