Background:Vasculogenic mimicry(VM)is a novel tumor blood supply in some highly aggressive malignant tumors.Recently,we reported VM existed in gallbladder carcinomas(GBCs)and the formation of the special passage throu...Background:Vasculogenic mimicry(VM)is a novel tumor blood supply in some highly aggressive malignant tumors.Recently,we reported VM existed in gallbladder carcinomas(GBCs)and the formation of the special passage through the activation of the PI3K/MMPs/Ln-5γ2 signaling pathway.GBC is a highly aggressive malignant tumor with disappointing treatments and a poor prognosis.Norcantharidin(NCTD)has shown to have multiple antitumor activities against GBCs,etc;however the exact mechanism is not thoroughly elucidated.In this study,we firstly investigated the anti-VM activity of NCTD as a VM inhibitor for GBCs and its underlying mechanisms.Methods:In vitro and in vivo experiments to determine the effects of NCTD on proliferation,invasion,migration,VM formation,hemodynamic and tumor growth of GBC-SD cells and xenografts were respectively done by proliferation,invasion,migration assays,HE staining and CD31-PAS double staining,optic/electron microscopy,tumor assay,and dynamic microMRA.Further,immunohistochemistry,immunofluorescence,Western blotting and RT-PCR were respectively used to examine expression of VM signaling-related markers PI3-K,MMP-2,MT1-MMP and Ln-5γ2 in GBC-SD cells and xenografts in vitro and in vivo.Results:After treatment with NCTD,proliferation,invasion,migration of GBC-SD cells were inhibited;GBC-SD cells and xenografts were unable to form VM-like structures;tumor center-VM region of the xenografts exhibited a decreased signal in intensity;then cell or xenograft growth was inhibited.Whereas all of untreated GBC-SD cells and xenografts formed VM-like structures with the same conditions;the xenograft center-VM region exhibited a gradually increased signal;and facilitated cell or xenograft growth(Figure 1-6).Furthermore,expression of MMP-2 and MT1-MMP products from sections/supernates of 3-D matrices and the xenografts,and expression of PI3-K,MMP-2,MM1-MMP and Ln-5γ2 proteins/mRNAs of the xenografts were all decreased in NCTD or TIMP-2 group(Figure 7-10;all P<0.01,vs.control group);NCTD down-regulated expression of these VM signaling-related markers in vitro and in vivo.Conclusions:NCTD inhibited tumor growth and VM formation of human gallbladder carcinoma GBC-SD cells and xenografts by suppression of the PI3-K/MMPs/Ln-5γ2 signaling pathway.It is firstly concluded that NCTD may be a potential anti-VM agent for human GBCs.展开更多
Vasculogenic mimicry(VM)is a newly-defined tumor microcirculation pattern in highly aggressive malignant tumors.We recently reported tumor growth and VM formation of gallbladder cancers through the contribution of the...Vasculogenic mimicry(VM)is a newly-defined tumor microcirculation pattern in highly aggressive malignant tumors.We recently reported tumor growth and VM formation of gallbladder cancers through the contribution of the ephrin type a receptor 2(EphA2)/focal adhesion kinase(FAK)/Paxillin signaling pathways.In this study,we further investigated the anti-VM activity of norcantharidin(NCTD)as a VM inhibitor for gallbladder cancers and the underlying mechanisms.In vivo and in vitro experiments to determine the effects of NCTD on tumor growth,host survival,VM formation of GBC-SD nude mouse xenografts,and vasculogenic-like networks,malignant phenotypes i.e.,proliferation,apoptosis,invasion and migration of GBC-SD cells.Expression of VM signaling-related markers EphA2,FAK and Paxillin in vivo and in vitro were examined by immunofluorescence,western blotting and real-time polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR),respectively.The results showed that after treatment with NCTD,GBCSD cells were unable to form VM structures when injecting into nude mouse,growth of the xenograft was inhibited and these observations were confirmed by facts that VM formation by three-dimensional(3-D)matrix,proliferation,apoptosis,invasion,migration of GBC-SD cells were affected;and survival time of the xenograft mice was prolonged.Furthermore,expression of EphA2,FAK and Paxillin proteins/mRNAs of the xenografts was downregulated.Thus,we concluded that NCTD has potential antiVM activity against human gallbladder cancers;one of the underlying mechanisms may be via blocking the EphA2/FAK/Paxillin signaling pathway.展开更多
文摘Background:Vasculogenic mimicry(VM)is a novel tumor blood supply in some highly aggressive malignant tumors.Recently,we reported VM existed in gallbladder carcinomas(GBCs)and the formation of the special passage through the activation of the PI3K/MMPs/Ln-5γ2 signaling pathway.GBC is a highly aggressive malignant tumor with disappointing treatments and a poor prognosis.Norcantharidin(NCTD)has shown to have multiple antitumor activities against GBCs,etc;however the exact mechanism is not thoroughly elucidated.In this study,we firstly investigated the anti-VM activity of NCTD as a VM inhibitor for GBCs and its underlying mechanisms.Methods:In vitro and in vivo experiments to determine the effects of NCTD on proliferation,invasion,migration,VM formation,hemodynamic and tumor growth of GBC-SD cells and xenografts were respectively done by proliferation,invasion,migration assays,HE staining and CD31-PAS double staining,optic/electron microscopy,tumor assay,and dynamic microMRA.Further,immunohistochemistry,immunofluorescence,Western blotting and RT-PCR were respectively used to examine expression of VM signaling-related markers PI3-K,MMP-2,MT1-MMP and Ln-5γ2 in GBC-SD cells and xenografts in vitro and in vivo.Results:After treatment with NCTD,proliferation,invasion,migration of GBC-SD cells were inhibited;GBC-SD cells and xenografts were unable to form VM-like structures;tumor center-VM region of the xenografts exhibited a decreased signal in intensity;then cell or xenograft growth was inhibited.Whereas all of untreated GBC-SD cells and xenografts formed VM-like structures with the same conditions;the xenograft center-VM region exhibited a gradually increased signal;and facilitated cell or xenograft growth(Figure 1-6).Furthermore,expression of MMP-2 and MT1-MMP products from sections/supernates of 3-D matrices and the xenografts,and expression of PI3-K,MMP-2,MM1-MMP and Ln-5γ2 proteins/mRNAs of the xenografts were all decreased in NCTD or TIMP-2 group(Figure 7-10;all P<0.01,vs.control group);NCTD down-regulated expression of these VM signaling-related markers in vitro and in vivo.Conclusions:NCTD inhibited tumor growth and VM formation of human gallbladder carcinoma GBC-SD cells and xenografts by suppression of the PI3-K/MMPs/Ln-5γ2 signaling pathway.It is firstly concluded that NCTD may be a potential anti-VM agent for human GBCs.
文摘Vasculogenic mimicry(VM)is a newly-defined tumor microcirculation pattern in highly aggressive malignant tumors.We recently reported tumor growth and VM formation of gallbladder cancers through the contribution of the ephrin type a receptor 2(EphA2)/focal adhesion kinase(FAK)/Paxillin signaling pathways.In this study,we further investigated the anti-VM activity of norcantharidin(NCTD)as a VM inhibitor for gallbladder cancers and the underlying mechanisms.In vivo and in vitro experiments to determine the effects of NCTD on tumor growth,host survival,VM formation of GBC-SD nude mouse xenografts,and vasculogenic-like networks,malignant phenotypes i.e.,proliferation,apoptosis,invasion and migration of GBC-SD cells.Expression of VM signaling-related markers EphA2,FAK and Paxillin in vivo and in vitro were examined by immunofluorescence,western blotting and real-time polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR),respectively.The results showed that after treatment with NCTD,GBCSD cells were unable to form VM structures when injecting into nude mouse,growth of the xenograft was inhibited and these observations were confirmed by facts that VM formation by three-dimensional(3-D)matrix,proliferation,apoptosis,invasion,migration of GBC-SD cells were affected;and survival time of the xenograft mice was prolonged.Furthermore,expression of EphA2,FAK and Paxillin proteins/mRNAs of the xenografts was downregulated.Thus,we concluded that NCTD has potential antiVM activity against human gallbladder cancers;one of the underlying mechanisms may be via blocking the EphA2/FAK/Paxillin signaling pathway.
