PMID- 26992854 OWN - NLM STAT- MEDLINE DCOM- 20161213 LR - 20220317 IS - 1471-2407 (Electronic) IS - 1471-2407 (Linking) VI - 16 DP - 2016 Mar 19 TI - TNF-alpha promotes lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis of gallbladder cancer through the ERK1/2/AP-1/VEGF-D pathway. PG - 240 LID - 10.1186/s12885-016-2259-4 [doi] LID - 240 AB - BACKGROUND: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), a key player in cancer-related inflammation, was recently demonstrated to be involved in the lymphatic metastasis of gallbladder cancer (GBC). Vascular endothelial growth factor D (VEGF-D) is a key lymphangiogenic factor that is associated with lymphangiogenesis and lymph node metastasis in GBC. However, whether VEGF-D is involved in TNF-alpha-induced lymphatic metastasis of GBC remains undetermined. METHODS: The expression of VEGF-D in patient specimens was detected by immunohistochemistry and the relationship between VEGF-D in the tissue and TNF-alpha in the bile of the matching patients was analyzed. The VEGF-D mRNA and protein levels after treatment with exogenous TNF-alpha in NOZ, GBC-SD and SGC-996 cell lines were measured by real-time PCR and ELISA. The promoter activity and transcriptional regulation of VEGF-D were analyzed with the relative luciferase reporter assay, mutant constructs, electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay, RNA interference and Western blotting. Inhibitors of JNK, p38 MAPK and ERK1/2 were used to explore the upstream signaling effector of AP-1. We used lentiviral vector expressing a VEGF-D shRNA construct to knockdown VEGF-D gene in NOZ and GBC-SD cells. The role of the TNF-alpha-VEGF-D axis in the tube formation of human dermal lymphatic endothelial cells (HDLECs) was determined using a three-dimensional coculture system. The role of the TNF-alpha - VEGF-D axis in lymphangiogenesis and lymph node metastasis was studied via animal experiment. RESULTS: TNF-alpha levels in the bile of GBC patients were positively correlated with VEGF-D expression in the clinical specimens. TNF-alpha can upregulate the protein expression and promoter activity of VEGF-D through the ERK1/2 - AP-1 pathway. Moreover, TNF-alpha can promote tube formation of HDLECs, lymphangiogenesis and lymph node metastasis of GBC by upregulation of VEGF-D in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our data suggest that TNF-alpha can promote lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis of GBC through the ERK1/2/AP-1/VEGF-D pathway. FAU - Hong, HaiJie AU - Hong H AD - Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Fujian Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 29 Xinquan Road, Fuzhou, 350001, China. AD - Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Fujian Medical University, 1 Xueyuan Road, Minhou, Fuzhou, 350108, China. FAU - Jiang, Lei AU - Jiang L AD - Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Fujian Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 29 Xinquan Road, Fuzhou, 350001, China. AD - Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Fujian Medical University, 1 Xueyuan Road, Minhou, Fuzhou, 350108, China. FAU - Lin, YanFei AU - Lin Y AD - Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Fujian Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 29 Xinquan Road, Fuzhou, 350001, China. AD - Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Fujian Medical University, 1 Xueyuan Road, Minhou, Fuzhou, 350108, China. FAU - He, CaiLong AU - He C AD - Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Fujian Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 29 Xinquan Road, Fuzhou, 350001, China. AD - Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Fujian Medical University, 1 Xueyuan Road, Minhou, Fuzhou, 350108, China. FAU - Zhu, GuangWei AU - Zhu G AD - Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Fujian Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 29 Xinquan Road, Fuzhou, 350001, China. AD - Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Fujian Medical University, 1 Xueyuan Road, Minhou, Fuzhou, 350108, China. FAU - Du, Qiang AU - Du Q AD - Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Fujian Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 29 Xinquan Road, Fuzhou, 350001, China. AD - Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Fujian Medical University, 1 Xueyuan Road, Minhou, Fuzhou, 350108, China. FAU - Wang, XiaoQian AU - Wang X AD - Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Fujian Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 29 Xinquan Road, Fuzhou, 350001, China. FAU - She, FeiFei AU - She F AD - Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Fujian Medical University, 1 Xueyuan Road, Minhou, Fuzhou, 350108, China. shefeifei@yeah.net. AD - Fujian Key Laboratory of Tumor Microbiology, Fujian Medical University, 1 Xueyuan Road, Minhou, Fuzhou, 350108, China. shefeifei@yeah.net. FAU - Chen, YanLing AU - Chen Y AD - Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Fujian Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 29 Xinquan Road, Fuzhou, 350001, China. drchenyl@126.com. AD - Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Fujian Medical University, 1 Xueyuan Road, Minhou, Fuzhou, 350108, China. drchenyl@126.com. LA - eng PT - Journal Article PT - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't DEP - 20160319 PL - England TA - BMC Cancer JT - BMC cancer JID - 100967800 RN - 0 (Transcription Factor AP-1) RN - 0 (Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha) RN - 0 (VEGFD protein, human) RN - 0 (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor D) SB - IM MH - Animals MH - Cell Line, Tumor MH - Female MH - Gallbladder Neoplasms/*genetics/pathology MH - Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic MH - Humans MH - Lymphangiogenesis/*genetics MH - Lymphatic Metastasis MH - MAP Kinase Signaling System/genetics MH - Male MH - Mice MH - RNA Interference MH - Transcription Factor AP-1/*biosynthesis/genetics MH - Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/*genetics/metabolism MH - Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor D/*biosynthesis/genetics MH - Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays PMC - PMC4799527 OTO - NOTNLM OT - Gallbladder cancer OT - Lymphatic metastasis OT - TNF-alpha OT - VEGF-D EDAT- 2016/03/20 06:00 MHDA- 2016/12/15 06:00 PMCR- 2016/03/19 CRDT- 2016/03/20 06:00 PHST- 2015/06/16 00:00 [received] PHST- 2016/03/08 00:00 [accepted] PHST- 2016/03/20 06:00 [entrez] PHST- 2016/03/20 06:00 [pubmed] PHST- 2016/12/15 06:00 [medline] PHST- 2016/03/19 00:00 [pmc-release] AID - 10.1186/s12885-016-2259-4 [pii] AID - 2259 [pii] AID - 10.1186/s12885-016-2259-4 [doi] PST - epublish SO - BMC Cancer. 2016 Mar 19;16:240. doi: 10.1186/s12885-016-2259-4.