Nerve growth factor orchestrates NGAL and matrix metalloproteinases activity to promote colorectal cancer metastasis

• Y. Lei ^[1] ; X. He ^[2] ; H. Huang ^[3] ; Y. He ^[1] ; J. Lan ^[1] ; J. Yang ^[1] ; W. Liu ^[2] ; T. Zhang ^[1]
  1. [1] Chengdu Medical College

     Chengdu Medical College

     China

     
  2. [2] The Second Afliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, China National Nuclear Corporation 416 Hospital, Chengdu, China
  3. [3] Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China

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• Localización: Clinical & translational oncology, ISSN 1699-048X, Vol. 24, Nº. 1 (Enero), 2022, págs. 34-47
• Idioma: inglés
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  • Purpose Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one most cancer type of high incidence and high mortality rate. Metastasis play an important role in survival rate and life quality of colorectal cancer patients. Nerve growth factor (NGF) has been shown to be involved in the metastasis and deterioration in many cancers, but the detail mechanisms in promoting the metastasis of colorectal cancer remain unknown. In this study, we aimed to explore the mechanism of NGF promoting colorectal cancer metastasis to provide new insights for developing NGF anti-colorectal cancer drugs.

    Methods We examined the expression of NGF in human colorectal cancer by immunohistochemical staining, and Western blot to evaluate the relationship between NGF and colorectal cancer metastasis. Using biochemical experiments including wound healing assay, transwell migration and invasion assay, RT–PCR, Western blot and ELISA to explore the relative mechanism of NGF promoting colorectal cancer cells metastasis in vivo.

    Results Our results found that the high expression of NGF was related with high incidence of metastasis. The binding of NGF to TrkA phosphorylated TrkA, which activated MAPK/Erk signaling pathway increasing the expression NGAL to enhance the activity of MMP2 and MMP9, promoted colorectal cancer metastasis.

    Conclusion Our fnding demonstrated that NGF increased NGAL expression to enhance MMPs activity to promoted colorectal cancer cell metastasis by TrkA-MAPK/Erk axis.