M3R激动剂通过激活PI3K/AKT信号途径促进肺癌细胞A549的上皮间质转化

目的:探讨毒蕈碱胆碱受体3(muscarinic receptor 3,M3R)激动剂卡巴胆碱促进人肺癌A549细胞上皮间质转化的可能信号通路。方法:用400μmol/L卡巴胆碱刺激人肺癌A549细胞,在倒置相差显微镜下观察细胞形态的变化,应用划痕愈合实验和Transwell实验观察细胞迁移和侵袭能力;应用q PCR技术检测上皮间质转化相关蛋白波形蛋白(vimentin)和E钙黏蛋白(E-cadherin)m RNA水平的变化;应用Western blot技术检测p-AKT、vimentin和E-cadherin蛋白水平的变化。结果:卡巴胆碱刺激人肺癌A549细胞后,细胞形态发生明显改变,由不规则多边形逐渐向梭形转化、细胞间紧密结合逐渐变得松散,细胞迁移和侵袭能力增强;vimentin的m RNA和蛋白表达量明显增加,E-cadherin的m RNA和蛋白水平降低,磷酸化的AKT蛋白水平增加,且这些变化均可被M3R特异性抑制剂4-DAMP所抑制(P0.05)。结论:卡巴胆碱可通过激活PI3K/AKT信号途径促进人肺癌A549细胞发生上皮间质转化。

Muscarinic receptor 3 agonist promotes epithelial-meschymal transition in human lung cancer A549 cells by activating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway

AIM: To investigate the possible signaling pathway that promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of the lung cancer A549 cells stimulated with muscarinic receptor 3 (M3R) agonist carbachol. METHODS: The lung cancer cells A549 were treated with 400 μmol/L carbachol. The morphological changes of the cells were observed under inverted phase contrast microscope. The migration and invasion abilites were measured by Wound healing and Transwell assays. qPCR was used to detect the mRNA level of vimentin and E-cadherin. The protein levels of p-AKT, vimentin and E-cadherin were determined by Western blot. RESULTS: After treatment with carbachol, the A549 cells showed loss of the close connection and the cell morphology was transformed from irregular polygon to spindle-like cells. The results of Wound healing and Transwell assays showed that the migration and invasion abilites of the A549 cells were enhanced. Carbachol increased the vimentin expression and decreased the E-cadherin expression at mRNA and protein level (P<0.05). The phosphorylation of AKT in the A549 cells was up-regulated (P<0.05). These changes was inhibited by M3R antagonist 4-DAMP. CONCLUSION: Carbachol promotes EMT in the human lung cancer A549 cells by activating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.