Chinese Medical Sciences Journal ›› 2021, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (1): 35-42.doi: 10.24920/003753

• Original Article • Previous Articles     Next Articles

VEGF-C/VEGFR-3/iNOS Signaling in Osteosarcoma MG63 Cells Mediates Stimulatory Effects on Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cell Proliferation

Jie Lv, Jie Yuan, Chaojian Xu, Jiaqi Hao, Yichuan Qin, Xiaoqiang Wang, Yongfeng Wang()   

  1. Department of Orthopaedics, the Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China
  • Received:2020-04-11 Accepted:2020-05-14 Published:2021-02-07 Online:2021-02-07
  • Contact: Yongfeng Wang E-mail:wyfwf8@163.com

Objective To assess the effects of vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C)/vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-3 (VEGFR-3) signaling on nitric oxide (NO) production and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression in human osteosarcoma MG63 cells and the subsequent impact on the proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs).

MethodsMG63 cells were treated with VEGF-C alone (VEGF-C group), VEGF-C + iNOS inhibitor aminoguanidine (AG; AG group), and VEGF-C + VEGFR-3 inhibitor MAZ51 (MAZ51 group); untreated MG63 cells were used as controls. NO production was evaluated by a colorimetric method involving nitrate reductase. Meanwhile, mRNA and protein levels of iNOS were examined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot. To explore the effect of VEGF-C/VEGFR-3/iNOS signaling of MG63 cells on proliferation of HUVECs, we set up six groups: HUVECs, HUVECs+MG63, HUVECs+VEGF-C, HUVECs+MG63+VEGF-C, HUVECs+MG63+VEGF-C+AG, and HUVECs+MG63+VEGF-C+MAZ51 groups. The proliferation of HUVEC cells was assessed by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), 5-ethynyl-2’-deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation assay, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression quantitation.

ResultsVEGF-C treatment enhanced iNOS expression at both gene and protein levels (mRNA: LSD-t=4.152, P<0.01; protein: LSD-t=3.486, P<0.01) and increased NO release of MG63 cells (LSD-t=3.774, P<0.01); treatment with either AG or MAZ51 decreased these effects (mRNA: LSD-t=9.183, P<0.001; LSD-t=8.639, P<0.001; protein: LSD-t=5.170, P<0.001; LSD-t=7.255, P<0.001; NO production:LSD-t=10.326, P<0.001; LSD-t=10.540, P<0.001). Interestingly, co-incubation of HUVECs with MG63 cells and/or VEGF-C significantly promoted HUVEC proliferation (EdU: LSD-t=5.374, P<0.001; LSD-t=2.984, P<0.05; LSD-t=8.526, P<0.001; PCNA: LSD-t=9.267, P<0.001; LSD-t=5.515, P<0.001; LSD-t=14.873, P<0.001).The proliferation effects of HUVEC induced by MG63 cells and VEGF-C attenuated by the treatment of AG (EdU: LSD-t=10.770, P<0.001; PCNA: LSD-t=19.940, P<0.001) or MAZ51 (EdU: LSD-t=6.950, P<0.001; PCNA: LSD-t=14.001, P<0.001).

ConclusionIn human osteosarcoma MG63 cells, activation of VEGFR-3 by VEGF-C promotes iNOS expression and NO production, which subsequently induces HUVEC proliferation.

Key words: osteosarcoma, VEGF-C, VEGFR-3, iNOS, tumor angiogenesis

Funding: Funded by the Natural Science Fundation of Shanxi Province(201801D121220)

Copyright © 2021 Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.  京公安备110402430088  京ICP备06002729号-1  Powered by Magtech.

Supervised by National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China

9 Dongdan Santiao, Dongcheng district, Beijing, 100730 China

Tel: 86-10-65105897  Fax:86-10-65133074 

E-mail: cmsj@cams.cn  www.cmsj.cams.cn

Copyright © 2018 Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences

All right reserved.

京公安备110402430088  京ICP备06002729号-1