Impact of cyclic hypoxia on HIF-1alpha regulation in endothelial cells--new insights for anti-tumor treatments.
Heterogeneities in tumor blood flow are associated with cyclic changes in pO2 or cyclic hypoxia. A major difference from O2 diffusion-limited or chronic hypoxia is that the tumor vasculature itself may be directly influenced by the fluctuating hypoxic environment, and the reoxygenation phases complicate the usual hypoxia-induced phenotypic pattern. Here, we determined the cyclic hypoxia-driven pathways that modulate hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1alpha abundance in endothelial cells to identify possible therapeutic targets. We found that exposure of endothelial cells to cycles of hypoxia/reoxygenation led to accumulation of HIF-1alpha during the hypoxic periods and the phosphorylation of protein kinase B (Akt), extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) during the reoxygenation phases. We identified stimulation of mitochondrial respiration and activation of the phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway during intervening reoxygenation periods as major triggers of the stabilization of HIF-1alpha. We also found that the NOS inhibitor nitro-l-arginine methyl ester further stimulated the cyclic hypoxia-driven HIF-1alpha accumulation and the associated gain in endothelial cell survival, thereby mirroring the effects of a PI3K/Akt inhibitor. However, combination of both drugs resulted in a net reduction in HIF-1alpha and a dramatic in decrease in endothelial cell survival. In conclusion, this study identified cyclic hypoxia, as reported in many tumor types, as a unique biological challenge for endothelial cells that promotes their survival in a HIF-1alpha-dependent manner through phenotypic alterations occurring during the reoxygenation periods. These observations also indicate the potential of combining Akt-targeting drugs with anti-angiogenic drugs, in particular those interfering with the NO pathway.
Martinive
Philippe
P
Unit of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Defresne
Florence
F
Quaghebeur
Elise
E
Daneau
Géraldine
G
Crokart
Nathalie
N
Grégoire
Vincent
V
Gallez
Bernard
B
Dessy
Chantal
C
Feron
Olivier
O
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015687:Cell Hypoxia / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / Q000378:metabolism*; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D010100:Oxygen; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt