Inhibition of in vivo tumorigenicity and invasiveness of a human glioblastoma cell line transfected with antisense uPAR vectors

Our previous studies showed that glioblastomas express increased urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptors (uPARs) in comparison to low-grade gliomas (Yamamoto et al., Cancer Res., 54, 5016-5020, 1994). To explore whether downregulation of uPAR inhibits tumor formation and invasiveness, a human glioblastoma cell line was transfected with a cDNA construct corresponding to 300 bp of the human uPAR's 5¢ end in an antisense orientation, resulting in a reduced number of uPA receptors. Co-culture studies with tumor spheroids and fetal rat brain aggregates showed that antisense SNB19-AS1 cells expressing reduced uPAR failed to invade fetal rat brain aggregates. Intracerebral injection of SNB19-AS1 stable transfectants failed to form tumors and were negative for uPAR expression in nude mice. Thus uPAR appears in this model to be essential for tumorigenicity and invasion of glioblastomas in vivo.     

uPAR在人毛囊发育中的表达及其规律

目的 探讨人胚胎毛囊形成发育过程中,尿激酶型纤溶酶原激活剂受体（uPAR）的表达及其规律。方法 用免疫细胞化学和原位杂交分别对人胚胎毛囊起始期、延长期、分化期和胎毛阶段的表皮及毛囊的uPAR蛋白及mRNA的表达进行了检测,用图像分析系统进行了定量测定。结果 uPAR在起始期和延长期的整个毛囊中有表达,在分化期和胎毛前期毛囊的外根鞘有表达。在起始期、延长期、分化期和胎毛阶段前期表皮的基底层、最外层细胞有阳性表达。阳性表达在延长期最高,呈现出先增后减的趋势。结论 uPAR与角质形成细胞的增殖和迁移密切相关。     

uPA、uPAR、nm23-H1在大肠癌中的表达及其与肿瘤侵袭和转移的关系

 目的探讨尿激酶型纤溶酶原激活剂(uPA)、尿激酶型纤溶酶原激活剂受体(uPAR)和nm23H1基因蛋白在大肠癌中的表达及其与肿瘤侵袭和淋巴结转移的关系。方法应用免疫组化SABC法,对121例大肠癌手术根治标本进行uPA、uPAR和nm23H1基因蛋白测定。结果uPA、uPAR和nm23H1阳性表达率分别为62%、74%和48%。uPA和uPAR高表达与大肠癌侵袭和淋巴结转移关系密切(P<0.05)。nm23H1基因蛋白的低表达与大肠癌分化程度和淋巴结转移密切相关(P<0.05)。大肠癌中uPA和nm23H1蛋白表达呈负相关(P<0.05)。结论uPA、uPAR和nm23H1基因蛋白表达与大肠癌侵袭和转移有显著相关性;同时检测uPA和nm23H1表达状况,可作为预测大肠癌淋巴结转移及预后的有用指标。     

肺血栓栓塞症大鼠血浆尿激酶型纤溶酶原激活物及其受体的动态变化及其意义

目的观察大鼠肺血栓栓塞症(PTE)后不同时间血浆尿激酶型纤溶酶原激活物(uPA)和尿激酶型纤溶酶原激活物受体(uPAR)的动态变化,并探讨两者与血栓自溶率的相关性。方法经颈外静脉注入加热125I-标记纤维蛋白原自体血栓,复制大鼠PTE模型,随机分组如下:1)正常对照组;2)PTE组:又分为PTE 4 h组(PTE 4 h)、PTE 24 h组(PTE 24 h)、PTE 3 d组(PTE 3d)、PTE 5 d组(PTE 5 d),即分别在造模成功后观察4 h2、4 h3、d、5 d后处死小鼠,留取血浆标本测定uPA、uPAR的水平;留取左肺观察肺组织病理改变;留取心脏、肺脏、全血以计算血栓自溶率。结果血浆uPA、uPAR水平在PTE后4 h略有上升(P>0.05),PTE后24 h明显增加(P<0.05),3 d时最高(P<0.01),5 d时开始下降,但仍明显高于正常对照组(uPAP<0.05,uPARP<0.01);PTE后4 h组、24 h组、3 d组血浆uPA质量浓度与血栓自溶率正相关(4 hr=0.758,P<0.05;24 hr=0.764,P<0.05;3 dr=0.778,P<0.05),血浆uPAR质量浓度与血栓自溶率正相关(4 hr=0.701,P<0.05;24 hr=0.764,P<0.05;3 dr=0.777,P<0.05)。肺组织病理改变:PTE后4 h有少量继发血栓形成,血栓及血管壁内可见白细胞浸润;PTE后3 d、5 d见注入的血凝块明显溶解,代之以新形成的血栓。结论PTE后血浆uPA、uPAR水平增加,促进内源性纤维蛋白溶解。     

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 is an aggregate response factor with pleiotropic effects on cell signaling in vascular disease and the tumor microenvironment

In hemostasis, the serine protease inhibitor (serpin) plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) functions to stabilize clots via inhibition of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) with subsequent inhibition of fibrinolysis. In tissues, PAI-1 functions to inhibit extracellular matrix degradation via inhibition of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA). Elevated levels of PAI-1 in the vasculature and in tissues have long been known to be associated with thrombosis and fibrosis, respectively. However, there is emerging evidence that PAI-1 may participate in the pathophysiology of a number of diseases such as atherosclerosis, restenosis, and cancer. In many of these disease states, the canonical view of PAI-1 as an inhibitor of tPA and uPA cannot fully account for a mechanism whereby PAI-1 contributes to the disease. In these cases, one must consider recent data, which indicates PAI-1 can directly promote pro-proliferative and anti-apoptotic signaling in a variety of cell types. Given the wide variety of inflammatory, hormonal, and metabolic signals that increase PAI-1 expression, it is important to consider mechanisms by which PAI-1 can directly participate in disease etiology.     

uPA‐uPAR molecular complex is involved in cell signaling during neuronal migration and neuritogenesis

Background: In the development of the central nervous system (CNS), neuronal migration and neuritogenesis are crucial processes for establishing functional neural circuits. This relies on the regulation exerted by several signaling molecules, which play important roles in axonal growth and guidance. The urokinase‐type plasminogen activator (uPA)—in association with its receptor—triggers extracellular matrix proteolysis and other cellular processes through the activation of intracellular signaling pathways. Even though the uPA‐uPAR complex is well characterized in nonneuronal systems, little is known about its signaling role during CNS development. Results : In response to uPA, neuronal migration and neuritogenesis are promoted in a dose‐dependent manner. After stimulation, uPAR interacts with α₅‐ and β₁‐integrin subunits, which may constitute an αβ‐heterodimer that acts as a uPA‐uPAR coreceptor favoring the activation of multiple kinases. This interaction may be responsible for the uPA‐promoted phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and its relocation toward growth cones, triggering cytoskeletal reorganization which, in turn, induces morphological changes related to neuronal migration and neuritogenesis. Conclusions : uPA has a key role during CNS development. In association with its receptor, it orchestrates both proteolytic and nonproteolytic events that govern the proper formation of neural networks. Developmental Dynamics 243:676–689, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

uPAR Controls Vasculogenic Mimicry Ability Expressed by Drug-Resistant Melanoma Cells

Malignant melanoma is a highly aggressive skin cancer characterized by an elevated grade of tumor cell plasticity. Such plasticity allows adaptation of melanoma cells to different hostile conditions and guarantees tumor survival and disease progression, including aggressive features such as drug resistance. Indeed, almost 50% of melanoma rapidly develop resistance to the BRAFV600E inhibitor vemurafenib, with fast tumor dissemination, a devastating consequence for patients’ outcomes. Vasculogenic mimicry (VM), the ability of cancer cells to organize themselves in perfused vascular-like channels, might sustain tumor spread by providing vemurafenibresistant cancer cells with supplementary ways to enter into circulation and disseminate. Thus, this research aims to determine if vemurafenib resistance goes with the acquisition of VM ability by aggressive melanoma cells, and identify a driving molecule for both vemurafenib resistance and VM. We used two independent experimental models of drug-resistant melanoma cells, the first one represented by a chronic adaptation of melanoma cells to extracellular acidosis, known to drive a particularly aggressive and vemurafenib-resistant phenotype, the second one generated with chronic vemurafenib exposure. By performing in vitro tube formation assay and evaluating the expression levels of the VM markers EphA2 and VE-cadherin by Western blotting and flow cytometer analyses, we demonstrated that vemurafenib-resistant cells obtained by both models are characterized by an increased ability to perform VM. Moreover, by exploiting the CRISPR-Cas9 technique and using the urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) inhibitor M25, we identified uPAR as a driver of VM expressed by vemurafenib-resistant melanoma cells. Thus, uPAR targeting may be successfully leveraged as a new complementary therapy to inhibit VM in drug-resistant melanoma patients, to counteract the rapid progression and dissemination of the disease.     

“莪黄灌肠液”对人大肠癌SW480细胞HIF-1α通路uPA、uPAR基因表达的影响

目的:通过莪黄灌肠液对SW480细胞HIF-1α通路uPA、uPAR基因表达的影响,探讨莪黄灌肠液对SW480细胞侵袭与迁移的影响。方法:根据随机数学分组的原则,将50只健康SD雄性大鼠分成随机5组并逐个编号,体重控制在（200±20）g。通过预实验得出的药物分组量分别灌胃给药:莪黄灌肠液（莪黄汤）每毫升药液中含生药2 g,莪黄灌肠液（莪黄汤）组由低、中、高（6.075 g/kg,12.15 g/kg,24.3 g/kg）剂量组（灌胃剂量2 ml）组成,空白组为生理盐水组(灌胃剂量2 ml,pH 7.2),阳性对照组由腹腔注射氟尿嘧啶0.025 g/(kg·d),调整注射剂量1 ml构成。标准化灌胃1周,无菌条件下提取各组含药血清。在体外使用含药血清体培养SW480细胞,划痕实验观察莪黄灌肠液含药血清在体外对SW480细胞迁移能力的影响;Transwell实验检测肿瘤细胞侵袭能力;Western-blot实验检测各组细胞中HIF-1α、uPA、uPAR蛋白表达。结果:预实验提示莪黄灌肠液对大鼠无明显副作用。SW480细胞具有明显的迁移及侵袭能力。各组莪黄灌肠液含药血清能抑制SW480细胞的侵袭与迁移特性,其中莪黄灌肠液各组（24.3 g/kg,12.15 g/kg,6.075 g/kg）和氟尿嘧啶组较空白组均能够有效抑制肿瘤细胞的侵袭与迁移作用,且氟尿嘧啶组作用最强,中药24.3 g/kg组表现出的抑制侵袭作用较12.15 g/kg,6.075 g/kg组均强（P<0.05）。莪黄灌肠液含药血清作用于肿瘤细胞24 h后,其细胞内HIF-1α、uPA、uPAR蛋白含量均有明显的下降,HIF-1α、uPA、uPAR蛋白表现出浓度依赖性（P<0.05)。结论:“莪黄灌肠液”可能通过作用于HIF-1α通路抑制SW480细胞的侵袭与转移。     

黑素瘤组织中乙醛脱氢酶1、上皮性钙黏附蛋白及尿激酶型纤溶酶原激活物受体的表达及临床意义

目的研究黑素瘤组织中乙醛脱氢酶1(aldehyde dehydrogenase 1,ALDH1)、上皮性钙黏附蛋白(E-cadherin,E-cad)及尿激酶型纤溶酶原激活物受体(urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor,uPAR)的表达及与临床病理特征的关系。方法选择50例黑素瘤和50例色素痣患者的病变组织作为研究对象,采用免疫组化法检测病变组织中的ALDH1、E-cad及uPAR的表达情况,分析这3种蛋白表达与患者临床组织病理特征、肿瘤分期的关系。结果黑素瘤组织中ALDH1和uPAR表达阳性率分别为82.00%(41/50)和86.00%(43/50),均显著高于色素痣组(P0.05);黑素瘤组织中E-cad阳性表达率为38.00%(19/50),显著低于色素痣组(P0.05)。ALDH1、uPAR表达阳性率与患者年龄、性别、肿瘤厚度、浸润深度、是否淋巴结转移和组织病理分型均无相关性,但肿瘤厚度≥4 mm、浸润深度Ⅳ~Ⅴ、发生淋巴结转移等患者黑素瘤组织中ALDH1、uPAR表达阳性率均90%。浸润深度Ⅳ~Ⅴ的黑素瘤患者E-cad表达阳性率显著低于浸润深度Ⅰ~Ⅲ的患者(P0.05),黑素瘤患者E-cad表达阳性率与其他临床特征无相关性。结论黑素瘤在发生和进展过程中ALDH1、uPAR表达上调,E-cad表达下调,E-cad表达下调与肿瘤程度有关。