Expression of Cadherin-17 Promotes Metastasis in a Highly Bone Marrow Metastatic Murine Breast Cancer Model

Biomed Res Int. 2017:2017:8494286. doi: 10.1155/2017/8494286. Epub 2017 Jan 19.

Abstract

We previously established 4T1E/M3 highly bone marrow metastatic mouse breast cancer cells through in vivo selection of 4T1 cells. But while the incidence of bone marrow metastasis of 4T1E/M3 cells was high (~80%) when injected intravenously to mice, it was rather low (~20%) when injected subcutaneously. Therefore, using 4T1E/M3 cells, we carried out further in vitro and in vivo selection steps to establish FP10SC2 cells, which show a very high incidence of metastasis to lungs (100%) and spines (85%) after subcutaneous injection into mice. qRT-PCR and western bolt analysis revealed that cadherin-17 gene and protein expression were higher in FP10SC2 cells than in parental 4T1E/M3 cells. In addition, immunostaining revealed the presence of cadherin-17 at sites of bone marrow and lung metastasis after subcutaneous injection of FP10SC2 cells into mice. Suppressing cadherin-17 expression in FP10SC2 cells using RNAi dramatically decreased the cells' anchorage-independent growth and migration in vitro and their metastasis to lung and bone marrow in vivo. These findings suggest that cadherin-17 plays a crucial role in mediating breast cancer metastasis to bone marrow.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bone Marrow Cells / pathology
  • Bone Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Bone Neoplasms / pathology
  • Bone Neoplasms / secondary
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Cadherins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Cadherins / biosynthesis
  • Cadherins / genetics*
  • Cell Adhesion / genetics
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement / genetics
  • Cell Proliferation / genetics
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology
  • Lung Neoplasms / secondary
  • Mice
  • RNA Interference

Substances

  • Cadherins