龍穎 黃芳依 韋有生
摘要:目的 探討神經(jīng)生長(zhǎng)因子(NGF)/原肌球蛋白受體激酶A(TrkA)軸對(duì)宮頸癌SiHa細(xì)胞增殖、凋亡和侵襲的影響。方法 體外培養(yǎng)正常宮頸上皮細(xì)胞HUCEC和宮頸癌細(xì)胞SiHa,將SiHa細(xì)胞分為對(duì)照組(正常培養(yǎng))、L-NGF組(50 μg/L重組人NGF蛋白)、H-NGF組(100 μg/L重組人NGF蛋白)、H-NGF+L-K252a組(100 μg/L重組人NGF蛋白+50 μg/L K252a)、H-NGF+H-K252a組(100 μg/L重組人NGF蛋白+100 μg/L K252a)。Western blot檢測(cè)NGF、TrkA、E-鈣黏蛋白(E-cadherin)、N-鈣黏蛋白(N-cadherin)、波形蛋白(Vimentin)表達(dá);CCK-8法檢測(cè)SiHa細(xì)胞增殖情況;流式細(xì)胞術(shù)檢測(cè)SiHa細(xì)胞凋亡;劃痕愈合實(shí)驗(yàn)測(cè)定細(xì)胞遷移;Transwell試驗(yàn)測(cè)定細(xì)胞侵襲。結(jié)果 SiHa細(xì)胞較HUCEC細(xì)胞NGF、TrkA水平升高(P<0.01)。與對(duì)照組相比,L-NGF組、H-NGF組NGF、TrkA水平,增殖活力,遷移率,侵襲細(xì)胞數(shù)量以及N-cadherin、Vimentin蛋白水平顯著增加,凋亡率、E-cadherin蛋白水平顯著下降(P<0.05),且H-NGF組較L-NGF組以上指標(biāo)差異更顯著(P<0.05);與H-NGF組相比,H-NGF+L-K252a組、H-NGF+H-K252a組NGF、TrkA水平,增殖活力,遷移率,侵襲細(xì)胞數(shù)量以及N-cadherin、Vimentin蛋白水平顯著降低,凋亡率、E-cadherin蛋白水平顯著升高(P<0.05),且H-NGF+H-K252a組較H-NGF+L-K252a組以上指標(biāo)差異更顯著(P<0.05)。結(jié)論 下調(diào)NGF/TrkA軸可以抑制宮頸癌SiHa細(xì)胞增殖、侵襲,促進(jìn)其凋亡。
關(guān)鍵詞:神經(jīng)生長(zhǎng)因子;受體,TrkA;宮頸腫瘤;細(xì)胞增殖;細(xì)胞凋亡;腫瘤浸潤(rùn)
中圖分類號(hào):R737.3,R349.54文獻(xiàn)標(biāo)志碼:ADOI:10.11958/20230318
Impacts of NGF/TrkA axis on proliferation, apoptosis and invasion of cervical cancer SiHa cells
LONG Ying, HUANG Fangyi, WEI Yousheng
Department of Gynecology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
Abstract: Objective To investigate the impact of nerve growth factor (NGF)/tropomyosin receptor kinase A (TrkA) axis on the proliferation, apoptosis and invasion of cervical cancer SiHa cells. Methods Normal cervical epithelial cells HUCEC and cervical cancer cells SiHa were cultured in vitro. SiHa cells were grouped into the control group (normal culture), the L-NGF group (50 μg/L recombinant human NGF protein), the H-NGF group (100 μg/L recombinant human NGF protein), the H-NGF+L-K252a group (100 μg/L recombinant human NGF protein+50 μg/L K252a) and H-NGF+H-K252a group (100 μg/L recombinant human NGF protein+100 μg/L K252a). The protein expression levels of NGF, TrkA, E-cadherin, N-cadherin and Vimentin were detected by Western blot assay. The proliferation of SiHa cells was detected by CCK-8 method. Apoptosis of SiHa cells was detected by flow cytometry. Cell migration was determined by scratch healing test. Cell invasion was measured by Transwell assay. Results The levels of NGF and TrkA were obviously higher in SiHa cells than those in HUCEC cells (P<0.01). Compared with the control group, levels of NGF and TrkA, proliferative activity, migration rate, number of invasive cells and N-cadherin and Vimentin proteins were obviously higher in the L-NGF group and the H-NGF group (P<0.05), and the apoptosis rate and the level of E-cadherin protein were obviously lower (P<0.05). The above indexes were more obviously different in the H-NGF group than those of the L-NGF group (P<0.05). Compared with the H-NGF group, levels of NGF, TrkA, proliferative activity, migration rate, number of invasive cells and N-cadherin and Vimentin proteins were obviously lower in the H-NGF+L-K252a group and the H-NGF+H-K252a group (P<0.05), and the apoptosis rate and the level of E-cadherin protein were obviously higher (P<0.05). The above indexes in the H-NGF+H-K252a group were more obviously different than those in the H-NGF+L-K252a group (P<0.05). Conclusion Down-regulation of NGF/TrkA axis can inhibit the proliferation and invasion of cervical cancer SiHa cells and promote their apoptosis.
