g(m3)-ganglioside and Carcinoma--Hepatocellular

The ganglioside GM3 exerts its different effects via various growth factor receptors. The present study investigated and comparatively analyzed the opposing effects exerted by GM3 on the migration of mouse hepatocellular carcinoma Hepa1‑6 cells via epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and hepatocyte growth factor receptor (HGFR/cMet). The results demonstrated that GM3 inhibited EGF‑stimulated motility, but promoted HGF‑stimulated motility of the Hepa1‑6 cells via phosphatidylinositol 3‑kinase/Akt‑mediated migration signaling. It is well established that the main cytokines modulating cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis are different in different types of tumor. This difference may, at least in part, explain why GM3 exerted its actions in a tumor‑type specific manner.

Topics: Animals; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Movement; Epidermal Growth Factor; ErbB Receptors; G(M3) Ganglioside; Hepatocyte Growth Factor; Mice; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; Phosphorylation; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met; RNA Interference; Sialyltransferases; Signal Transduction

Ganglioside GM3 plays a well-documented and important role in the regulation of tumor cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis by modulating tyrosine kinase growth factor receptors. However, the effect of GM3 on the hepatocyte growth factor receptor (HGFR, cMet) has not been fully delineated. In the current study, we investigated how GM3 affects cMet signaling and HGF-stimulated cell motility and migration using three hepatic cancer cell lines of mouse (Hca/A2, Hca/16A3, and Hepa1-6). Decreasing GM3 expression with the use of P4, a specific inhibitor for ganglioside synthesis inhibited the HGF-stimulated phosphorylation of cMet and activity of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. In contrast, the increased expression of GM3 as a result of adding exogenous GM3 enhanced the HGF-stimulated phosphorylation of cMet and activity of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Furthermore, HGF-stimulated cell motility and migration in vitro were inhibited by reduced expression of GM3 and enhanced by increased expression of GM3. All the observations indicate that ganglioside GM3 promotes HGF-stimulated motility of murine hepatoma cell through enhanced phosphorylation of cMet at specific tyrosine sites and PI3K/Akt-mediated migration signaling.

Topics: Animals; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Movement; Down-Regulation; G(M2) Ganglioside; G(M3) Ganglioside; Hepatocyte Growth Factor; Humans; Liver Neoplasms; Mice; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; Phosphorylation; Phosphotyrosine; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met; Signal Transduction; Up-Regulation

Two related sublines derived from murine ascites hepatoma cell lines Hca-F25, which were selected for their markedly different metastatic potential to lymph nodes, were found to be distinct in their ganglioside patterns. The low metastatic cell line (HcaP) contained a major ganglioside GM3, whereas the high metastatic cell line (HcaF) contained a major ganglioside GM2. Suppression of GM3 by P4 enhanced the mobility and migration of the low metastatic HcaP cells in vitro. Increase in GM3 content in high metastatic HcaF cells by addition of exogenous GM3 inhibited the mobility and migration. These results suggested that the differences in lymphatic metastasis potential between these two cell lines could be attributed to the differences in their ganglioside compositions, and GM3 could suppress the motility and migration of these cells. Further, we investigated the mechanism by which GM3 suppressed the cell mobility and migration. The results showed that suppression of GM3 synthesis by P4 in low metastatic HcaP cells promoted PKB/Akt phosphorylation at Ser473 and Thr308, and phosphorylation of EGFR at the Tyr1173. In contrast, increase in GM3 content in high metastatic HcaF cells by addition of exogenous GM3 into the culture medium suppressed phosphorylation of PKB/Akt and EGFR at the same residues. Taken together, these results suggested that the mechanism of GM3-suppressed cell motility and migration may involve the inhibition of phosphorylation of EGFR and the activity of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Topics: Animals; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Movement; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; ErbB Receptors; G(M3) Ganglioside; Immunoblotting; Mice; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Signal Transduction

Gangliosides of hepatomas have been analyzed by using a monoclonal antibody directed to N-acetylneuraminosyl(alpha 2-6)lactoneotetraosylceramide (sialyl(alpha 2-6)paragloboside), which was prepared by injecting the monosialoganglioside fraction of human meconium into BALB/c mice. The monoclonal antibody, named MSG-15, was found to bind sialyl(alpha 2-6)paragloboside, but it failed to react with other gangliosides, including N-acetylneuraminosyl(alpha 2-3)lactoneotetraosylceramide (sialyl (alpha 2-3)paragloboside) and "Ii"-type gangliosides. MSG-15 was found to recognize NeuAc alpha 2-6Gal beta structure of the ganglioside. Gangliosides obtained from human hepatomas were analyzed by immunostaining on high-performance thin-layer chromatography plates using the monoclonal antibody MSG-15. All primary hepatoma samples used in this study (nine samples) were found to contain sialyl(alpha 2-6)paragloboside, which accounted for 13-31% of the monosialoganglioside fractions in the hepatomas. Furthermore, MSG-15 recognized several monosialogangliosides in addition to sialyl(alpha 2-6)paragloboside. These gangliosides apparently also contain a terminal NeuAc alpha 2-6Gal beta structure. Other ganglioside fractions obtained from hepatoma and meconium were immunostained on thin layer chromatography plates with MSG-15. Additionally, another monoclonal antibody (H-11), which recognizes terminal lactosamine structure, was used to immunostain these fractions after sialidase treatment. Bands stained with both monoclonal antibodies showed similar mobilities to each other in the di- and trisialoganglioside fractions as well as monosialoganglioside fraction. In control liver, GM3 ganglioside accounted for 92% of monosialoganglioside fraction, and sialyl(alpha 2-6)paragloboside accounted for less than 1% of the fraction. Immunohistochemical study by using MSG-15 in tissue sections from hepatocellular carcinoma and normal liver tissues demonstrated that only hepatocellular carcinoma cells gave a positive reaction. These results suggest that the biosynthetic pathway of gangliosides containing NeuAc alpha 2-6Gal beta 1-4GlcNAc beta structure is activated in hepatoma cells.

Topics: Animals; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Chemical Phenomena; Chemistry; G(M3) Ganglioside; Gangliosides; Globosides; Glycosphingolipids; Humans; Liver Neoplasms; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Oligosaccharides

Hyperplastic nodules and hepatocellular carcinomas were induced in livers of rats by a low-protein diet containing 0.05% of the carcinogen N-2-fluorenylacetamide. Ganglioside amounts and composition were determined for histologically different hepatocellular carcinomas and compared with those for control livers, hyperplastic nodules, and liver tissue surrounding hepatomas and nodules as well as those for livers of fetal, newborn, 1-week-old, weanling, and adult Sprague-Dawley rats. Ganglioside sialic acid levels were elevated above those of normal adult liver in all liver tissues following the carcinogen treatment regimen. Livers of fetal and newborn rats contained nearly twice the amount of ganglioside sialic acid on a protein or DNA basis as did livers of adult rats. Analyses of individual nodules and hepatomas revealed two populations of tumors in which the levels of ganglioside sialic acid were 2.3 and 3.8 times normal. Ganglioside sialic acid content was at hepatoma levels in small nodules. Individual gangliosides were evenly distributed between products of the monosialoganglioside and disialoganglioside pathways in normal liver with a ratio of [N-acetylneuraminic acid (sialic acid)] (NAN)-galactose (Gal)-N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc)-(NAN)-Gal-glucose (Glc)-ceramide (Cer) (GD1a) to Gal-GalNAc-(NAN)2-Gal-Glc-Cer (GD1b) of about one. In contrast, the monosialogangliosides predominated in liver tissues following administration of the carcinogen. Increased levels of specific monosialogangliosides were present in nodules, in liver of carcinogen-treated animals prior to the appearance of tumors, and in the liver tissues surrounding nodules and hepatomas. In single hepatomas, ganglioside patterns correlated with tumorigenicity. A well-differentiated hepatoma had a normal complement of most gangliosides but was deficient in trisialogangliosides. In a poorly diferentiated but well-circumscribed hepatoma, the relative levels of all higher gangliosides were reduced. The monosialoganglioside Gal-GalNAc-(NAN)-Gal-Glc-Cer (GM1) accounted for 80% of the total ganglioside in a poorly circumscribed and poorly differentiated hepatoma. The ganglioside pattern of fetal livers most closely resembled that of a poorly differentiated hepatoma. During the first week post natum, levels of all higher monosialogangliosides and disialogangliosides declined, but the decline was most pronounced for gangliosides GM1 and GD1a. The ratio of GM1 + GD1a to GD1b + NAN-Gal-GalNAc-(NAN)

Topics: 2-Acetylaminofluorene; Animals; Animals, Newborn; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Fluorenes; G(M1) Ganglioside; G(M2) Ganglioside; G(M3) Ganglioside; Gangliosides; Hyperplasia; Liver; Liver Neoplasms; Neoplasms, Experimental; Precancerous Conditions; Rats; Sialic Acids