Microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 is involved in multiple steps of colon carcinogenesis

Accumulating evidence indicates that cyclooxygenase (COX)-2-derived prostaglandin (PG) E(2) is involved in the development of various tumors, including colorectal cancer. However, the precise contribution of microsomal PGE synthase (mPGES)-1, a terminal enzyme that acts downstream of COX-2 in the PGE(2)-biosynthetic pathway, to multiple processes of tumor development is not yet fully understood. Here, we show the pro-tumorigenic role of mPGES-1 in chemical carcinogen-induced colon carcinogenesis and intrasplenic tumor transplantation models. Genetic deletion of mPGES-1 significantly reduced both the total number and size of colorectal polyps at 18 weeks after azoxymethane administration with reduced nuclear translocation of β-catenin, altered expression profiles of chemokines/cytokines and increased production of antitumorigenic PGs, prostaglandin D(2) and prostacyclin in tumor tissues. At an early stage (6 weeks), mPGES-1 deficiency significantly reduced the number of aberrant crypt foci, while its transgenic overexpression increased the number. Furthermore, the growth of intrasplenically transplanted tumor cells was suppressed in mPGES-1 knockout (KO) mice. Co-culture of tumor cells with bone marrow-derived macrophages (BM-MΦs) isolated from wild-type (WT) mice resulted in the induction of mPGES-1 in BM-MΦs and increased the growth of tumor cells in vitro, whereas mPGES-1-null BM-MΦs failed to facilitate tumor growth. The adoptive transfer of WT BM-MΦs into mPGES-1 KO mice restored the growth of transplanted tumor cells, indicating that mPGES-1 in MΦs is important for the growth of adjacent tumor cells. Taken together, our findings suggest that the inhibition of mPGES-1 is an alternative therapeutic target for colorectal and possibly other cancers.