Altered expression of beta 1 integrins in renal carcinoma cell lines exposed to vinblastine

BACKGROUND

Cellular expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) which mediates a well characterized mechanism of multidrug resistance (MDR) has been reported previously to be associated with an enhanced tumor dissemination. Since adhesion receptors of the beta 1 integrin family play a substantial role in tumor spread, we studied expression of VLA-1 to -6 in a total of four renal carcinoma cell (RCC) lines prior to and after induction of MDR via exposure to vinblastine.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Surface expression of P-gp and VLA-1 to -6 was determined immunocytochemically in untreated pre-established renal carcinoma cell lines (Caki-1, Caki-2, A498) and a cell line derived from a RCC patient who had received a vinblastine-containing therapy regimen prior to the resection of a local relapse of the tumor (EH). Resistant sublines were cultivated in the presence of 1 ng/ml and 10 ng/ml of vinblastine sulfate, respectively.

RESULTS

In all cell lines examined, an increased number of P-gp expressing cells was observed upon exposure to vinblastine. Significant changes of beta 1 integrin expression were observed in three of four RCC cell lines. A de novo expression of VLA-1, VLA-2, and VLA-4 as detected by immunocytochemistry occurred in resistant Caki-1 cells. A498 cells showed an increasing number of VLA-2 positive cells in drug resistant sublines. In contrast, a decrease of VLA-2 and VLA-5 expression was found in EH cells, the only cell line exhibiting P-gp expression prior to vinblastine exposure. Caki-2 cells showed no significant changes of surface integrin expression upon treatment with vinblastine.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrate that induction of drug resistance can be associated with substantial changes of the integrin phenotype in renal carcinoma cell lines. In our experiments, among all VLAs studied, VLA-2 was most frequently altered in expression by RCC cell lines. The significance of these observations for aberrant metastatic properties of multidrug resistant tumor cells will be the subject of further studies.

Exposure to vinblastine modulates beta 1 integrin expression and in vitro binding to extracellular matrix molecules in a human renal carcinoma cell line

Solitary stroma-invading tumor cells expressing the ATP-binding cassette transporter P-glycoprotein have been reported to be associated with a significantly higher incidence of vessel invasion and lymph node metastases. In contrast to P-gp-mediated multidrug resistance (MDR) which has become well characterized over the last decade, little is known about further morphological and functional alterations in drug-resistant tumor cells. Binding of malignant cells to components of the extracellular matrix mediated by beta 1 integrins has been suggested to play a substantial role in the metastatic cascade. We studied alterations of beta 1 integrin expression and in vitro adhesiveness to extracellular matrix proteins of the human renal carcinoma line Caki-1 in comparison to the vinblastine resistant sublines Caki-1/V1 and Caki-1/V10 (cultured in the presence of 1 ng/ml and 10 ng/ml vinblastine, respectively). Both VLA-1 and VLA-2 receptors were acquired by the Caki-1/V10 subline, whereas untreated and Caki-1/VI cells lacked surface expression of these antigens. VLA-6 was found to be decreased in the vinblastine-resistant sublines. Attachment of drug-resistant Caki-1/V1 and Caki-1/V10 cells to collagen type I was significantly increased when compared to parental cells (p < or = 0.005). Significant differences in the attachment to type IV collagen were observed between Caki-1/V10 and untreated cells (p < or = 0.045). Both Caki-1/V1 and Caki-1/ V10 cells exhibited increased adhesion to fibronectin when compared to cells of the untreated line (p < or = 0.04). Whether an aberrant expression of beta 1 integrin receptors in resistant cells in combination with altered tumor cell adhesiveness is caused by MDR induction or whether it is an epiphenomenon of cytotoxic stress is unknown. Future studies will be needed to characterize the clinical relevance of MDR-associated changes in tumor cells.