title: Leptin activates STAT and ERK2 pathways and induces gastric cancer cell proliferation.
abstract: Although leptin is known to induce proliferative response in gastric cancer cells, the mechanism(s) underlying this action remains poorly understood. Here, we provide evidence that leptin-induced gastric cancer cell proliferation involves activation of STAT and ERK2 signaling pathways. Leptin-induced STAT3 phosphorylation is independent of ERK2 activation. Leptin increases SHP2 phosphorylation and enhances binding of Grb2 to SHP2. Inhibition of SHP2 expression with siRNA but not SHP2 phosphatase activity abolished leptin-induced ERK2 activation. While JAK inhibition with AG490 significantly reduced leptin-induced ERK2, STAT3 phosphorylation, and cell proliferation, SHP2 inhibition only partially reduced cancer cell proliferation. Immunostaining of gastric cancer tissues displayed local overexpression of leptin and its receptor indicating that leptin might be produced and act locally in a paracrine or autocrine manner. These findings indicate that leptin promotes cancer growth by activating multiple signaling pathways and therefore blocking its action at the receptor level could be a rational therapeutic strategy.
authors.affiliation: Medical Service, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Long Beach, California, USA. rpai@uci.edu
authors.forename: Rama
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pai
authors.forename: Cal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tarnawski
mesh_terms: D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000502:physiology*; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D020738:Leptin; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C494086:STAT3 protein, human; D015534:Trans-Activators; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1