Inhibition of lung cancer cell proliferation by CD40 signaling through tumor necrosis factor I.
OBJECTIVE
CD40 signaling induces growth inhibition in some tumor cells in vitro, but the precise molecular mechanism remains unclear. This study was to investigate the biological effects and mechanisms of CD40 stimulation on proliferation of lung cancer cell lines NCI-H460 and A549, changes in tumor necrosis factor receptors (TNFRs) and membrane tumor necrosis factor alpha (mTNF-alpha).


METHODS
The expression of CD40 on the cell surface, and changes in TNFR and mTNF-alpha expression after CD40 stimulation were detected by the immunofluorescence technique and flow cytometry. Changes in protein contents of TNFR as well as mTNF-alpha expression after CD40 stimulation were measured by western blot. The cell proliferation rate was determined by MTT assay. The content of soluble TNF-alpha(sTNF-alpha) in the supernatant of lung cancer cells was measured by ELISA assay.


RESULTS
The expression rates of CD40 in NCI-H460 and A549 were (89.0 +/- 3.2)% and (62.2 +/- 4.5)%, respectively. After 48 h of CD40 stimulation, the expression rates of TNFRI in NCI-H460 and A549 became significantly higher [(36.2 +/- 4.6)% and (38.5 +/- 5.9)%] than those in the corresponding control cells [(15.2 +/- 3.1)% and (7.2 +/- 1.9)%] (p < 0.05); while the expression rates of TNFRII were significantly lower than those in the control cells [(18.0 +/- 1.6)% and (5.8 +/- 1.2)% vs. (58.1 +/- 3.6)% and (38.8 +/- 4.3)%] (p < 0.05); the expression rates of mTNF-alpha were decreased in the two cell lines [(8.7 +/- 1.1)% and (7.0 +/- 0.9)%] as compared to those in control cells [(15.0 +/- 2.1)% and (26.5 +/- 3.2)%] (p < 0.05). The level of TNFRI protein was elevated with the downregulation of TNFRII protein in NCI-H460 and A549. The level of mTNF-alpha protein remained unchanged in the two cell lines. TNF-alpha was not detectable in the supernatant of lung cancer cells. Moreover, cell proliferation of NCI-H460 and A549 were inhibited after CD40 stimulation (p < 0.05), but the inhibition effect disappeared after blocking TNFRI. Blocking of TNF-alpha inhibited cell proliferation of the two cell lines (p < 0.05), but a synergistic effect was not observed after simultaneous stimulation with CD40.


CONCLUSIONS
CD40 signaling inhibits the proliferation of CD40-positive lung cancer cells through mTNF-alpha/TNFRI in vitro.
Lu
Xu-Dong
XD
Department of Respiratory Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, PR China.
Zhu
Xiao-Lan
XL
Chen
Cheng
C
Zhang
Guang-Bo
GB
Zhang
Xue-Guang
XG
Huang
Jian-An
JA
D019013:CD40 Antigens / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D047888:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*
D019013:CD40 Antigens; D047888:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha