Thrombospondin-1 and transforming growth factor beta-1 upregulate plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 in pancreatic cancer

Controlled degradation of the extracellular matrix by proteases is crucial in tumor cell invasion. We have shown that thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), through activation of transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β1), regulates the plasminogen/plasmin protease system in breast cancer. To determine whether this occurred in other epithelial neoplasms, we studied the role of TSP-1 and TGF-β1 in the regulation of the plasminogen/plasmin system in pancreatic cancer. ASPC-1 and COLO-3S7 pancreatic cancer cells were treated with TSP-1 or TGF-β1 at varying concentrations. The TSP-1 and TGF-β1-treated cells were also treated with either anti-TSP-1, anti-TSP-1 receptor, or anti-TGF-β1 antibodies. Urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) expression was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. TSP-1 and TGF-β1 promoted a dose-dependent upregulation of ASPC-1 and COLO-3S7 PAI-1 expression. The TSP-1 effect could be blocked with anti-TSP-1 or anti-TGF-β1 antibodies. The TGF-β1 effect could be blocked only with anti-TGF-β1 antibody. Anti-TSP-1 receptor antibody blocked the TSP-1 effect on PAI-1 expression but had no effect on TGF-β1-mediated PAI-1 expression. Neither TSP-1 nor TGF-β1 had an effect on uPA production. We conclude that TSP-1, in a receptor-mediated process that involves the activation of TGF-β1, upregulates PAI-1 expression in pancreatic cancer without an effect on uPA production. Supported in part by National Institutes of Health grants CA65675 and CA69722 (Dr. Tuszysnki). Dr. Berger is the recipient of an American Cancer Society Clinical Career Development Award 96-09. Presented at the Thirty-Eighth Annual Meeting of The Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, Washington, D.C., May 11–14,1997.     

Fasudil inhibits tissue factor and plasminogen activator Inhibitor-1 secretion by peripheral blood mononuclear cells in CAPD patients

Disturbances in hemostasis are common complications of kidney diseases and correlate well with cardiovascular mortality. Little is known about the effects of fasudil on tissue factor (TF) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in CAPD patients. PBMCs were isolated from 13 individuals with CAPD and 13 healthy subjects. After 4?h of incubation with or without LPS (10?ng/mL), TF and PAI-1 mRNA of PBMCs were detected by RT-PCR. The levels of TF and PAI-1 in culture supernatants of PBMCs were determined by ELISA. Compared with healthy controls, CAPD patients had increased TF, PAI-1 protein and mRNA expression by PBMCs at baseline and after stimulated by LPS (10?ng/mL) [p?<?0.001]. The fasudil treatment resulted in a significant effect in decreasing TF and PAI-1 [p?<?0.05] synthesis in PBMCs. TF and PAI-1 mRNA expression and activities in PBMCs were increased in CAPD patients. Fasudil reduced LPS-mediated TF and PAI-1 expression and activity in PBMCs. These effects may partially be relevant to the clinical benefits of fasudil in the treatment of CAPD patients.     

Hyaluronic acid modulates gene expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in human fibroblast‐like synovial cells from advanced‐stage osteoarthritis in vitro

Intraarticular injection of hyaluronan (hyaluronic acid; HA) is the common way to treat osteoarthritis (OA) of knees. This treatment cannot only maintain the viscoelastic properties of knee but also release the OA pain. However, the exact molecular mechanism is unknown. In this study, after human synovial cells were stimulated with HA and Hylan (Synvisc®) for 24 h, real‐time polymerase chain reaction (real‐time PCR) was used to detect the alteration of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene expression, which were specific genes related to pathogenesis of OA knees. Our results illustrated that both HA and Hylan might not cause cytotoxicity or apoptosis of synovial cells in serum deprivation environment. The gene expressions of TGF‐β1 and VEGF were significantly increased at the concentration of 0.1 mg/mL HA and 0.1 mg/mL Hylan, respectively (α < 0.05). The synovial cells with treatment of 0.1 mg/mL Hylan decreased the CTGF gene expression (0.66‐fold) and VEGF (0.78‐fold) compared to 0.1 mg/mL HA (α < 0.05). We suggested that the profile of CTGF, TGF‐β1, and VEGF gene expressions in our study might provide the rational mechanism for the therapeutic effect of hyaluronan on OA knees. © 2009 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 28:492–496, 2010     

Specific changes in plasma concentrations of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9, TIMP-1 and TGF-beta1 in patients with distinct types of primary glomerulonephritis.

BACKGROUND: Dysregulated renal expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMP) and TGF-beta1 contribute to the development of tubulo-interstitial fibrosis characteristic of progressive forms of primary glomerulonephritis (GN). There is little information on the circulating levels of these proteins in human GNs. Here, we assessed whether different histopathological GN types could be associated with distinct plasma patterns of MMPs and regulatory proteins. METHODS: Protein levels of MMP-2, MMP-9, TGF-beta1 and TIMP-1 were measured by ELISA in plasma from venous blood of 108 untreated patients with various types of primary GN defined by kidney biopsy, namely IgAN (n=63), membranous GN (MN, n=26), minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS, n=12) and focal and segmental glomerular sclerosis (FSGS, n=7), and were compared with levels in 50 healthy subjects. Plasma samples were assayed for gelatinolytic activity (zymography). RESULTS: Zymography detected the proforms of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Compared with controls, IgAN patients exhibited a significant, parallel decrease in plasma levels of MMP-2, MMP-9 and TGF-beta1. In MN patients, decreased MMP-9 level contrasted with a high MMP-2 level and a normal TGF-beta1 level. In the MCNS/FSGS group, increased MMP-2 level contrasted with unchanged MMP-9 and decreased TGF-beta1 levels. Plasma concentration of TIMP-1 was elevated in all GN groups. There was no correlation between baseline MMP-2/MMP-9/TIMP-1/TGF-beta1 levels and the degree of renal dysfunction or with progression toward ESRD. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma concentrations of MMP-2, MMP-9 and TGF-beta1 significantly differed between the various histopathological types of primary GNs, thus suggesting the involvement of different underlying mechanisms in the regulation of glomerular and tubulointerstitial fibrosis in these renal diseases.