Key words: nerve growth factor; receptor, TrkA; uterine cervical neoplasms; cell proliferation; cell apoptosis; neoplasm invasiveness
宮頸癌是常見的婦科惡性腫瘤之一,嚴(yán)重威脅女性健康[1]。多數(shù)宮頸癌是由人乳頭瘤病毒(HPV)感染引起的[2]。此外,轉(zhuǎn)移和復(fù)發(fā)是宮頸癌相關(guān)死亡的主要原因,遠(yuǎn)處轉(zhuǎn)移患者預(yù)后較差[3]。因此,明確宮頸癌進(jìn)展和轉(zhuǎn)移機(jī)制并從中找到治療該病新的生物標(biāo)志物和治療靶點(diǎn)至關(guān)重要。神經(jīng)生長(zhǎng)因子(NGF)及其高親和力受體原肌球蛋白受體激酶A(TrkA)是研究癌癥的常見通路。Marsland等[4]發(fā)現(xiàn),下調(diào)NGF/TrkA軸可抑制黑色素瘤的進(jìn)展。Gao等[5]也發(fā)現(xiàn)NGF和TrkA蛋白水平在肺鱗狀細(xì)胞癌患者中增加,下調(diào)NGF/TrkA軸可抑制癌細(xì)胞的增殖。近期,F(xiàn)aulkner等[6]發(fā)現(xiàn),NGF和TrkA在宮頸鱗狀細(xì)胞癌中過表達(dá)。但是,關(guān)于NGF/TrkA軸對(duì)宮頸癌細(xì)胞惡性生物學(xué)行為影響的研究鮮有報(bào)道,本研究旨在探討可否通過下調(diào)NGF/TrkA軸抑制宮頸癌SiHa細(xì)胞的惡性生物學(xué)行為。
1 材料與方法
1.1 細(xì)胞及主要材料
正常宮頸上皮細(xì)胞HUCEC購自深圳市豪地華拓生物科技有限公司;宮頸癌SiHa細(xì)胞購自上海雅吉生物科技有限公司;NGF/TrkA軸抑制劑K252a購自無錫云萃生物科技有限公司;兔源NGF一抗、TrkA一抗、E-鈣黏蛋白(E-cadherin)一抗、N-鈣黏蛋白(N-cadherin)一抗、波形蛋白(Vimentin)一抗、辣根過氧化物酶(HRP)標(biāo)記的山羊抗兔IgG二抗購自Abcam;重組人NGF蛋白購自伊艾博(武漢)科技股份有限公司;CCK-8細(xì)胞增殖及毒性檢測(cè)試劑盒購自北京索萊寶科技有限公司;膜聯(lián)蛋白V(Annexin V)-異硫氰酸熒光素(FITC)/碘化丙啶(PI)細(xì)胞凋亡試劑盒購自杭州聯(lián)科生物技術(shù)股份有限公司。
1.2 細(xì)胞培養(yǎng)及分組
將HUCEC和SiHa用DMEM高糖培養(yǎng)基(含10%胎牛血清、1 000 U/mL氨芐青霉素、100 g/L卡那霉素)在37 ℃、5%CO2細(xì)胞培養(yǎng)箱中培養(yǎng)。每2 d用胰酶消化傳代。
將SiHa細(xì)胞分為對(duì)照組(正常培養(yǎng))、L-NGF組(50 μg/L重組人NGF蛋白)、H-NGF組(100 μg/L重組人NGF蛋白)、H-NGF+L-K252a組(100 μg/L重組人NGF蛋白+50 μg/L K252a)、H-NGF+H-K252a組(100 μg/L重組人NGF蛋白+100 μg/L K252a)。處理24 h后用于后續(xù)實(shí)驗(yàn)。
1.3 Western blot檢測(cè)上皮-間充質(zhì)轉(zhuǎn)化(EMT)相關(guān)蛋白表達(dá)
通過RIPA裂解液提取總蛋白。二辛可寧酸(BCA)蛋白質(zhì)檢測(cè)試劑盒檢測(cè)蛋白質(zhì)濃度。將等量的總蛋白質(zhì)經(jīng)十二烷基硫酸鈉-聚丙烯酰胺凝膠電泳(SDS-PAGE),然后轉(zhuǎn)移到聚偏二氟乙烯(PVDF)膜。用5%脫脂奶粉在37 ℃下封閉PVDF膜1 h。通過與一抗NGF(1︰1 000)、TrkA(1︰2 000)、E-cadherin(1︰2 000)、N-cadherin(1︰2 000)、Vimentin(1︰1 000)、GAPDH(1︰1 000)在4 ℃下孵育過夜。次日將膜與二抗在常溫下繼續(xù)反應(yīng)1 h。最后加入電化學(xué)發(fā)光試劑顯色。GAPDH作為內(nèi)參,并通過Image J軟件對(duì)蛋白質(zhì)條帶進(jìn)行灰度分析。
1.4 CCK-8法檢測(cè)SiHa細(xì)胞增殖情況
將各組SiHa細(xì)胞以每孔5 × 103個(gè)細(xì)胞的密度接種在96孔培養(yǎng)板中,每組設(shè)3個(gè)復(fù)孔。孵育4、24、48、72、96、120 h后,向每個(gè)孔中加入10 μL CCK-8溶液。在37 ℃孵育2 h后,使用酶標(biāo)儀在450 nm波長(zhǎng)處測(cè)量每孔的光密度(OD)。
1.5 流式細(xì)胞術(shù)檢測(cè)SiHa細(xì)胞凋亡
將每組SiHa細(xì)胞收集到離心管中,磷酸鹽緩沖液(PBS)洗滌細(xì)胞2次后,500 μL Bing Buffer重懸細(xì)胞。加入5 μL Annexin V-FITC和5 μL PI,并在室溫避光條件下孵育15 min,使用流式細(xì)胞儀檢測(cè)細(xì)胞凋亡率。
1.6 劃痕愈合實(shí)驗(yàn)測(cè)定SiHa細(xì)胞遷移
當(dāng)各組SiHa細(xì)胞在6孔板中生長(zhǎng)達(dá)到80%~90%時(shí),使用無菌200 μL移液器吸頭在細(xì)胞中制造劃痕,然后用饑餓培養(yǎng)基洗滌以去除未貼壁的細(xì)胞。培養(yǎng)24 h后,用光學(xué)顯微鏡對(duì)劃痕進(jìn)行成像,計(jì)算細(xì)胞遷移率。遷移率=(0 h劃痕寬度?24 h劃痕寬度)/0 h劃痕寬度×100%。
1.7 Transwell實(shí)驗(yàn)測(cè)定SiHa細(xì)胞侵襲
Transwell室預(yù)包被基質(zhì)膠(在培養(yǎng)基中稀釋至1 g/L)。SiHa細(xì)胞在無血清培養(yǎng)基中重懸后,將6×104個(gè)/mL細(xì)胞接種在上室,并將600 μL含有15%胎牛血清的培養(yǎng)基加入下室。培養(yǎng)24 h,用棉簽擦拭Transwell小室上表面。將Transwell下室中的細(xì)胞在甲醇中固定30 min,0.1%結(jié)晶紫染色20 min,然后用PBS洗滌。在顯微鏡下觀察染成紫色細(xì)胞的數(shù)量并進(jìn)行記錄,即為侵襲細(xì)胞的數(shù)量。
1.8 統(tǒng)計(jì)學(xué)方法
采用SPSS 25.0軟件處理數(shù)據(jù)。數(shù)據(jù)經(jīng)正態(tài)分布、方差齊性檢驗(yàn)后以均數(shù)±標(biāo)準(zhǔn)差(x±s)表示,2組間均數(shù)比較采用獨(dú)立樣本t檢驗(yàn),多組間比較用單因素方差分析,組間多重比較用SNK-q檢驗(yàn),P<0.05為差異有統(tǒng)計(jì)學(xué)意義。
2 結(jié)果
2.1 NGF、TrkA在HUCEC和SiHa細(xì)胞中的表達(dá)
