Epithelial-mesenchymal transition induced by transforming growth factor-{beta}1/Snail activation aggravates invasive growth of cholangiocarcinoma.

Abstract

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition is an important mechanism behind initiation of cancer invasion and metastasis. This study was performed to clarify the involvement of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in the progression of cholangiocarcinoma. Cholangiocarcinoma cell lines, CCKS-1 and TFK-1, were treated with transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1), and the phenotypic changes and invasive activity were examined. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed using tissue sections of cholangiocarcinoma. In vitro, TGF-beta1 induced mesenchymal features in CCKS-1 and TFK-1 characterized by the reduction of E-cadherin and cytokeratin 19 expression and the induction of mesenchymal markers, such as vimentin and S100A4. TGF-beta1 also induced the nuclear expression of Snail, and the invasive activity was significantly increased in both cell lines. Studies using a mouse xenograft model showed that TGF-beta1 worsened the peritoneal dissemination of CCKS-1. All these changes by TGF-beta1 were inhibited by the simultaneous administration of soluble TGF-beta type II receptor. In vivo, six (16%) of 37 cholangiocarcinoma cases showed marked immunoreactivity of Snail in their nuclei. In these six cases, the immuno-expression of cytokeratin 19 was significantly reduced, and the expression of vimentin was significantly increased. The Snail expression significantly correlated with the lymph node metastasis and a poor survival rate of the patients. These results suggest that epithelial-mesenchymal transition induced by TGF-beta1/Snail activation is closely associated with the aggressive growth of cholangiocarcinoma, resulting in a poor prognosis.

• Authors: Yasunori Sato, Kenichi Harada, Keita Itatsu, Hiroko Ikeda, Yuko Kakuda, Syuji Shimomura, Xiang Shan Ren, Norihide Yoneda, Motoko Sasaki, Yasuni Nakanuma
• Journal: The American journal of pathology (Am J Pathol) Vol. 177 Issue 1 Pg. 141-52 (Jul 2010) ISSN: 1525-2191 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 20489148 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Keratin-19
• Snail Family Transcription Factors
• Transcription Factors
• Transforming Growth Factor beta1

Topics

• Aged
• Animals
• Bile Duct Neoplasms (metabolism, pathology)
• Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic (pathology)
• Cell Line, Tumor
• Cholangiocarcinoma (metabolism, pathology)
• Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (physiology)
• Female
• Humans
• Keratin-19 (metabolism)
• Male
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred BALB C
• Mice, Nude
• Neoplasm Invasiveness
• Neoplasm Transplantation
• Phenotype
• Snail Family Transcription Factors
• Survival Rate
• Transcription Factors (genetics, metabolism)
• Transforming Growth Factor beta1 (metabolism)
• Transplantation, Heterologous