Haruhito Kinoshita

Lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2) from stromal fibroblasts stimulates the progression of gastric cancer

The aim of this study was to clarify the role of fibroblast-derived Lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2) in the development of gastric cancer. The correlation between the clinicopathological features of 548 primary gastric carcinomas and LOXL2 expression in stromal cells was examined by immunohistochemistry. Two gastric cancer cell lines, OCUM-12 and NUGC-3, and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) were used in this in vitro study. The effect of fibroblast-derived LOXL2 on the motility of gastric cancer cells was analyzed by using a wound-healing assay, a double-chamber invasion assay, and western blot. LOXL2 expression in stromal cells was significantly associated with tumor invasion depth, lymph node metastasis, lymphatic invasion, venous invasion, and peritoneal dissemination. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that LOXL2 expression in stromal cells could be an independent predictive parameter for the overall survival of patients. CAFs significantly stimulated the migration and invasion of OCUM-12 and NUGC-3 cells. This motility-stimulating ability of CAFs was inhibited by LOXL2 siRNA. Western blot analysis indicated that phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in cancer cells was increased by the conditioned medium from CAFs, and was decreased by the conditioned medium from LOXL2 siRNA-treated CAFs. LOXL2 expression in stromal cells may be a useful prognostic factor for patients with gastric cancer. Fibroblast-derived LOXL2 may stimulate the motility of gastric cancer cells.

Lysyl oxidase is associated with the epithelial-mesenchymal transition of gastric cancer cells in hypoxia.

PurposeIt has been reported that lysyl oxidase (LOX) is a hypoxia-responsive factor and is associated with the malignant progression of carcinoma. The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and LOX in gastric cancer cells under hypoxia.MethodsTwo gastric cancer cell lines, OCUM-2MD3 and OCUM-12, were used in an in vitro study. The effect of LOX small interfering RNA (siRNA) on the EMT and motility of gastric cancer cells under hypoxic condition was analyzed by reverse transcription PCR, Western blot, a wound-healing assay, and an invasion assay. Correlations between LOX expression and the clinicopathological features of 544 patients with gastric carcinoma were examined immunohistochemically.ResultsHypoxic conditions increased the number of polygonal or spindle-shaped cells resulting from EMT in gastric cancer cells. The EMT of cancer cells induced by hypoxia was inhibited by treatment with LOX siRNA. The number of migrating and invading gastric cancer cells in hypoxia was significantly decreased by LOX knockdown. LOX siRNA significantly increased the E-cadherin level and decreased the vimentin level of gastric cancer cells. LOX expression was significantly associated with invasion depth, tumor differentiation, lymph node metastasis, lymphatic invasion, venous invasion, and peritoneal metastasis. Multivariable analysis revealed that LOX was an independent parameter for overall survival.ConclusionLOX affects the EMT of gastric cancer cells in hypoxic conditions. LOX expression is a useful prognostic factor for patients with gastric cancer.

Comparative Proteomics Analysis of Gastric Cancer Stem Cells

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are responsible for cancer progression, metastasis, and recurrence. To date, the specific markers of CSCs remain undiscovered. The aim of this study was to identify novel biomarkers of gastric CSCs for clinical diagnosis using proteomics technology. CSC-like SP cells, OCUM-12/SP cells, OCUM-2MD3/SP cells, and their parent OCUM-12 cells and OCUM-2MD3 cells were used in this study. Protein lysates from each cell line were analyzed using QSTAR Elite Liquid Chromatography with Tandem Mass Spectrometry, coupled with isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation technology. Candidate proteins detected by proteomics technology were validated by immunohistochemical analysis of 300 gastric cancers. Based on the results of LC-MS/MS, eight proteins, including RBBP6, GLG1, VPS13A, DCTPP1, HSPA9, HSPA4, ALDOA, and KRT18, were up-regulated in both OCUM-12/SP cells and OCUM-2MD3/SP cells when compared to their corresponding parent cells. RT-PCR analysis indicated that the expression level of RBBP6, HSPA4, DCTPP1, HSPA9, VPS13A, ALDOA, GLG1, and CK18 was high in OCUM-12/SP and OCUM-2MD3/SP, in compared with the control of parent OCUM-12 and OCUM-2MD3. These proteins were significantly associated with advanced invasion depth, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, or advanced clinical stage. RBBP6, DCTPP1, HSPA4, and ALDOA expression in particular were significantly associated with a poor prognosis in the 300 gastric cancer patients. RBBP6 was determined to be an independent prognostic factor. The motility-stimulating ability of OCUM-12/SP cells and OCUM-2MD3/SP cells was inhibited by RBBP6 siRNA. These findings might suggest that the eight proteins, RBBP6, GLG1, VPS13A, DCTPP1, HSPA9, HSPA4, ALDOA, and KRT18, utilizing comparative proteomics analysis, were perceived to be potential CSC markers of gastric cancer. Of the eight candidate proteins, RBBP6 was suggested to be a promising prognostic biomarker and a therapeutic target for gastric cancer.

Pancreatic Fibroblasts Stimulate the Motility of Pancreatic Cancer Cells through IGF1/IGF1R Signaling under Hypoxia

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by its hypovascularity, with an extremely poor prognosis because of its highly invasive nature. PDAC proliferates with abundant stromal cells, suggesting that its invasive activity might be controlled by intercellular interactions between cancer cells and fibroblasts. Using four PDAC cell lines and two pancreas cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), the expression of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1) and IGF1 receptor (IGF1R) was evaluated by RT-PCR, FACScan, western blot, or ELISA. Correlation between IGF1R and the hypoxia marker carbonic anhydrase 9 (CA9) was examined by immunohistochemical staining of 120 pancreatic specimens. The effects of CAFs, IGF1, and IGF1R inhibitors on the motility of cancer cells were examined by wound-healing assay or invasion assay under normoxia (20% O2) and hypoxia (1% O2). IGF1R expression was significantly higher in RWP-1, MiaPaCa-2, and OCUP-AT cells than in Panc-1 cells. Hypoxia increased the expression level of IGF1R in RWP-1, MiaPaCa-2, and OCUP-AT cells. CA9 expression was correlated with IGF1R expression in pancreatic specimens. CAFs produced IGF1 under hypoxia, but PDAC cells did not. A conditioned medium from CAFs, which expressed αSMA, stimulated the migration and invasion ability of MiaPaCa-2, RWP-1, and OCUP-AT cells. The motility of all PDAC cells was greater under hypoxia than under normoxia. The motility-stimulating ability of CAFs was decreased by IGF1R inhibitors. These findings might suggest that pancreas CAFs stimulate the invasion activity of PDAC cells through paracrine IGF1/IGF1R signaling, especially under hypoxia. Therefore the targeting of IGF1R signaling might represent a promising therapeutic approach in IGF1R-dependent PDAC.

Diffuse-type gastric cancer cells switch their driver pathways from FGFR2 signaling to SDF1/CXCR4 axis in hypoxic tumor microenvironments

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have been considered to play an important role for tumor progression of cancer. Solid tumors contain heterogeneous distribution of oxygen in their microenvironments. This study investigated the growth signaling of gastric cancer (GC) cells in focus on the interaction with CAFs and GC cells under normoxia and hypoxia. Four diffuse-type GC cell lines, two intestinal-type GC cell lines and three CAF cell lines were used. Cells were examined for expression of C-X-C chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4), fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) and stromal-derived factor 1 (SDF1) by RT-PCR, western blot, ELISA and immunohistochemical staining of xenografted tumors. GC cell proliferation was examined under hypoxia in the presence or absence of CAFs, a FGFR2 inhibitor, a CXCR4 inhibitor and HIF1α siRNA. Proliferation of diffuse-type GC cells, but not intestinal-type GC cells, was significantly increased by CAFs. CXCR4 expression by diffuse-type GC cells was significantly increased in hypoxia, while FGFR2 expression was decreased. CXCR4 expression was correlated with hypoxic microenvironment of xenografted tumor, but FGFR2 expression was not. FGFR2 inhibition significantly decreased the growth-stimulating activity of CAFs for diffuse-type GC cells in normoxia. In contrast, CXCR4 inhibition significantly decreased the growth-stimulating activity of CAFs in hypoxia. SDF1 production by CAFs was increased in hypoxia, while cancer cells did not produce SDF1. HIF1 siRNA significantly decreased both CXCR4 expression by diffuse-type GC cells and SDF1 production by CAFs. These findings suggest that diffuse-type GC cells might switch their driver pathways from FGFR2 signaling to SDF1/CXCR4 axis through HIF1 in hypoxic tumor microenvironments.

Prostaglandin D synthase is a potential novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of gastric carcinomas expressing PPARγ.

The antitumor activity of prostaglandin (PG) D2 has been demonstrated against some types of cancer, including gastric cancer. However, exogenous PGD2 is not useful from a clinical point of view because it is rapidly metabolized in vivo. The aim of this study was to clarify the antitumor efficacy of an alternative, PGD synthase (PGDS), on gastric cancer cells. The effects of PGD2 and PGDS on the proliferation of gastric cancer cells were examined in vivo and in vitro. The expression levels of PGD2 receptors and peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ (PPARγ) were evaluated by RT‐PCR. The effects of a PPARγ antagonist or siPPARγ on the proliferation of cancer cells and the c‐myc and cyclin D1 expression were examined in the presence or absence of PGD2 or PGDS. PPARγ was expressed in gastric cancer cell lines, but PGD2 receptors were not. PGD2 and PGDS significantly decreased the proliferation of gastric cancer cells that highly expressed PPARγ. PGDS increased the PGD2 production of gastric cancer cells. A PPARγ antagonist and siPPARγ transfection significantly suppressed the growth‐inhibitory effects of PGD2 and PGDS. Expression of c‐myc and cyclin D1 was significantly decreased by PGD2; this inhibitory effect was suppressed by PPARγ antagonist. Both PGD2 and PGDS significantly decreased subcutaneous tumor growth in vivo. Tumor volume after PGDS treatment was significantly less than PGD2 treatment. These findings suggest that PGDS and PGD2 decrease the proliferation of gastric cancer cells through PPARγ signaling. PGDS is a potentially promising therapeutic agent for gastric cancers that express PPARγ.

Clinicopathologic significance of the CXCL1-CXCR2 axis in the tumor microenvironment of gastric carcinoma

Purpose It was reported that the chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1 (CXCL1) from cancer cells stimulated the recruitment of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal cells (BM-MCs) into tumor stroma via chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 2 (CXCR2) signaling. We conducted this retrospective study to determine the clinicopathologic significance of the CXCL1-CXCR2 axis in human gastric cancer. Methods The correlations between the clinicopathological features of 270 primary gastric carcinomas and CXCL1 in cancer cells and CXCR2 in stromal cells were analyzed in immunohistochemical studies. The effect of gastric cancer cells on the expression of CXCR2 in BM-MCs was examined using diffuse-type gastric cancer cell lines in vitro. Results The expression of CXCL1 in cancer cells was correlated with T invasion (T2–T4), lymph node metastasis, lymphatic invasion, venous invasion, peritoneal cytology, peritoneal metastasis and CXCR2 expression in stromal cells. The expression of CXCR2 in stromal cells was correlated with macroscopic type-4 cancers, histological type, T invasion (T2–T4), lymph node metastasis, lymphatic invasion, infiltration, peritoneal cytology, peritoneal metastasis and CD271 expression in stromal cells. The overall survival of patients with CXCL1 and CXCR2-positive cancer was poorer than that of the patients with negative cancer. Both CXCL1 expression in cancer cells and CXCR2 expression in stromal cells were independent prognostic factors for gastric cancer patients. Conclusion The expressions of CXCL1 in cancer cells and CXCR2 in stromal cells are useful prognostic factors for gastric cancer patients.

Pyruvate kinase isozyme M2 and glutaminase might be promising molecular targets for the treatment of gastric cancer.

The aim of this study was to analyze the significance of glucose metabolism‐related enzymes in the proliferation of gastric cancer under hypoxia. Four hypoxia‐resistant gastric cancer cell lines and four parent cell lines were used. Reverse transcription–PCR was used to evaluate the mRNA expression levels of the following metabolism‐related enzymes: pyruvate kinase isozyme M2 (PKM2), glutaminase (GLS), enolase 1 (ENO1), glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), and PKM1. The effects of these enzymes on the proliferation of gastric cancer cells were examined using siRNAs, shikonin as a PKM2 inhibitor, or BPTES as a GLS inhibitor, in vitro and in vivo. Levels of both PKM2 and GLS mRNA were significantly high in all hypoxia‐resistant cell lines, compared with those of their parent cells. Knockdown of PKM2 and GLS significantly decreased the proliferation of all hypoxia‐resistant cells. The combination of siPKM2 and siGLS significantly decreased proliferation compared with treatment by siPKM2 or siGLS alone. The knockdown of ENO1, G6PDH, or PKM1 did not decrease the proliferation of all hypoxia‐resistant cells. Combination treatment using shikonin and BPTES inhibited the proliferation of all hypoxia‐resistant cancer cells more than that by either agent alone. The in vivo study indicated that the tumor size treated by the combination of shikonin and BPTES was significantly smaller than that of vehicle‐treated group. These findings suggested that PKM2 and GLS might play important roles in the proliferation of hypoxic gastric cancer cells. A combination of PKM2 and GLS inhibitors could be therapeutically promising for the treatment of gastric cancer.

Abstract 3863: The stemness of gastric cancer stem cells is sustained by TGFβ produced from cancer-associated fibroblasts

Purpose: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have recently been implicated in tumor growth and metastasis in gastric cancer. Cancer stem cells. (CSCs) have been proposed to have an important role in cancer progression. CSCs are known to display stem cell properties, “stemness”, the ability to sustain self-renewal. Because CAFs are abundant in the stroma of gastric cancer, CAFs are supposed to affect CSC characteristics of gastric cancer. However, the effects of CAFs on the characteristics of gastric cancer CSCs have not been clarified. The aim of this study was to clarify the effect of CAFs on CSCs characteristics in gastric tumor microenvironment. Experimental Design: Four gastric cancer cell lines, OCUM-12, OCUM-2MD3, MKN-45, and MKN-74, were used. Side population (SP) cells were sorted by flow cytometry as CSC-rich cells from each parent cell line. CaF-37 was established from the tumoral gastric specimens as CAFs. Flow cytometric analysis of SP fraction, spheroid colony assay, and RT-PCR analysis of CSC markers, ABCG2, ALDH1, CD44, CD133, NANOG, and OCT3/4, were performed to identify CSCs properties. Effect of CAFs on the tumorigenicity by OCUM-12/SP cells was examined using nude mice. Results: CaF-37 significantly increased the percentages of the SP fraction of scirrhous-type of gastric cancer cells, OCUM-12/SP and OCUM-2MD3/SP cells, but not that of non-scirrhous-type of gastric cancer cells, MKN-45/SP and MKN-74/SP cells. Taken together, CaF-37 significantly increased the number of spheroid colonies and the expression level of CSC markers of scirrhous-type of gastric cancer cells. These stimulating-activities by CaF-37 were significantly decreased by TGFβ inhibitors, but not FGFR and cMet inhibitor. Also, SP fractions of scirrhous-type of gastric cancer cells were significantly increased by TGFβ, but not by FGF2 and HGF. Tumorigenicity by subcutaneous co-inoculation of OCUM-12/SP cells with CaF-37 was significantly high in comparison with that by OCUM-12/SP cells alone. Phospho-Smad2 expression level was significantly increased by co-inoculation with CaF-37. Conclusions: TGFβ from CAFs in the tumor microenvironment might sustain the stemness of CSCs of gastric cancer cells, especially in scirrhous-type of gastric cancer. Citation Format: Masakazu Yashiro, Tsuyoshi Hasegawa, Tatsunari Fukuoka, Haruhito Kinoshita, Tamami Morisaki, Hiroaki Kasashima, Go Masuda, Naoshi Kubo, Kosei Hirakawa. The stemness of gastric cancer stem cells is sustained by TGFβ produced from cancer-associated fibroblasts. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3863. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3863

Abstract 3995: Antitumor effect of prostaglandin D2 by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ)-dependent pathway in gastric carcinoma.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Introduction: Prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) has been demonstrated to have not only physiological responses but also anti-tumor effects against some types of cancer cells such as a lung cancer. PGD2 act through two major receptors, DP1 and DP2 of chemoattractant receptor-like molecule on the Th2 cell. Recently, some papers reported that PGD2 may act through PPARγ, suggesting that the effects of PGD2 are involved in either PGD2 dependent or independent pathway. PGD2 metabolite, 15-deoxy-Δ12 14-PGJ2, activates peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) which induces growth inhibition of various cells. PPARγ is expressed in various types of cancers including gastric cancer. Since the role of PGD2 on gastric cancer cells is still unknown, this study is aimed to investigate the effect of PGD2 signalings on the proliferation of gastric cancer cells. Materials and Methods: Three human gastric cancer cell lines, OCUM-2M, OCUM-12, and MKN-74, were used. Effect of PGD2 or PPARγ antagonist on the proliferation of cancer cells was examined by MTT assay. The expression level of PGD2 receptor, DP1 and DP2, and PPARγ of gastric cancer cells was examined by RT-PCR. The effect of PGD2 on cell cycle was examined with PI staining by flowcytometry. Results: PGD2 significantly decreased the proliferation of OCUM-2M and MKN-74 cells at a dose-dependent manner, but not that of OCUM-12. PGD2 receptors, DP1 and DP2, were not expressed in 3 gastric cancer cell lines while PPARγ was expressed in OCUM-2M and MKN-74. BADGE, a PPARγ antagonist, significantly suppressed the growth-inhibitory effects of PGD2 on OCUM-2M and MKN-74 cells. PGD2 increased G0/G1 phase of cancer and decereased G2/M phase. Conclusion: PGD2 decreased the proliferation of gastric cancer cells through PPARγ dependent pathway. PGD2 might be a promising therapeutic agent for gastric cancer with PPARγ expression. Citation Format: Tatsunari Fukuoka, Masakazu Yashiro, Hiroshi Takeda, Takayuki Maruyama, Haruhito Kinoshita, Tamammi Morisaki, Tsuyoshi Hasegawa, Toshiki Hirakawa, Naoki Aomatsu, Katsunobu Sakurai, Kenjiro Kimura, Hisashi Nagahara, Takahiro Toyokawa, Ryosuke Amano, Eiji Noda, Naoshi Kubo, Hiroaki Tanaka, Kazuya Muguruma, Hiroshi Otani, Kiyoshi Maeda, Masaichi Ohira, Kosei Hirakawa. Antitumor effect of prostaglandin D2 by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ)-dependent pathway in gastric carcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3995. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3995