SiHa細(xì)胞較HUCEC細(xì)胞NGF、TrkA水平升高(P<0.01),見圖1、表1。
2.2 各組SiHa細(xì)胞NGF、TrkA蛋白表達(dá)水平比較
與對(duì)照組相比,L-NGF組、H-NGF組NGF、TrkA水平上調(diào),且H-NGF組NGF、TrkA水平高于L-NGF組(P<0.05);與H-NGF組相比,H-NGF+L-K252a組、H-NGF+H-K252a組NGF、TrkA水平下降,且H-NGF+H-K252a組下降更顯著(P<0.05),見表2、圖2。
2.3 各組SiHa細(xì)胞增殖活力比較
與對(duì)照組相比,L-NGF組、H-NGF組24、48、72、96和120 h OD450增加(P<0.05),且H-NGF組OD450值高于L-NGF組(P<0.05);與H-NGF組相比,H-NGF+L-K252a組、H-NGF+H-K252a組24 h、48 h、72 h、96 h、120 h OD450值下降(P<0.05),且H-NGF+H-K252a組下降更顯著(P<0.05),見表3。
2.4 各組SiHa細(xì)胞凋亡率比較
與對(duì)照組相比,L-NGF組、H-NGF組凋亡率下降,且H-NGF組凋亡率低于L-NGF組(P<0.05);與H-NGF組相比,H-NGF+L-K252a組、H-NGF+H-K252a組凋亡率升高,且H-NGF+H-K252a組較H-NGF+L-K252a組上升更顯著(P<0.05),見圖3、4。
2.5 各組SiHa細(xì)胞侵襲、遷移以及EMT相關(guān)蛋白水平的比較
與對(duì)照組相比,L-NGF組、H-NGF組的遷移率、侵襲細(xì)胞數(shù)量以及N-cadherin、Vimentin蛋白水平增加,E-cadherin蛋白水平下降(P<0.05),且H-NGF組較L-NGF組差異更顯著(P<0.05);與H-NGF組相比,H-NGF+L-K252a組、H-NGF+H-K252a組遷移率、侵襲細(xì)胞數(shù)量以及N-cadherin、Vimentin蛋白水平降低,E-cadherin蛋白水平升高(P<0.05),且H-NGF+H-K252a組差異更顯著(P<0.05),見圖5—7,表4、5。
3 討論
宮頸癌是常見的婦科惡性腫瘤之一,全世界每年約有500萬例確診[7]。宮頸癌復(fù)發(fā)和治療效果差主要是由細(xì)胞的侵襲和轉(zhuǎn)移引起的[8]。EMT與宮頸癌的發(fā)展密切相關(guān),是該病患者預(yù)后不良的主要原因之一[9]。因此,研究宮頸癌細(xì)胞遷移、侵襲以及EMT發(fā)生機(jī)制對(duì)于治療宮頸癌至關(guān)重要。
NGF因其在神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)發(fā)育中的作用而被廣泛研究,NGF通過激活TrkA在神經(jīng)發(fā)育過程中驅(qū)動(dòng)神經(jīng)元生長(zhǎng)(軸突生成)[6]。近年來研究顯示,癌細(xì)胞表達(dá)神經(jīng)生長(zhǎng)因子(如腦源性神經(jīng)營(yíng)養(yǎng)因子、膠質(zhì)細(xì)胞源性神經(jīng)營(yíng)養(yǎng)因子),提高腫瘤生長(zhǎng)速度,刺激腫瘤細(xì)胞轉(zhuǎn)移;腫瘤去神經(jīng)支配可以阻止腫瘤進(jìn)展[10]。因此,抑制腫瘤微環(huán)境中的神經(jīng)元生成被視為創(chuàng)新療法的新靶點(diǎn)[5]。在胃癌中,NGF過表達(dá)已被證明可以促進(jìn)腫瘤細(xì)胞生長(zhǎng)[11]。在結(jié)腸癌中,交感神經(jīng)和副交感神經(jīng)參與刺激腫瘤生長(zhǎng)和轉(zhuǎn)移,下調(diào)NGF可以抑制大鼠結(jié)腸癌細(xì)胞增殖和血管生成,并降低腫瘤體積和質(zhì)量[12]。本研究通過檢測(cè)正常宮頸上皮細(xì)胞HUCEC和宮頸癌細(xì)胞SiHa中NGF、TrkA蛋白水平,結(jié)果發(fā)現(xiàn)SiHa細(xì)胞較HUCEC細(xì)胞NGF、TrkA水平顯著升高,提示NGF/TrkA軸在宮頸癌細(xì)胞中被激活。本研究還發(fā)現(xiàn),NGF處理后SiHa細(xì)胞增殖活力升高,細(xì)胞凋亡率降低,提示NGF過表達(dá)促進(jìn)宮頸癌的發(fā)生,而NGF/TrkA信號(hào)軸抑制劑K252a處理SiHa細(xì)胞后NGF、TrkA水平下調(diào),且SiHa細(xì)胞增殖活力降低,凋亡率升高,表明下調(diào)NGF/TrkA信號(hào)軸可能抑制宮頸癌的發(fā)生與發(fā)展。
EMT是上皮腫瘤細(xì)胞失去上皮特征并獲得間充質(zhì)表型的過程,是腫瘤細(xì)胞獲得更高侵襲和轉(zhuǎn)移能力的關(guān)鍵步驟。腫瘤細(xì)胞利用EMT作為中間表型來實(shí)現(xiàn)自我更新并適應(yīng)其微環(huán)境[13]。在EMT過程中,上皮細(xì)胞通過失去細(xì)胞極性,上皮標(biāo)志物E-cadherin表達(dá)減少,間充質(zhì)標(biāo)志物N-cadherin、Vimentin表達(dá)增多,從而獲得間充質(zhì)表型[14];且獲得間充質(zhì)表型已被證明可增強(qiáng)腫瘤細(xì)胞對(duì)化療的耐藥性并導(dǎo)致預(yù)后不良[15]。本研究結(jié)果發(fā)現(xiàn),NGF過表達(dá)后,SiHa細(xì)胞遷移率、侵襲細(xì)胞數(shù)量以及N-cadherin、Vimentin蛋白水平增加,E-cadherin蛋白水平下降,表明激活NGF/TrkA軸可能促進(jìn)SiHa細(xì)胞EMT過程,進(jìn)而加快腫瘤細(xì)胞的遷移和侵襲,最終促進(jìn)宮頸癌的發(fā)展。為了進(jìn)一步證實(shí)該結(jié)論,筆者用H-NGF處理SiHa細(xì)胞后加用K252a干預(yù),結(jié)果發(fā)現(xiàn),K252a處理后SiHa細(xì)胞遷移率、侵襲細(xì)胞數(shù)量以及N-cadherin、Vimentin蛋白表達(dá)減少,E-cadherin蛋白表達(dá)升高,且高劑量K252a抑制SiHa細(xì)胞遷移、侵襲以及EMT過程更明顯,表明通過抑制NGF/TrkA軸來抑制SiHa細(xì)胞遷移和侵襲可能是治療宮頸癌的潛在治療策略。
綜上所述,下調(diào)NGF/TrkA信號(hào)通路可抑制SiHa細(xì)胞EMT過程,進(jìn)而抑制腫瘤細(xì)胞的遷移和侵襲。
參考文獻(xiàn)
[1] MANRRIQUEZ E N,ZAKHOUR M,SALANI R. Precision medicine for cervical cancer[J]. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol,2022,34(1):1-5. doi:10.1097/GCO.0000000000000755.
[2] BAHRAMABADI R,DABIRI S,IRANPOUR M,et al. TLR4:an important molecule participating in either anti-human papillomavirus immune responses or development of its related cancers[J]. Viral Immunol,2019,32(10):417-423. doi:10.1089/vim.2019.0061.
[3] COLEMAN R L,LORUSSO D,GENNIGENS C,et al. Efficacy and safety of tisotumab vedotin in previously treated recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer (innovaTV 204/GOG-3023/ENGOT-cx6):a multicentre,open-label,single-arm,phase 2 study[J]. Lancet Oncol,2021,22(5):609-619. doi:10.1016/S1470-2045(21)00056-5.
[4] MARSLAND M,DOWDELL A,JIANG C C,et al. Expression of NGF/proNGF and their receptors TrkA,p75NTR and sortilin in melanoma[J]. Int J Mol Sci,2022,23(8):4260-4274. doi:10.3390/ijms23084260.
[5] GAO F,GRIFFIN N,F(xiàn)AULKNER S,et al. The neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor TrkA and its ligand NGF are increased in squamous cell carcinomas of the lung[J]. Sci Rep,2018,8(1):8135-8145. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-26408-2.
[6] FAULKNER S,GRIFFIN N,ROWE C W,et al. Nerve growth factor and its receptor tyrosine kinase TrkA are overexpressed in cervical squamous cell carcinoma[J]. FASEB Bioadv,2020,2(7):398-408. doi:10.1096/fba.2020-00016.
[7] SUNG H,F(xiàn)ERLAY J,SIEGEL R L,et al. Global cancer statistics 2020:GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries[J]. CA Cancer J Clin,2021,71(3):209-249. doi:10.3322/caac.21660.
[8] YANG S,LONG Q,CHEN M,et al. CAF-1/p150 promotes cell proliferation,migration,invasion and predicts a poor prognosis in patients with cervical cancer[J]. Oncol Lett,2020,20(3):2338-2346. doi:10.3892/ol.2020.11775.
[9] LIAO Y,HUANG J,LIU P,et al. Downregulation of LNMAS orchestrates partial EMT and immune escape from macrophage phagocytosis to promote lymph node metastasis of cervical cancer[J]. Oncogene,2022,41(13):1931-1943. doi:10.1038/s41388-022-02202-3.
[10] SILVERMAN D A,MARTINEZ V K,DOUGHERTY P M,et al. Cancer-associated neurogenesis and nerve-cancer cross-talk[J]. Cancer Res,2021,81(6):1431-1440. doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-20-2793.
[11] DOU N,YANG D,YU S,et al. SNRPA enhances tumour cell growth in gastric cancer through modulating NGF expression[J]. Cell Prolif,2018,51(5):e12484. doi:10.1111/cpr.12484.
[12] SADIGHPARVAR S,DARBAND S G,GHADERI-PAKDEL F,et al. Parasympathetic,but not sympathetic denervation,suppressed colorectal cancer progression[J]. Eur J Pharmacol,2021,913:174626. doi:10.1016/j.ejphar.2021.174626.
[13] NACHIYAPPAN A,GUPTA N,TANEJA R. EHMT1/EHMT2 in EMT,cancer stemness and drug resistance:emerging evidence and mechanisms[J]. FEBS J,2022,289(5):1329-1351. doi:10.1111/febs.16334.
[14] MIRZAEI S,SAGHARI S,BASSIRI F,et al. NF-κB as a regulator of cancer metastasis and therapy response:a focus on epithelial-mesenchymal transition[J]. J Cell Physiol,2022,237(7):2770-2795. doi:10.1002/jcp.30759.
[15] JIANG X,LIU F,WANG Y,et al. Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition of hepatocellular carcinoma cells and acquisition of cancerstem cell phenotypes[J]. J Gastroenterol Hepatol,2019,34(10):1860-1868. doi:10.1111/jgh.14692.
(2023-03-10收稿 2023-04-13修回)
(本文編輯 李鵬)