We used high- (ACCM) and low- (ACC2) metastasis cell lines of human adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) as an experimental model to study metastatic mechanisms and compare their expression levels for angiogenic-related factor vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). By using a series of extensive analyses, hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) α-dependent VEGF expression levels were observed to be higher in ACCM cell lines, increasing the possible development of tumor metastasis, compared to ACC2 cell lines. Our findings provide the novel insight that HIF-1α-dependent VEGF overexpression under hypoxic conditions shows to some extent associations with the metastatic tendency of ACC cells and may function as a potential target for ACC therapy.
Keywords: Hypoxia; adenoid cystic carcinoma; vascular endothelial growth factor.