Norepinephrine-stimulated HSCs secrete sFRP1 to promote HCC progression following chronic stress via augmentation of a Wnt16B/β-catenin positive feedback loop.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Sustained adrenergic signaling secondary to chronic stress promotes cancer progression; however, the underlying mechanisms for this phenomenon remain unclear. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) frequently develops within fibrotic livers rich in activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Here, we examined whether the stress hormone norepinephrine (NE) could accelerate HCC progression by modulating HSCs activities.

Methods

HCC cells were exposed to conditioned medium (CM) from NE-stimulated HSCs. The changes in cell migration and invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, parameters of cell proliferation, and levels of cancer stem cell markers were analyzed. Moreover, the in vivo tumor progression of HCC cells inoculated with HSCs was studied in nude mice subjected to c

SUBMITTER: Lin XH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7158101 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature