[HTML][HTML] Elevated COX-2 expression promotes angiogenesis through EGFR/p38-MAPK/Sp1-dependent signalling in pancreatic cancer

H Hu, T Han, M Zhuo, L Wu, C Yuan, L Wu, W Lei… - Scientific Reports, 2017 - nature.com
H Hu, T Han, M Zhuo, L Wu, C Yuan, L Wu, W Lei, F Jiao, LW Wang
Scientific Reports, 2017nature.com
Abstract Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) was stated to be overexpression in various human
malignancies associating with angiogenesis, metastasis and chemoresistence. Pancreatic
ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal disease displaying many of these characteristics.
A common abnormality of PDAC is overexpression of specificity protein-1 (Sp1), which was
said to correlate with malignant phenotypes of human cancers. Using RNA-seq data from
The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we found that Sp1 expression was positively correlated …
Abstract
Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) was stated to be overexpression in various human malignancies associating with angiogenesis, metastasis and chemoresistence. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal disease displaying many of these characteristics. A common abnormality of PDAC is overexpression of specificity protein-1 (Sp1), which was said to correlate with malignant phenotypes of human cancers. Using RNA-seq data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we found that Sp1 expression was positively correlated with that of COX-2 in PDAC, and that the inhibition or overexpression of Sp1 in PDAC cells leads to decreased or elevated COX-2 expression. Luciferase reporter gene and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays revealed that elevated transcription of COX-2 requires Sp1 binding to sequence positions around −245/−240 of COX-2 promoter. Activated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and downstream p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38-MAPK) were also profoundly altered in PDAC. The inhibition of EGFR/p38-MAPK signaling resulted in reduced Sp1 activation, decreased COX-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression. Thus, Sp1 could transcriptionally activate COX-2 expression in a process relies on activated EGFR/p38-MAPK signaling. Finally, we found that the inhibition of COX-2 leads to decreased angiogenesis in a process dependent on VEGF, which link COX-2 to angiogenesis in PDAC.
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