RESUMO
PURPOSE: Thrombospondin-1 (Tsp1), endostatin, and tumstatin are extracellular matrix-associated proteins that inhibit angiogenesis. We examined the mechanisms by which tumor cells may bypass the antiangiogenic effects of these endogenous regulators. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: CT26 colon and RenCa renal carcinoma cells were stably transfected with Tsp1, endostatin, or tumstatin cDNA. Subcutaneous and metastatic tumor growth in syngeneic mice was analyzed. Expression of proangiogenic factors in resulting tumors was measured by quantitative real-time PCR. The combination of Tsp1 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor-2 inhibition was also examined. RESULTS: There was significant suppression of angiogenesis in flank tumors and liver metastases formed from cells overexpressing Tsp1, endostatin, or tumstatin. However, all tumors ultimately escaped angiogenesis inhibition. The combination of all three angiogenesis inhibitors had no additive effect beyond overexpression of a single inhibitor. Using quantitative real-time PCR, we found that VEGF and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-A levels were routinely up-regulated at least 5-fold in all CT26 tumors overexpressing any antiangiogenic protein, and there were variable increases in angiopoietin 2 (Ang2), basic fibroblast growth factor, and PDGF-B. In contrast, RenCa tumors, which have high baseline levels of VEGF and PDGF-B, relied on basic fibroblast growth factor, Ang1, and PDGF-A up-regulation to counteract Tsp1 overexpression. Growth of CT26 cells with Tsp1 overexpression was suppressed when anti-VEGFR-2 treatment was added. CONCLUSIONS: Cancer cells with overexpression of three different endogenous angiogenesis inhibitor eventually escape angiogenesis inhibition by up-regulation of various proangiogenic factors. Tsp1, endostatin, and tumstatin may be functionally redundant in this system. These endogenous angiogenesis inhibitors are likely best used in combination with the blockade of proangiogenic pathways or with traditional chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
Assuntos
Inibidores da Angiogênese/fisiologia , Proteínas Angiogênicas/metabolismo , Neoplasias Hepáticas/irrigação sanguínea , Neovascularização Patológica/metabolismo , Neoplasias Cutâneas/irrigação sanguínea , Evasão Tumoral/fisiologia , Regulação para Cima , Animais , Autoantígenos/fisiologia , Western Blotting , Movimento Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Proliferação de Células , Células Cultivadas , Colágeno Tipo IV/fisiologia , Primers do DNA , Endostatinas/fisiologia , Endotélio Vascular/efeitos dos fármacos , Endotélio Vascular/metabolismo , Técnicas Imunoenzimáticas , Neoplasias Hepáticas/secundário , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos BALB C , Plasmídeos , Fator de Crescimento Derivado de Plaquetas/genética , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas c-sis/metabolismo , RNA Mensageiro/genética , RNA Mensageiro/metabolismo , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase Via Transcriptase Reversa , Neoplasias Cutâneas/patologia , Trombospondina 1/fisiologia , Transfecção , Fator A de Crescimento do Endotélio Vascular/genética , Receptor 2 de Fatores de Crescimento do Endotélio Vascular/genéticaRESUMO
In endothelial cells, binding of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to VEGF receptor 2 leads to the activation of the serine/threonine phosphatase calcineurin, dephosphorylation of the nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NF-AT) transcription factors, translocation of NF-AT to the nucleus, and expression of angiogenesis-related genes such as Cox-2. Down syndrome candidate region 1 (DSCR1) is transactivated by NF-AT nuclear translocation, and subsequently inhibits calcineurin activity, forming a negative feedback loop. While DSCR1 has a clearly defined role as an endogenous inhibitor of VEGF-calcineurin-mediated angiogenesis in endothelial cells, the function of the DSCR1 family member, DSCR1-like 1 (DSCR1-L1), has not yet been investigated in endothelial cells. Here we show that a panel of pro-angiogenic factors, including VEGF, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), angiopoietin 1, hepatocyte growth factor, as well as triiodo-l-thyronine (T(3)), does not induce DSCR1-L1 up-regulation in endothelial cells, while VEGF potently up-regulates DSCR1. To investigate the effects of DSCR1-L1 on endothelial cell function, we cloned the gene into a lentiviral vector and overexpressed DSCR1-L1 in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Constitutive DSCR1-L1 overexpression prevented the nuclear translocation of NF-ATc1 in response to VEGF, underscoring its role as a calcineurin inhibitor. Additionally, DSCR1-L1-transduced cells inhibited VEGF-induced endothelial cell migration, proliferation, and tube formation by 36, 77, and 39%, respectively, compared to cells infected with control virus. Overexpression of DSCR1-L1 in the transformed endothelial cell line Sven 1 ras also resulted in decreased proliferation. Our findings demonstrate that DSCR1-L1 is constitutively expressed in endothelial cells and acts similar to DSCR1 in inhibiting calcineurin activity and restraining VEGF-mediated angiogenesis.
