Epidermal growth factor-induced COX-2 regulates metastasis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma through upregulation of angiopoietin-like 4.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression and activation are the major causes of metastasis in cancers such as head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, the reciprocal effect of EGF-induced COX-2 and angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4) on HNSCC metastasis remains unclear. In this study, we revealed that the expression of ANGPTL4 is essential for COX-2-derived prostaglandin E2 (PGE2 )-induced tumor cell metastasis. We showed that EGF-induced ANGPTL4 expression was dramatically inhibited with the depletion and inactivation of COX-2 by knockdown of COX-2 and celecoxib treatment, respectively. Prostaglandin E2 induced ANGPTL4 expression in a time- and dose-dependent manners in various HNSCC cell lines through the ERK pathway. In addition, the depletion of ANGPTL4 and MMP1 significantly impeded the PGE2 -induced transendothelial invasion ability of HNSCC cells and the binding of tumor cells to endothelial cells. The induction of molecules involved in the regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition was also dependent on ANGPTL4 expression in PGE2 -treated cells. The depletion of ANGPTL4 further blocked PGE2 -primed tumor cell metastatic seeding of lungs. These results indicate that the EGF-activated PGE2 /ANGPTL4 axis enhanced HNSCC metastasis. The concurrent expression of COX-2 and ANGPTL4 in HNSCC tumor specimens provides insight into potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of EGFR-associated HNSCC metastasis.

Epidermal growth factor-induced pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 expression enhances head and neck squamous cell carcinoma metastasis via up-regulation of fibronectin.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activation is a major cause of metastasis in such cancers as head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC); however, whether the metabolic enzyme, pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1), mediates EGF-enhanced HNSCC metastasis remains unclear. Of interest, we found that EGF induced PDK1 expression in HNSCC. Tumor cell transformation induced by EGF was repressed by PDK1 knockdown, and the down-regulation of PDK1 expression or inhibition of its activity significantly blocked EGF-enhanced cell migration and invasion. In addition, depletion of PDK1 impeded EGF-enhanced binding of HNSCC cells to endothelial cells as well as the metastatic seeding of tumor cells in lungs. PDK1 depletion inhibited EGF-induced matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-9, and fibronectin expression and Rac1/cdc42 activation. Furthermore, PDK1 overexpression induced MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-9, and fibronectin expression and Rac1/cdc42 activation. Of interest, depletion of fibronectin inhibited PDK1-enhanced MMP-1-3 and MMP-9 expression as well as Rac1/cdc42 activation and tumor invasion. These results demonstrate that EGF-induced PDK1 expression enhances HNSCC metastasis via activation of the fibronectin signaling pathway. Inhibition of PDK1 may be a potential strategy for the treatment of EGFR-mediated HNSCC metastasis.-Hsu, J.-Y., Chang, J.-Y., Chang, K.-Y., Chang, W.-C., Chen B.-K. Epidermal growth factor-induced pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 expression enhances head and neck squamous cell carcinoma metastasis via up-regulation of fibronectin.

Loss of cell-cell adhesion triggers cell migration through Rac1-dependent ROS generation.

Epithelial cells usually trigger their "migratory machinery" upon loss of adhesion to their neighbors. This default is important for both physiological (e.g., wound healing) and pathological (e.g., tumor metastasis) processes. However, the underlying mechanism for such a default remains unclear. In this study, we used the human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) SAS cells as a model and found that loss of cell-cell adhesion induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and vimentin expression, both of which were required for SAS cell migration upon loss of cell-cell adhesion. We demonstrated that Tiam1-mediated Rac1 activation was responsible for the ROS generation through NADPH-dependent oxidases. Moreover, the ROS-Src-STAT3 signaling pathway that led to vimentin expression was important for SAS cell migration. The activation of ROS, Src, and STAT3 was also detected in tumor biopsies from HNSCC patients. Notably, activated STAT3 was more abundant at the tumor invasive front and correlated with metastatic progression of HNSCC. Together, our results unveil a mechanism of how cells trigger their migration upon loss of cell-cell adhesion and highlight an important role of the ROS-Src-STAT3 signaling pathway in the progression of HNSCC.

PTX3 gene activation in EGF-induced head and neck cancer cell metastasis.

Overexpression of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR) is associated with enhanced invasion and metastasis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Long Pentraxin PTX3 is involved in immune escape in cancer cells. Here, we identified PTX3 as a promoting factor that mediates EGF-induced HNSCC metastasis. EGF-induced PTX3 transcriptional activation is via the binding of c-Jun to the activator protein (AP)-1 binding site of the PTX3 promoter. PI3K/Akt and NF-κB were essential for the PTX3 activation. EGF-induced PTX3 expression was blocked in c-Jun- and NF-κB-knockdown cells. EGF-mediated PTX3 secretion resulted in the enhancement of cell migration and invasion, and interactions between cancer and endothelial cells. The tail-vein injection animal model revealed that depletion of PTX3 decreased EGF-primed tumor cell metastatic seeding of the lungs. In addition, fibronectin, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9) and E-cadherin were essential components in EGFR/PTX3-mediated cancer metastasis. In conclusion, PI3K/Akt and NF-κB-dependent regulation of AP-1 mediates PTX3 transcriptional responses to EGF. Autocrine production of EGF-induced PTX3 in turn induces metastatic molecules, activating inflammatory cascades and metastasis.

Epidermal growth factor-induced cyclooxygenase-2 enhances head and neck squamous cell carcinoma metastasis through fibronectin up-regulation.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activation is a major cause of metastasis in many cancers, such as head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, whether the induction of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mediates EGF-enhanced HNSCC metastasis remains unclear. Interestingly, we found that EGF induced COX-2 expression mainly in HNSCC. The tumor cell transformation induced by EGF was repressed by COX-2 knockdown, and this repression was reversed by simultaneously treating the cells with EGF and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). The down-regulation of COX-2 expression or inhibition of COX-2 activity significantly blocked EGF enhancement of cell migration and invasion, but the addition of PGE2 compensated for this inhibitory effect in COX-2-knockdown cells. COX-2 depletion inhibited EGF-induced matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1, MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-9, and fibronectin expression and Rac1/cdc42 activation. The inhibitory effect of COX-2 depletion on MMPs and the fibronectin/Rac1/cdc42 axis were reversed by co-treatment with PGE2. Furthermore, depletion of fibronectin impeded the COX-2-enhanced binding of HNSCC cells to endothelial cells and tumor cells metastatic seeding of the lungs. These results demonstrate that EGF-induced COX-2 expression enhances HNSCC metastasis via activation of the fibronectin signaling pathway. The inhibition of COX-2 expression and activation may be a potential strategy for the treatment of EGFR-mediated HNSCC metastasis.