Mast cells decrease efficacy of anti-angiogenic therapy by secreting matrix-degrading granzyme B.

Resistance towards VEGF-centered anti-angiogenic therapy still represents a substantial clinical challenge. We report here that mast cells alter the proliferative and organizational state of endothelial cells which reduces the efficacy of anti-angiogenic therapy. Consequently, absence of mast cells sensitizes tumor vessels for anti-angiogenic therapy in different tumor models. Mechanistically, anti-angiogenic therapy only initially reduces tumor vessel proliferation, however, this treatment effect was abrogated over time as a result of mast cell-mediated restimulation of angiogenesis. We show that mast cells secrete increased amounts of granzyme b upon therapy, which mobilizes pro-angiogenic laminin- and vitronectin-bound FGF-1 and GM-CSF from the tumor matrix. In addition, mast cells also diminish efficacy of anti-angiogenic therapy by secretion of FGF-2. These pro-angiogenic factors act beside the targeted VEGFA-VEGFR2-axis and reinduce endothelial cell proliferation and angiogenesis despite the presence of anti-angiogenic therapy. Importantly, inhibition of mast cell degranulation with cromolyn is able to improve efficacy of anti-angiogenic therapy. Thus, concomitant mast cell-targeting might lead to improved efficacy of anti-angiogenic therapy.Resistance towards VEGF-centered anti-angiogenic therapy is an important clinical challenge. Here, the authors show that mast cells mediate resistance to anti-angiogenetic inhibitors by altering the proliferative and organizational state of endothelial cells through mobilization of FGF-1 and GM-CSF from the tumor matrix and secretion of FGF-2.

The mood stabilizer valproate activates human FGF1 gene promoter through inhibiting HDAC and GSK-3 activities.

Valproic acid (VPA) is the primary mood-stabilizing drug to exert neuroprotective effects and to treat bipolar disorder in clinic. Fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1) has been shown to regulate cell proliferation, cell division, and neurogenesis. Human FGF1 gene 1B promoter (-540 to +31)-driven green fluorescence (F1BGFP) has been shown to recapitulate endogenous FGF1 gene expression and facilitates the isolation of neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) from developing and adult mouse brains. In this study, we provide several lines of evidence to demonstrate the underlying mechanisms of VPA in activating FGF-1B promoter activity: (i) VPA significantly increased the FGF-1B mRNA expression and the percentage of F1BGFP(+) cells; (ii) the increase of F1BGFP expression by VPA involves changes of regulatory factor X (RFX) 1-3 transcriptional complexes and the increase of histone H3 acetylation on the 18-bp cis-element of FGF-1B promoter; (iii) treatments of other histone deacetylases (HDAC) inhibitors, sodium butyrate and trichostatin A, significantly increased the expression levels of FGF-1B, RFX2, and RFX3 transcripts; (iv) treatments of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) inhibitor, lithium, or GSK-3 siRNAs also significantly activated FGF-1B promoter; (v) VPA specifically enhanced neuronal differentiation in F1BGFP(+) embryonic stem cells and NSPCs rather than GFP(-) cells. This study suggested, for the first time, that VPA activates human FGF1 gene promoter through inhibiting HDAC and GSK-3 activities.

Destabilization, oligomerization and inhibition of the mitogenic activity of acidic fibroblast-growth factor by aurintricarboxylic acid.

The triphenylmethane derivative aurintricarboxylic acid has been used to inhibit angiogenesis, vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and cell transformation, an effect that has been attributed to its relatively nonspecific inhibitory activity of protein-nucleic acid interactions. Here, we show that this compound binds to acidic fibroblast growth factor, a prototypic member of a family of protein mitogens activated by heparin, altering its physicochemical properties and decreasing its mitogenic activity. Counteraction of the effects of aurintricarboxylic acid by heparin shows that the two compounds have opposite and reversible effects on acidic fibroblast growth factor structure and biological activity. The studies reported here may contribute to a deeper understanding of the inhibition of fibroblast-growth-factor-dependent mitogenesis of relevance to future pharmacologic developments.

Effect of mutation of cytoplasmic receptor domain and of genistein on transport of acidic fibroblast growth factor into cells.

Acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) binds to specific transmembrane receptors and is partly transported to a nuclear location. To study this transport we made a kinase-negative mutant of FGF receptor 4 as well as one where the major part of the cytoplasmic receptor domain was deleted, and expressed them in U2OSDr1 cells that lack functional FGF receptors. All receptors mediated endocytic uptake of aFGF. Translocation of the growth factor across cellular membranes was assayed using aFGF with a C-terminal CAAX-motif, which signals addition of a farnesyl group onto the protein once in the cytosol. CAAX-tagged aFGF was farnesylated when incubated with cells containing wild-type or kinase-negative receptors. It was not farnesylated in cells expressing the deleted receptor, or when the incubation was in the presence of genistein. aFGF incubated with cells transfected with wild-type or kinase-negative receptors, but not with the deleted receptor, was partly recovered from the nuclear fraction in the absence, but not in the presence of genistein. The data indicate that the cytoplasmic receptor domain, but not the active kinase, is required for transport of the growth factor into cells, and that genistein inhibits the process.

The effect of endocrine therapy on fibroblast growth factor-like activity in nitrosomethylurea-induced rat mammary tumours.

Tumour regression following ovariectomy of rats bearing nitrosomethylurea-induced mammary tumours has been well characterised as a model for oestrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer. We have shown that a similar regression response can be induced in these rats by the cytotoxic drug doxorubicin. Conditioned medium (CM) from serum-free explant cultures of the mammary tumours of ovariectomised rats showed a striking increase in its ability to transform NR6 cells compared to that of control or doxorubicin-treated rats (P = 0.001, t-test). Activity was also present in CM derived from rat uteri but not in ER-negative tissues such as skin and liver. Activity was further defined as fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-like by its strong affinity to heparin, partial neutralisation by antibodies to acidic FGF (aFGF) and partial co-elution with aFGF on salt elution from heparin. Both aFGF protein and mRNA were detected in tissue preparations of rat tumours and uterus.