The mobilization, recruitment and contribution of bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells to the tumor neovascularization occur at an early stage and throughout the entire process of hepatocellular carcinoma growth

Oncol Rep. 2012 Oct;28(4):1217-24. doi: 10.3892/or.2012.1944. Epub 2012 Jul 31.

Abstract

Obvious neovascularization is a key feature of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the status of neovascularization in HCC is closely correlated with the tumor growth and patient prognosis. The actual effect of current antivascular treatment including embolization to HCC is not satisfactory. Compensatory angiogenesis is one of the primary causes responsible for failure of antiangiogenic therapy. Bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells (BM-EPCs) are considered as important building blocks for adult neovascularization. However, the role of mobilized BM-EPCs in HCC remains unknown. In this study, GFP+-BM orthotropic HCC mice were established to investigate whether BM-EPCs are involved in HCC-induced neovascularization. We found that a large number of BM-EPCs were mobilized into the circulation with the development of HCC, recruited into the HCC region and incorporated into the vascular endothelium directly by differentiation into vascular endothelial cells, including sinus, capillary vessels and great vessels. Dynamic observation revealed that the mobilization and the incorporation of BM-EPCs into different types of vessels were present in early phases and throughout the whole process of HCC growth. The proportion of BM-EPCs in vessels increased gradually, from 17 to 21% with tumor growth. Moreover, injected GFP+-EPCs also specifically homed to tumor tissue and incorporated into tumor vessels directly. In this initial study, we demonstrated that BM-EPCs play a prominent role in HCC neovascularization. Blockade of BM-EPC-mediated vasculogenesis may improve the efficacy of current anti-vascularization therapy for patients with HCC.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • AC133 Antigen
  • Animals
  • Antigens, CD / metabolism
  • Antigens, CD34 / metabolism
  • Blood Circulation
  • Bone Marrow / pathology*
  • Capillaries / pathology
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / blood supply
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / pathology*
  • Endothelial Cells / pathology*
  • Glycoproteins / metabolism
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / metabolism
  • Liver Neoplasms / blood supply
  • Liver Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Liver Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / metabolism
  • Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / pathology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / metabolism
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / pathology*
  • Peptides / metabolism
  • Up-Regulation
  • Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / metabolism
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / metabolism

Substances

  • AC133 Antigen
  • Antigens, CD
  • Antigens, CD34
  • Glycoproteins
  • Icam1 protein, mouse
  • Peptides
  • Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • vascular endothelial growth factor A, mouse
  • Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins