Open AccessPeriostin promotes tumor angiogenesis in pancreatic cancer via Erk/VEGF signaling
Author(s) -
Yang Liu,
Fan Li,
Feng Gao,
Lingxi Xing,
Peng Qin,
Xingxin Liang,
Jiajie Zhang,
Xiuying Qiao,
Lizhou Lin,
Qian Zhao,
Lianfang Du
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
oncotarget
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.373
H-Index - 127
ISSN - 1949-2553
DOI - 10.18632/oncotarget.9512
Subject(s) - periostin , angiogenesis , medicine , mapk/erk pathway , cancer research , metastasis , pancreatic cancer , gene knockdown , cancer , apoptosis , signal transduction , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , extracellular matrix
Pancreatic cancer (PaC) consists of a bulk of stroma cells which contribute to tumor progression by releasing angiogenic factors. Recent studies have found that periostin (POSTN) is closely associate with the metastatic potential and prognosis of PaC. The purpose of this study is to determine the role of POSTN in tumor angiogenesis and explore the precise mechanisms. In this study, we used lentiviral shRNA and human recombinant POSTN protein (rPOSTN) to negatively and positively regulate POSTN expression in vitro. We found that increased POSTN expression promoted the tubule formation dependent on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Moreover, knockdown of POSTN in PaC cells reduced tumor growth and VEGF expression in vivo. In accordance with these observations, we found that Erk phosphorylation and its downstream VEGF expression were upregulated achieved in rPOSTN-treated groups, opposing results were obversed in POSTN-slienced group. Meanwhile, Erk inhibitor SCH772984 significantly decreased VEGF expression as well as tubule formation of HUVECs in rPOSTN-treated PaC cells. Taken together, these findings suggest that POSTN promotes tumor angiogenesis via Erk/VEGF signaling in PaC and POSTN may be a new target for cancer anti-vascular treatment.