info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Growth hormone up-regulates the pro-tumorigenic galectin 1 in mouse liver
Fecha
2019-07Registro en:
Bacigalupo, Maria Lorena; Piazza, Verónica Gabriela; Cicconi, Nadia Sofía; Carabias, Pablo; Bartke, Andrzej; et al.; Growth hormone up-regulates the pro-tumorigenic galectin 1 in mouse liver; BioScientifica; Endocrine Connections; 8; 8; 7-2019; 1108-1117
2049-3614
CONICET Digital
CONICET
Autor
Bacigalupo, Maria Lorena
Piazza, Verónica Gabriela
Cicconi, Nadia Sofía
Carabias, Pablo
Bartke, Andrzej
Fang, Yimin
Sotelo, Ana Isabel
Rabinovich, Gabriel Adrián
Troncoso, María Fernanda
Miquet, Johanna Gabriela
Resumen
Transgenic mice overexpressing growth hormone (GH) spontaneously develop liver tumors, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), within a year. The preneoplastic liver pathology in these mice recapitulates that observed in humans at high risk of developing hepatic cancer. Although increased expression of galectin 1 (GAL1) in liver tissue is associated with HCC aggressiveness, a link between this glycan-binding protein and hormone-related tumor development has not yet been explored. In this study, we investigated GAL1 expression during liver tumor progression in mice continuously exposed to high levels of GH. GAL1 expression was determined by Western blotting, RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry in the liver of transgenic mice overexpressing GH. Animals of representative ages at different stages of liver pathology were studied. GAL1 expression was upregulated in the liver of GH-transgenic mice. This effect was observed at early ages, when animals displayed no signs of liver disease or minimal histopathological alterations and was also detected in young adults with preneoplastic liver pathology. Remarkably, GAL1 upregulation was sustained during aging and its expression was particularly enhanced in liver tumors. GH also induced hepatic GAL1 expression in mice that were treated with this hormone for a short period. Moreover, GH triggered a rapid increment in GAL1 protein expression in human HCC cells, denoting a direct effect of the hormone on hepatocytes. Therefore, our results indicate that GH upregulates GAL1 expression in mouse liver, which may have critical implications in tumorigenesis. These findings suggest that this lectin could be implicated in hormone-driven liver carcinogenesis.