An adiponectin receptor, T-cadherin, was selectively expressed in intratumoral capillary endothelial cells in hepatocellular carcinoma: possible cross talk between T-cadherin and FGF-2 pathways.
T-cadherin is a unique receptor of adiponectin, which plays a critical role in various angiogenesis. In the present study, T-cadherin expression in tumor vessels of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and, subsequently, the molecular mechanism, which induced T-cadherin expression in sinusoidal endothelial cells were investigated. Sinusoidal endothelium in nontumorous liver, chronic hepatitis, or liver cirrhosis expressed little or no T-cadherin. By contrast, T-cadherin was found in intratumoral capillary endothelial cells of 34 out of 63 HCC specimens. In positive cases, focal T-cadherin expression was found in well-differentiated HCC, whereas diffuse and intense T-cadherin expression was observed in poorly differentiated HCC specimens. T-cadherin was much expressed in intratumoral capillary endothelial cells in a less differentiated HCC region than that in a well-differentiated region in five specimens, in which various differentiated HCC components were coexistent. In a double-cell chamber assay, fibroblast growth factor-2 appeared to have a critical role to induce T-cadherin in cultured liver sinusoidal endothelial cells. The present finding indicated that T-cadherin was selectively expressed in intratumoral capillary endothelial cells of many HCCs, increasingly expressed as tumor progression, and T-cadherin may have a positive role in angiogenesis of HCC. In addition, cross talk between the signal pathways mediated by fibroblast growth factor-2 and adiponectin was suggested.
Adachi
Yoshihiro
Y
Department of Pathology, Kochi Medical School, Nankoku, Kochi, Japan.
Takeuchi
Tamotsu
T
Sonobe
Hiroshi
H
Ohtsuki
Yuji
Y
D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002196:Capillaries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000556:secondary; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D020239:Receptor Cross-Talk; D054419:Receptors, Adiponectin / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D015820:Cadherins; C099972:H-cadherin; D054419:Receptors, Adiponectin; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2