title: Ablation of EIF5A2 induces tumor vasculature remodeling and improves tumor response to chemotherapy via regulation of matrix metalloproteinase 2 expression.
abstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly vascularized tumor with poor clinical outcome. Our previous work has shown that eukaryotic initiation factor 5A2 (EIF5A2) over-expression enhances HCC cell metastasis. In this study, EIF5A2 was identified to be an independent risk factor for poor disease-specific survival among HCC patients. Both in vitro and in vivo assays indicated that ablation of endogenous EIF5A2 inhibited tumor angiogenesis by reducing matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) expression. Given that MMP-2 degrades collagen IV, a main component of the vascular basement membrane (BM), we subsequently investigated the effect of EIF5A2 on tumor vasculature remodeling using complementary approaches, including fluorescent immunostaining, transmission electron microscopy, tumor perfusion assays and tumor hypoxia assays. Taken together, our results indicate that EIF5A2 silencing increases tumor vessel wall continuity, increases blood perfusion and improves tumor oxygenation. Additionally, we found that ablation of EIF5A2 enhanced the chemosensitivity of HCC cells to 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU). Finally, we demonstrated that EIF5A2 might exert these functions by enhancing MMP-2 activity via activation of p38 MAPK and JNK/c-Jun pathways.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study highlights an important role of EIF5A2 in HCC tumor vessel remodeling and indicates that EIF5A2 represents a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of HCC.
authors: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine; Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China. These authors contributed equally to this work.
authors: Feng-Wei
authors: FW
authors: Wang
authors: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine; Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China. Department of Pathology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China. These authors contributed equally to this work.
authors: Mu-Yan
authors: MY
authors: Cai
authors: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine; Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China. These authors contributed equally to this work.
authors: Shi-Juan
authors: SJ
authors: Mai
authors: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine; Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China. Department of Pathology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Jie-Wei
authors: JW
authors: Chen
authors: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine; Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Hai-Yan
authors: HY
authors: Bai
authors: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine; Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Yan
authors: Y
authors: Li
authors: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine; Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Yi-Ji
authors: YJ
authors: Liao
authors: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine; Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Chang-Peng
authors: CP
authors: Li
authors: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine; Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Xiao-Peng
authors: XP
authors: Tian
authors: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine; Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China. State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors: Hsiang-Fu
authors: HF
authors: Kung
authors: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine; Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China. Department of Clinical Oncology, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors: Xin-Yuan
authors: XY
authors: Guan
authors: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine; Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Dan
authors: D
authors: Xie
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000098:blood supply / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System; D008297:Male; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D010448:Peptide Initiation Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D000097574:Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 5A
chemical_list: D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D010448:Peptide Initiation Factors; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D000097574:Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 5A; C522361:MMP2 protein, human