{"title":"Cholesterol synthesis is essential for the growth of liver metastasis-prone colorectal cancer cells","authors":"Kumiko Taniguchi, Kei Sugihara, Takashi Miura, Daisuke Hoshi, Susumu Kohno, Chiaki Takahashi, Eishu Hirata, Etsuko Kiyokawa","doi":"10.1111/cas.16331","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>Metastasis to the liver is a leading cause of death in patients with colorectal cancer. To investigate the characteristics of cancer cells prone to metastasis, we utilized an isogenic model of BALB/c and colon tumor 26 (C26) cells carrying an active <i>KRAS</i> mutation. Liver metastatic (LM) 1 cells were isolated from mice following intrasplenic transplantation of C26 cells. Subsequent injections of LM1 cells generated LM2 cells, and after four cycles, LM4 cells were obtained. In vitro, using a perfusable capillary network system, we found comparable extravasation frequencies between C26 and LM4 cells. Both cell lines showed similar growth rates in vitro. However, C26 cells showed higher glucose consumption, whereas LM4 cells incorporated more fluorescent fatty acids (FAs). Biochemical analysis revealed that LM4 cells had higher cholesterol levels than C26 cells. A correlation was observed between fluorescent FAs and cholesterol levels detected using filipin III. LM4 cells utilized FAs as a source for cholesterol synthesis through acetyl-CoA metabolism. In cellular analysis, cholesterol accumulated in punctate regions, and upregulation of NLRP3 and STING proteins, but not mTOR, was observed in LM4 cells. Treatment with a cholesterol synthesis inhibitor (statin) induced LM4 cell death in vitro and suppressed LM4 cell growth in the livers of nude mice. These findings indicate that colorectal cancer cells prone to liver metastasis show cholesterol-dependent growth and that statin therapy could help treat liver metastasis in immunocompromised patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":9580,"journal":{"name":"Cancer Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.5000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11531946/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Cancer Science","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cas.16331","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ONCOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Metastasis to the liver is a leading cause of death in patients with colorectal cancer. To investigate the characteristics of cancer cells prone to metastasis, we utilized an isogenic model of BALB/c and colon tumor 26 (C26) cells carrying an active KRAS mutation. Liver metastatic (LM) 1 cells were isolated from mice following intrasplenic transplantation of C26 cells. Subsequent injections of LM1 cells generated LM2 cells, and after four cycles, LM4 cells were obtained. In vitro, using a perfusable capillary network system, we found comparable extravasation frequencies between C26 and LM4 cells. Both cell lines showed similar growth rates in vitro. However, C26 cells showed higher glucose consumption, whereas LM4 cells incorporated more fluorescent fatty acids (FAs). Biochemical analysis revealed that LM4 cells had higher cholesterol levels than C26 cells. A correlation was observed between fluorescent FAs and cholesterol levels detected using filipin III. LM4 cells utilized FAs as a source for cholesterol synthesis through acetyl-CoA metabolism. In cellular analysis, cholesterol accumulated in punctate regions, and upregulation of NLRP3 and STING proteins, but not mTOR, was observed in LM4 cells. Treatment with a cholesterol synthesis inhibitor (statin) induced LM4 cell death in vitro and suppressed LM4 cell growth in the livers of nude mice. These findings indicate that colorectal cancer cells prone to liver metastasis show cholesterol-dependent growth and that statin therapy could help treat liver metastasis in immunocompromised patients.
期刊介绍:
Cancer Science (formerly Japanese Journal of Cancer Research) is a monthly publication of the Japanese Cancer Association. First published in 1907, the Journal continues to publish original articles, editorials, and letters to the editor, describing original research in the fields of basic, translational and clinical cancer research. The Journal also accepts reports and case reports.
Cancer Science aims to present highly significant and timely findings that have a significant clinical impact on oncologists or that may alter the disease concept of a tumor. The Journal will not publish case reports that describe a rare tumor or condition without new findings to be added to previous reports; combination of different tumors without new suggestive findings for oncological research; remarkable effect of already known treatments without suggestive data to explain the exceptional result. Review articles may also be published.