The proangiogenic factor ephrin-A1 is up-regulated in radioresistant murine tumor by irradiation.
While the pre-treatment status of cancer is generally correlated with outcome, little is known about microenvironmental change caused by anti-cancer treatment and how it may affect outcome. For example, treatment may lead to induction of gene expression that promotes resistance to therapy. In the present study, we attempted to find a gene that was both induced by irradiation and associated with radioresistance in tumors. Using single-color oligo-microarrays, we analyzed the gene expression profiles of two murine squamous cell carcinomas, NR-S1, which is highly radioresistant, and SCCVII, which is radiosensitive, after irradiation with 137-Cs gamma rays or carbon ions. Candidate genes were those differentially regulated between NR-S1 and SCCVII after any kind of irradiation. Four genes, Efna1 (Ephrin-A1), Sprr1a (small proline-rich protein 1A), Srgap3 (SLIT-ROBO Rho GTPase activating protein 3) and Xrra1 [RIKEN 2 days neonate thymus thymic cells (NOD) cDNA clone E430023D08 3'], were selected as candidate genes associated with radiotherapy-induced radioresistance. We focused on Efna1, which encodes a ligand for the Eph receptor tyrosine kinase known to be involved in the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway. We used immunohistochemical methods to detect expression of Ephrin-A1, VEGF, and the microvascular marker CD31 in radioresistant NR-S1 tumor cells. Ephrin-A1 was detected in the cytoplasm of NR-S1 tumor cells after irradiation, but not in SCCVII tumor cells. Irradiation of NR-S1 tumor cells also led to significant increases in microvascular density, and up-regulation of VEGF expression. Our results suggest that radiotherapy-induced changes in gene expression related with angiogenesis might also modulate microenvironment and influence responsiveness of tumors.
Nojiri
Kazunori
K
Research Center for Charged Particle Therapy, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba, Japan.
Iwakawa
Mayumi
M
Ichikawa
Yasushi
Y
Imadome
Kaori
K
Sakai
Minako
M
Nakawatari
Miyako
M
Ishikawa
Ken-Ichi
K
Ishikawa
Atsuko
A
Togo
Shinji
S
Tsujii
Hirohiko
H
Shimada
Hiroshi
H
Imai
Takashi
T
D000818:Animals; D036382:Ephrin-A1 / Q000235:genetics*; D005720:Gamma Rays; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000528:radiation effects; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics / Q000528:radiation effects; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D015854:Up-Regulation
D036382:Ephrin-A1; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm