Endothelin-1 is required during epithelial to mesenchymal transition in ovarian cancer progression.

Abstract

In a range of human cancers, tumorigenesis is promoted by activation of the endothelin A receptor (ET(A)R)/endothelin-1 (ET-1) axis. ET-1 and ET(A)R are overexpressed in primary and metastatic ovarian carcinomas, and high levels of ET-1 are detectable in patient ascites, suggesting that ET-1 may promote tumor dissemination. Moreover, in these tumors, engagement of ET(A) receptor by ET-1 triggers tumor growth, survival, angiogenesis, and invasiveness. Thus, ET-1 enhances the secretion of matrix metalloproteinases, disrupts intercellular communications, and stimulates cell migration and invasion. Therefore, we investigated the role of the ET-1/ET(A)R autocrine axis in promoting epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in ovarian tumor cells, a key event in cancer metastasis, in which epithelial cells depolarize, disassemble cell-cell contacts, and adopt an invasive phenotype. Here, we examine the potential role of ET-1 in regulating cell morphology and behavior and epithelial and mesenchymal proteins employing an in vitro 3-D culture system. We found that in 3-D serum-free collagen I gel cultures, HEY and OVCA 433 ovarian carcinoma cells undergo fibroblast-like morphologic changes between 3 and 5 days of ET-1 treatment. In these cells, ET-1 induces loss of adherens and tight-junction protein expression, E-cadherin, beta-catenin, and zonula occludens-1, and gain of N-cadherin and vimentin expression. These results confirm the ability of ET-1 to promote EMT, a metastable process involving sustained loss of epithelial markers and gain of mesenchymal markers. Collectively, these findings provide evidence of a critical role for the ET-1/ET(A)R axis during distinct steps of ovarian carcinoma progression, thus underlining this axis as a potential target in the treatment of ovarian cancer.

• Authors: Laura Rosanò, Francesca Spinella, Valeriana Di Castro, Samantha Decandia, Maria Rita Nicotra, Pier Giorgio Natali, Anna Bagnato
• Journal: Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.) (Exp Biol Med (Maywood)) Vol. 231 Issue 6 Pg. 1128-31 (Jun 2006) ISSN: 1535-3702 [Print] England
• PMID: 16741062 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Collagen Type I
• Culture Media, Serum-Free
• Endothelin A Receptor Antagonists
• Endothelin-1
• Receptor, Endothelin A

Topics

• Cell Line, Tumor
• Collagen Type I (metabolism)
• Culture Media, Serum-Free
• Disease Progression
• Endothelin A Receptor Antagonists
• Endothelin-1 (pharmacology)
• Epithelial Cells (cytology, drug effects)
• Female
• Humans
• Mesoderm (cytology, drug effects)
• Neoplasm Invasiveness
• Organ Culture Techniques
• Ovarian Neoplasms (genetics, metabolism, pathology)
• Receptor, Endothelin A (genetics, metabolism)
• Time Factors