Depletion of tissue factor suppresses hepatic metastasis and tumor growth in colorectal cancer via the downregulation of MMPs and the induction of autophagy and apoptosis

Cancer Biol Ther. 2011 Nov 15;12(10):896-907. doi: 10.4161/cbt.12.10.17679. Epub 2011 Nov 15.

Abstract

Tissue factor (TF) is a significant risk factor for hepatic metastasis in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the mechanism by which TF promotes hepatic metastasis in CRC remains elusive. In this study, we first confirmed that TF expression was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis, hepatic metastasis and TNM staging in clinical CRC samples, and found that TF expression in colon cancer cell lines was correlated with the invasion ability. Next, by employing TF-overexpressing LOVO cell line as a model we demonstrated that lentivirus mediated knockdown of TF suppressed the migration and invasion of LOVO cells in vitro, and hepatic metastasis of colorectal cancer in nude mice orthotopic model. Mechanistically, we found that TF knockdown decreases colony formation ability and induced autophagy and apoptosis of LOVO cells, and this was at least partly mediated by the activation of unfolded protein response/PERK signaling. In conclusion, our data provide new insight into hepatic metastasis of CRC. Agents targeting TF should be developed as adjuvant therapeutics for CRC metastasis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Animals
  • Apoptosis* / genetics
  • Autophagy* / genetics
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / genetics
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / mortality
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Down-Regulation
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • HT29 Cells
  • Humans
  • Liver Neoplasms / genetics
  • Liver Neoplasms / mortality
  • Liver Neoplasms / secondary*
  • Male
  • Matrix Metalloproteinases / genetics
  • Matrix Metalloproteinases / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness / genetics
  • Signal Transduction
  • Survival Analysis
  • Thromboplastin / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Thromboplastin / genetics
  • Thromboplastin / metabolism
  • Unfolded Protein Response / genetics

Substances

  • Thromboplastin
  • Matrix Metalloproteinases