RESUMO
Engagement of endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) by activated protein C (aPC) decreases expression of endothelial adhesion molecules implicated in tumor-endothelium interactions. We examined the role of the aPC/EPCR pathway on tumor migration and metastasis. In vitro, B16-F10 melanoma cells showed decreased adhesion to and transmigration through endothelium treated with recombinant human aPC (rhaPC). In murine B16-F10 metastasis models, transgenic EPCR overexpressing (Tie2-EPCR) mice exhibited marked reductions in liver (50%) and lung (92%) metastases compared with wild-type (WT) animals. Intravital imaging showed reduced B16-F10 entrapment within livers of Tie2-EPCR compared with WT mice. A similar reduction was observed in WT mice treated with rhaPC. Strikingly, rhaPC treatment resulted in a 44% reduction in lung metastases. This was associated with decreased lung P-selectin and TNF-alpha mRNA levels. These findings support an important role for the aPC/EPCR pathway in reducing metastasis via inhibition of tumor cell adhesion and transmigration.
Assuntos
Fatores de Coagulação Sanguínea/fisiologia , Metástase Neoplásica/genética , Proteína C/fisiologia , Receptores de Superfície Celular/fisiologia , Animais , Fatores de Coagulação Sanguínea/genética , Adesão Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Adesão Celular/genética , Movimento Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Movimento Celular/genética , Feminino , Melanoma Experimental/genética , Melanoma Experimental/patologia , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Transgênicos , Metástase Neoplásica/prevenção & controle , Proteína C/genética , Proteína C/farmacologia , Receptor TIE-2/genética , Receptores de Superfície Celular/genética , Proteínas Recombinantes/farmacologiaRESUMO
Invariant NKT (iNKT) cells can induce potent antitumor responses in vivo. However, the mechanisms that regulate the effects of iNKT cells are unclear. The chemokine receptor CXCR6, and its ligand CXCL16, have been shown to play critical roles in iNKT cell homeostasis and activation. Thus we investigated the role of CXCR6 in protection against experimental metastasis of B16-F10 melanoma (B16) and Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells to the liver and lungs. Wild-type and CXCR6(-/-) mice exhibited no differences in tumor cell metastasis to the lungs. However, metastasis of LLC and B16 tumor cells to the liver was enhanced in CXCR6(-/-) mice. Liver metastasis was also increased in wild-type mice treated with a CXCL16 neutralizing Ab. As Ab treatments did not alter iNKT cell numbers, this implicates a direct role for CXCR6/CXCL16 in regulating antitumor immunity. Cytokine induction was significantly attenuated in CXCR6(-/-) mice upon systemic iNKT cell activation with the glycolipid Ags alpha-galactosylceramide (alpha-GalCer), alpha-C-GalCer (a Th1 polarizing derivative), or OCH (a Th2 polarizing derivative). Despite differences in the levels of cytokine production, liver and lung metastasis were inhibited significantly in both wild-type and CXCR6(-/-) mice treated with glycolipids. Single doses of alpha-GalCer, alpha-C-GalCer, or OCH were sufficient to prevent liver metastasis and subsequent doses failed to elicit optimal cytokine responses. Our findings implicate a role for CXCR6 in natural immunosurveillance against liver metastasis. However, CXCR6 deficiency could be overcome by systemic iNKT cell activation, demonstrating that even suboptimal iNKT cell activation can protect against metastasis.
Assuntos
Carcinoma Pulmonar de Lewis/imunologia , Neoplasias Hepáticas Experimentais/imunologia , Neoplasias Pulmonares/imunologia , Ativação Linfocitária/imunologia , Melanoma Experimental/imunologia , Células T Matadoras Naturais/imunologia , Células T Matadoras Naturais/metabolismo , Receptores CXCR/antagonistas & inibidores , Animais , Carcinoma Pulmonar de Lewis/metabolismo , Carcinoma Pulmonar de Lewis/patologia , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Neoplasias Hepáticas Experimentais/patologia , Neoplasias Hepáticas Experimentais/secundário , Neoplasias Pulmonares/patologia , Neoplasias Pulmonares/secundário , Melanoma Experimental/metabolismo , Melanoma Experimental/patologia , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Knockout , Células T Matadoras Naturais/patologia , Receptores CXCR/deficiência , Receptores CXCR/genética , Receptores CXCR6RESUMO
NK T (NKT) cells play important roles in the regulation of diverse immune responses. However, little is known about the mechanisms that regulate homeostasis and activation of these cells. Thymic NKT cells up-regulated the chemokine receptor CXCR6 following positive selection and migrated toward CXCL16 in vitro. However, CXCR6 was not essential for thymic development or maturation. In contrast, liver and lung NKT cells were depleted in CXCR6+/- and CXCR6-/- mice. The reduction in liver and lung NKT cells coincided with an increase in bone marrow NKT cells, suggesting a redistribution of NKT cells in CXCR6-/- animals. In wild-type mice, CXCL16 neutralization reduced accumulation of mature NK1.1+, but not immature NK1.1- NKT cell recent thymic emigrants in the liver. Given that thymic NKT cells are preferentially exported as NK1.1- cells, this suggests an additional role for CXCR6/CXCL16 in maturation or survival of immature liver NKT cells. CXCL16 blockade did not deplete resident NK1.1+ NKT cells, indicating that CXCR6/CXCL16 are not required to retain mature NKT cells in the liver. Cytokine production by liver and spleen NKT cells was impaired in CXCR6-/- mice following in vivo stimulation with alpha-galactosylceramide, implicating a novel role for CXCR6 in NKT cell activation. Reduced IFN-gamma production was not due to an intrinsic defect as production was normal following PMA and ionomycin stimulation. Preformed transcripts for IL-4, but not IFN-gamma, were reduced in CXCR6-/- liver NKT cells. These data identify critical roles for CXCR6/CXCL16 in NKT cell activation and the regulation of NKT cell homeostasis.