title: Pre-treatment of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells with interleukin-6 abolishes their growth-promoting effect on gastric cancer cells.
abstract: The inflammatory microenvironment contributes to cancer development and progression. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), as important stromal cells, may be 'educated' by the inflammatory microenvironment to support the development of gastric cancer. Cytokines are a key component of cancer-related inflammation. Interleukin (IL)-6, as an inflammatory cytokine, has multiple roles in cancer. However, whether MSCs can be 'educated' by IL-6 to support gastric cancer remains unknown. In the present study, we focused on the phenotype and function of human umbilical cord-derived MSCs hUC‑MSCs pre-treated with IL-6 in gastric cancer. We found that the protein levels of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were upregulated, and phosphorylated nuclear factor (NF)-κB protein levels were downregulated in the hUC‑MSCs pre-treated with IL-6, as shown by western blot analysis. The levels of tumor‑promoting cytokines, including chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 5 (CCL5), platelet-derived growth factor‑BB (PDGF‑BB), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and tumor necrosis factor α(TNFα), were markedly reduced in the hUC‑MSCs following treatment with IL-6, as shown by RT-qPCR. In in vitro experiments, we co-cultured MSCs with N-methyl‑N'‑nitro‑N‑nitrosoguanidine (MNNG)‑transformed GES-1 gastric epithelial cells or SGC-7901 gastric cancer cells. Transwell and colony-forming cell assays revealed that the hUC-MSCs significantly promoted gastric cellular migration and proliferation. However, following treatment with IL-6, the hUC-MSCs had no growth-promoting effect on the gastric epithelial cells and gastric cancer cells. In in vivo experiments, we co-transplanted MSCs and SGC-7901 cells into nude mice in order to establish a nude mouse model of gastric cancer. The hUC-MSCs significantly promoted the growth gastric tumors through the promotion of cell proliferation and the inhibition of cell apoptosis. On the contrary, pre-treatment with IL-6 provided the hUC‑MSCs with the ability to inhibit cell proliferation and significantly induce cell apoptosis. Taken together, our findings indicate that pre-treatment with IL-6 significantly abolishes the ability of hUC-MSCs to promote gastric epithelial cell proliferation and migration and provide new insight into the effects of the inflammatory cytokine, IL-6, on the tumor-promoting ability of MSCs and its role in gastric cancer.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Medical Science and Laboratory Medicine of Jiangsu Province, The Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Medical Science and Laboratory Medicine of Jiangsu Province, The Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Medical Science and Laboratory Medicine of Jiangsu Province, The Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Medical Science and Laboratory Medicine of Jiangsu Province, The Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Mengchu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Medical Science and Laboratory Medicine of Jiangsu Province, The Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Medical Science and Laboratory Medicine of Jiangsu Province, The Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Tingting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Medical Science and Laboratory Medicine of Jiangsu Province, The Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Medical Science and Laboratory Medicine of Jiangsu Province, The Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Medical Science and Laboratory Medicine of Jiangsu Province, The Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wenrong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D064593:Heterografts; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D014470:Umbilical Cord
chemical_list: C541116:ACTA2 protein, human; D000199:Actins; C508600:IL6 protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016328:NF-kappa B; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins