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Kim YM, Sanborn MA, Vijeth S, Gajwani P, Wang X, Jung D, Valyi-Nagy T, Chakraborty S, Mancinelli G, Toth PT, Phillips EH, Grippo P, Salahudeen AA, Park J, Yeon SY, Ananthanarayanan V, Jiang Y, Lee SSY, Valyi-Nagy K, Rehman J. Skeletal muscle endothelial dysfunction through the activin A-PGC1α axis drives progression of cancer cachexia. NATURE CANCER 2025:10.1038/s43018-025-00975-6. [PMID: 40419762 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-025-00975-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2025] [Indexed: 05/28/2025]
Abstract
Cachexia is the wasting of skeletal muscle in cancer and is a major complication that impacts a person's quality of life. We hypothesized that cachexia is mediated by dysfunction of the vascular system, which is essential for maintaining perfusion and tempering inappropriate immune responses. Using transparent tissue topography, we discovered that loss of muscle vascular density precedes muscle wasting in multiple complementary tumor models, including pancreatic adenocarcinoma, colon carcinoma, lung adenocarcinoma and melanoma models. We also observed that persons suffering from cancer cachexia exhibit substantial loss of muscle vascular density. As tumors progress, increased circulating activin A remotely suppresses the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator 1α (PGC1α) in the muscle endothelium, thus inducing vascular leakage. Restoring endothelial PGC1α activity preserved vascular density and muscle mass in tumor-bearing mice. Our study suggests that restoring muscle endothelial function could be a valuable therapeutic approach for cancer cachexia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young-Mee Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
- University of Illinois Cancer Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Mark A Sanborn
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Shaluah Vijeth
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Priyanka Gajwani
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Xinge Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Dahee Jung
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Illinois College of Pharmacy, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Tibor Valyi-Nagy
- Department of Pathology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sreeparna Chakraborty
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Georgina Mancinelli
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Peter T Toth
- Research Resources Center, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Evan H Phillips
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Illinois College of Pharmacy, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Paul Grippo
- University of Illinois Cancer Center, Chicago, IL, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ameen A Salahudeen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- University of Illinois Cancer Center, Chicago, IL, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jooman Park
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Su Yeon Yeon
- Department of Pathology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Yuwei Jiang
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Steve Seung-Young Lee
- University of Illinois Cancer Center, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Illinois College of Pharmacy, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Klara Valyi-Nagy
- Department of Pathology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jalees Rehman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
- University of Illinois Cancer Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
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Xia P, Lee S, Roh K, Griffith J, Zhou Y, Guzman E, Shi Y, Yang Z, Castro C, Li H, Guo YY, Singh A, Knipe RS, Raji I, Xu JH, Babbs RK, Fisher F, Lachey J, Seehra J, Yu PB, Lee SJ, Anderson DG, Aguirre A, Rosenzweig A, Malhotra R, Roh JD. Endothelial ActRIIA inhibition protects the cardiac microvasculature in severe viral respiratory infection. RESEARCH SQUARE 2025:rs.3.rs-6306417. [PMID: 40235477 PMCID: PMC11998776 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6306417/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/17/2025]
Abstract
Cardiac complications, including myocardial injury and dysfunction, are common in severe viral respiratory infections (VRI) and are associated with increased mortality 1-3 . The pathophysiology of VRI-induced myocardial injury is multifactorial, but frequently involves structural damage to the heart's microvascular network that leads to subsequent myocardial ischemia and dysfunction 4-6 . Currently, there are no targeted therapies available to prevent or attenuate VRI-associated myocardial injury. Moreover, the molecular mechanisms driving the cardiac microvascular pathology in severe VRI are largely unclear. In this study, we identify increased endothelial cell (EC) activin type IIA receptor (ActRIIA) signaling as a key mediator of cardiac microvascular injury and pathologic remodeling in severe VRI. We show that genetic deletion of EC ActRIIA is sufficient to mitigate EC death and myocardial capillary loss in a murine model of severe influenza infection, which results in improved myocardial perfusion, cardiac function, and survival. We then provide proof-of-concept evidence for two novel pharmacological approaches to target EC ActRIIA pathophysiology in the treatment of VRI-induced cardiac dysfunction.
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Manohar-Sindhu S, Merfeld-Clauss S, March KL, Traktuev DO. Activin A Is a Master Regulator of Phenotypic Switch in Adipose Stromal Cells Initiated by Activated Immune Cell-Secreted Interleukin-1β. Stem Cells Dev 2024; 33:399-411. [PMID: 38877807 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2024.0092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Prolonged tissue ischemia and inflammation lead to organ deterioration and are often accompanied by microvasculature rarefaction, fibrosis, and elevated systemic Activin A (ActA), the level of which frequently correlates with disease severity. Mesenchymal stromal cells are prevalent in the perivascular niche and are likely involved in tissue homeostasis and pathology. This study investigated the effects of inflammatory cells on modulation of phenotype of adipose mesenchymal stromal cells (ASC) and the role of ActA in this process. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were activated with lipopolysaccharide (activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells [aPBMC]) and presented to ASC. Expression of smooth muscle/myofibroblast markers, ActA, transforming growth factors beta 1-3 (TGFβ1-3), and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) was assessed in ASC. Silencing approaches were used to dissect the signaling cascade of aPBMC-induced acquisition of myofibroblast phenotype by ASC. ASC cocultured with aPBMC or exposed to the secretome of aPBMC upregulated smooth muscle cell markers alpha smooth muscle actin (αSMA), SM22α, and Calponin I; increased contractility; and initiated expression of ActA. Interleukin (IL)-1β was sufficient to replicate this response, whereas blocking IL-1β eliminated aPBMC effects. ASC-derived ActA stimulated CTGF and αSMA expression in ASC; the latter independent of CTGF. Induction of αSMA in ASC by IL-1β or ActA-enriched media relied on extracellular enzymatic activity. ActA upregulated mRNA levels of several extracellular matrix proteins in ASC, albeit to a lesser degree than TGFβ1, and marginally increased cell contractility. In conclusion, the study suggests that aPBMC induce myofibroblast phenotype with weak fibrotic activity in perivascular progenitors, such as ASC, through the IL-1β-ActA signaling axis, which also promotes CTGF secretion, and these effects require ActA extracellular enzymatic processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahana Manohar-Sindhu
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Genetics and Genomics Graduate Program, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Stephanie Merfeld-Clauss
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- University of Florida Center for Regenerative Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Keith L March
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- University of Florida Center for Regenerative Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Malcom Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Dmitry O Traktuev
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- University of Florida Center for Regenerative Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Malcom Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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4
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Manohar-Sindhu S, Merfeld-Clauss S, Goddard Y, March KL, Traktuev DO. Diminished vasculogenesis under inflammatory conditions is mediated by Activin A. Angiogenesis 2023; 26:423-436. [PMID: 36977946 DOI: 10.1007/s10456-023-09873-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Severe inflammatory stress often leads to vessel rarefaction and fibrosis, resulting in limited tissue recovery. However, signaling pathways mediating these processes are not completely understood. Patients with ischemic and inflammatory conditions have increased systemic Activin A level, which frequently correlates with the severity of pathology. Yet, Activin A's contribution to disease progression, specifically to vascular homeostasis and remodeling, is not well defined. This study investigated vasculogenesis in an inflammatory environment with an emphasis on Activin A's role. Exposure of endothelial cells (EC) and perivascular cells (adipose stromal cells, ASC) to inflammatory stimuli (represented by blood mononuclear cells from healthy donors activated with lipopolysaccharide, aPBMC) dramatically decreased EC tubulogenesis or caused vessel rarefaction compared to control co-cultures, concurrent with increased Activin A secretion. Both EC and ASC upregulated Inhibin Ba mRNA and Activin A secretion in response to aPBMC or their secretome. We identified TNFα (in EC) and IL-1β (in EC and ASC) as the exclusive inflammatory factors, present in aPBMC secretome, responsible for induction of Activin A. Similar to ASC, brain and placental pericytes upregulated Activin A in response to aPBMC and IL-1β, but not TNFα. Both these cytokines individually diminished EC tubulogenesis. Blocking Activin A with neutralizing IgG mitigated detrimental effects of aPBMC or TNFα/IL-1β on tubulogenesis in vitro and vessel formation in vivo. This study delineates the signaling pathway through which inflammatory cells have a detrimental effect on vessel formation and homeostasis, and highlights the central role of Activin A in this process. Transitory interference with Activin A during early phases of inflammatory or ischemic insult, with neutralizing antibodies or scavengers, may benefit vasculature preservation and overall tissue recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahana Manohar-Sindhu
- UF Center for Regenerative Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, UF College of Medicine, University of Florida, 1600 SW Archer Road, PO Box 100277, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Stephanie Merfeld-Clauss
- UF Center for Regenerative Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, UF College of Medicine, University of Florida, 1600 SW Archer Road, PO Box 100277, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Yana Goddard
- UF Center for Regenerative Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, UF College of Medicine, University of Florida, 1600 SW Archer Road, PO Box 100277, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Keith L March
- UF Center for Regenerative Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, UF College of Medicine, University of Florida, 1600 SW Archer Road, PO Box 100277, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Dmitry O Traktuev
- UF Center for Regenerative Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, UF College of Medicine, University of Florida, 1600 SW Archer Road, PO Box 100277, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
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5
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Inactivating the Uninhibited: The Tale of Activins and Inhibins in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043332. [PMID: 36834742 PMCID: PMC9963072 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Advances in technology and biomedical knowledge have led to the effective diagnosis and treatment of an increasing number of rare diseases. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare disorder of the pulmonary vasculature that is associated with high mortality and morbidity rates. Although significant progress has been made in understanding PAH and its diagnosis and treatment, numerous unanswered questions remain regarding pulmonary vascular remodeling, a major factor contributing to the increase in pulmonary arterial pressure. Here, we discuss the role of activins and inhibins, both of which belong to the TGF-β superfamily, in PAH development. We examine how these relate to signaling pathways implicated in PAH pathogenesis. Furthermore, we discuss how activin/inhibin-targeting drugs, particularly sotatercep, affect pathophysiology, as these target the afore-mentioned specific pathway. We highlight activin/inhibin signaling as a critical mediator of PAH development that is to be targeted for therapeutic gain, potentially improving patient outcomes in the future.
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Horst B, Pradhan S, Chaudhary R, Listik E, Quintero-Macias L, Choi AS, Southard M, Liu Y, Whitaker R, Hempel N, Berchuck A, Nixon AB, Lee NY, Henis YI, Mythreye K. Hypoxia-induced inhibin promotes tumor growth and vascular permeability in ovarian cancers. Commun Biol 2022; 5:536. [PMID: 35654828 PMCID: PMC9163327 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03495-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia, a driver of tumor growth and metastasis, regulates angiogenic pathways that are targets for vessel normalization and ovarian cancer management. However, toxicities and resistance to anti-angiogenics can limit their use making identification of new targets vital. Inhibin, a heteromeric TGFβ ligand, is a contextual regulator of tumor progression acting as an early tumor suppressor, yet also an established biomarker for ovarian cancers. Here, we find that hypoxia increases inhibin levels in ovarian cancer cell lines, xenograft tumors, and patients. Inhibin is regulated primarily through HIF-1, shifting the balance under hypoxia from activins to inhibins. Hypoxia regulated inhibin promotes tumor growth, endothelial cell invasion and permeability. Targeting inhibin in vivo through knockdown and anti-inhibin strategies robustly reduces permeability in vivo and alters the balance of pro and anti-angiogenic mechanisms resulting in vascular normalization. Mechanistically, inhibin regulates permeability by increasing VE-cadherin internalization via ACVRL1 and CD105, a receptor complex that we find to be stabilized directly by inhibin. Our findings demonstrate direct roles for inhibins in vascular normalization via TGF-β receptors providing new insights into the therapeutic significance of inhibins as a strategy to normalize the tumor vasculature in ovarian cancer. Hypoxia increases levels of the heteromeric TGFβ ligand inhibin in ovarian cancer and inhibin promotes tumor growth, endothelial cell invasion and permeability.
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7
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Liu J, Li Y, Lyu L, Xiao L, Memon AA, Yu X, Halim A, Patel S, Osman A, Yin W, Jiang J, Naini S, Lim K, Zhang A, Williams JD, Koester R, Qi KZ, Fucci QA, Ding L, Chang S, Patel A, Mori Y, Chaudhari A, Bao A, Liu J, Lu TS, Siedlecki A. Integrin α5 Is Regulated by miR-218-5p in Endothelial Progenitor Cells. J Am Soc Nephrol 2022; 33:565-582. [PMID: 35091451 PMCID: PMC8975065 DOI: 10.1681/asn.2021020140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Endothelial cell injury is a common nidus of renal injury in patients and consistent with the high prevalence of AKI reported during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. This cell type expresses integrin α5 (ITGA5), which is essential to the Tie2 signaling pathway. The microRNA miR-218-5p is upregulated in endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) after hypoxia, but microRNA regulation of Tie2 in the EPC lineage is unclear. METHODS We isolated human kidney-derived EPCs (hkEPCs) and surveyed microRNA target transcripts. A preclinical model of ischemic kidney injury was used to evaluate the effect of hkEPCs on capillary repair. We used a genetic knockout model to evaluate the effect of deleting endogenous expression of miR-218 specifically in angioblasts. RESULTS After ischemic in vitro preconditioning, miR-218-5p was elevated in hkEPCs. We found miR-218-5p bound to ITGA5 mRNA transcript and decreased ITGA5 protein expression. Phosphorylation of 42/44 MAPK decreased by 73.6% in hkEPCs treated with miR-218-5p. Cells supplemented with miR-218-5p downregulated ITGA5 synthesis and decreased 42/44 MAPK phosphorylation. In a CD309-Cre/miR-218-2-LoxP mammalian model (a conditional knockout mouse model designed to delete pre-miR-218-2 exclusively in CD309+ cells), homozygotes at e18.5 contained avascular glomeruli, whereas heterozygote adults showed susceptibility to kidney injury. Isolated EPCs from the mouse kidney contained high amounts of ITGA5 and showed decreased migratory capacity in three-dimensional cell culture. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate the critical regulatory role of miR-218-5p in kidney EPC migration, a finding that may inform efforts to treat microvascular kidney injury via therapeutic cell delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jialing Liu
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts,Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yi Li
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Lingna Lyu
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts,Department of Molecular Biology, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Liang Xiao
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts,Department of Surgery and Oncology, Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital/the First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Aliza A. Memon
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Xin Yu
- Blood Transfusion Research Institute, Wuxi Red Cross Blood Center, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Arvin Halim
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Shivani Patel
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Wenqing Yin
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jie Jiang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts,Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Said Naini
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kenneth Lim
- Division of Nephrology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Aifeng Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jonathan D. Williams
- DNA Identification Testing Division, Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, Burlington, North Carolina
| | - Ruth Koester
- DNA Identification Testing Division, Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, Burlington, North Carolina
| | | | - Quynh-Anh Fucci
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Lai Ding
- Program for Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Steven Chang
- Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ankit Patel
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Yutaro Mori
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Advika Chaudhari
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Aaron Bao
- Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Jia Liu
- Shenzhen Jiake Biotechnology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Tzong-Shi Lu
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Andrew Siedlecki
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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Ervolino De Oliveira C, Dourado MR, Sawazaki-Calone Í, Costa De Medeiros M, Rossa Júnior C, De Karla Cervigne N, Esquiche León J, Lambert D, Salo T, Graner E, Coletta RD. Activin A triggers angiogenesis via regulation of VEGFA and its overexpression is associated with poor prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Int J Oncol 2020; 57:364-376. [PMID: 32377747 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2020.5058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Poor prognosis associated with the dysregulated expression of activin A in a number of malignancies has been related to with numerous aspects of tumorigenesis, including angiogenesis. The present study investigated the prognostic significance of activin A immunoexpression in blood vessels and cancer cells in a number of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cases and applied in vitro strategies to determine the impact of activin A on angiogenesis. In a cohort of 95 patients with OSCC, immunoexpression of activin A in both blood vessels and tumor cells was quantified and the association with clinicopathological parameters and survival was analyzed. Effects of activin A on the tube formation, proliferation and migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were evaluated in gain‑of‑function (treatment with recombinant activin A) or loss‑of‑function [treatment with activin A‑antagonist follistatin or by stable transfection with short hairpin RNA (shRNA) targeting activin A] conditions. Conditioned medium from an OSCC cell line with shRNA‑mediated depletion of activin A was also tested. The profile of pro‑ and anti‑angiogenic factors regulated by activin A was assessed with a human angiogenesis quantitative PCR (qPCR) array. Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and its major isoforms were evaluated by reverse transcription‑qPCR and ELISA. Activin A expression in blood vessels demonstrated an independent prognostic value in the multivariate analysis with a hazard ratio of 2.47 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.30‑4.71; P=0.006) for disease‑specific survival and 2.09 (95% CI, 1.07‑4.08l: P=0.03) for disease‑free survival. Activin A significantly increased tubular formation of HUVECs concomitantly with an increase in proliferation. This effect was validated by reduced proliferation and tubular formation of HUVECs following inhibition of activin A by follistatin or shRNA, as well as by treatment of HUVECs with conditioned medium from activin A‑depleted OSCC cells. Activin A‑knockdown increased the migration of HUVECs. In addition, activin A stimulated the phosphorylation of SMAD2/3 and the expression and production of total VEGFA, significantly enhancing the expression of its pro‑angiogenic isoform 121. The present findings suggest that activin A is a predictor of the prognosis of patients with OSCC, and provide evidence that activin A, in an autocrine and paracrine manner, may contribute to OSCC angiogenesis through differential expression of the isoform 121 of VEGFA.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maurício Rocha Dourado
- Department of Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry, University of Campinas, Piracicaba, SP 13414‑018, Brazil
| | - Íris Sawazaki-Calone
- Department of Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine, Dentistry School, Western Paraná State University, Cascavel, PR 85819‑170, Brazil
| | - Marcell Costa De Medeiros
- Departament of Diagnosis and Surgery, School of Dentistry at Araraquara, Araraquara, SP 14801‑385, Brazil
| | - Carlos Rossa Júnior
- Departament of Diagnosis and Surgery, School of Dentistry at Araraquara, Araraquara, SP 14801‑385, Brazil
| | | | - Jorge Esquiche León
- Departament of Stomatology, Public Oral Health and Forensic Dentistry, School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP 14040‑904, Brazil
| | - Daniel Lambert
- Integrated Biosciences, School of Clinical Dentistry and Sheffield Cancer Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TG, UK
| | - Tuula Salo
- Cancer and Translational Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital, University of Oulu, Oulu 90220, Finland
| | - Edgard Graner
- Department of Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry, University of Campinas, Piracicaba, SP 13414‑018, Brazil
| | - Ricardo D Coletta
- Department of Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry, University of Campinas, Piracicaba, SP 13414‑018, Brazil
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9
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Zhu M, Liu X, Wang Y, Chen L, Wang L, Qin X, Xu J, Li L, Tu Y, Zhou T, Sang A, Song E. YAP via interacting with STAT3 regulates VEGF-induced angiogenesis in human retinal microvascular endothelial cells. Exp Cell Res 2018; 373:155-163. [DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2018.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Revised: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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