Immunocytochemistry analysis of angiogenesis and apoptosis in hepatocellular Carcinoma cell line in response to treatment with melatonin

• Grant number: 13/06421-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): July 01, 2013
• Effective date (End): June 30, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Debora Aparecida Pires de Campos Zuccari
• Grantee: João Marcos Wolf Maciel
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de São José do Rio Preto (FAMERP). Secretaria de Desenvolvimento Econômico (São Paulo - Estado). São José do Rio Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Liver cancer is the sixth in incidence and is the third cause of cancer mortality worldwide. The most common histological type is hepatocarcinoma or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which corresponds to 80% of the cases. This type of neoplasm is characterized by neovascularization and by a high propensity to vein invasion, which is highly related to disease progression and prognosis. The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which is under the control of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alfa (HIF-1alfa), specifically stimulates the proliferation of endothelial cells and increases the permeability cell, promoting growth, tumor metastasis, and dissemination. Melatonin, the principal hormone secreted by the pineal gland, may have an important role in tumor suppression by inhibiting VEGF-mediated angiogenesis and/or HIF-1±. Recent studies have shown that melatonin inhibits cell proliferation and increases apoptosis in the HepG2 hepatocarcinoma cell line, besides reducing the plasma concentration of VEGF in patients with HCC. Thus, this project aims to investigate the expression of pro-angiogenic proteins, VEGF and HIF-1alfa, and of pro-apoptotic protein, caspase 3 in cell line HepG2 liver cancer after treatment with melatonin. The results from this study will investigate the potential benefit of the use of melatonin as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of liver cancer, contributing to growth control and tumor invasion. (AU)

Publicações científicas

(Referências obtidas automaticamente do Web of Science e do SciELO, por meio da informação sobre o financiamento pela FAPESP e o número do processo correspondente, incluída na publicação pelos autores)

COLOMBO, JUCIMARA; WOLF MACIEL, JOAO MARCOS; FERREIRA, LIVIA CARVALHO; DA SILVA, RENATO FERREIRA; PIRES DE CAMPOS ZUCCARI, DEBORA APARECIDA. Effects of melatonin on HIF-1 alpha and VEGF expression and on the invasive properties of hepatocarcinoma cells. Oncology Letters, v. 12, n. 1, p. 231-237, JUL 2016. (13/06421-8)