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Updated: May 4, 2026
Isolation and Flow Cytometric Analysis of Glioma-infiltrating Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells
Published on: November 28, 2015
Induced interleukin-33 expression enhances the tumorigenic activity of rat glioma cells
Kuan-Min Fang1, Chung-Shi Yang, Tzu-Chien Lin
1Department of Life Sciences, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan (K.M.F., T.C.L., T.C.C., S.F.T.); Center for Nanomedicine Research, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan (C.S.Y.).
Background:
Glioma development is a multistep process associated with progressive genetic alterations but also regulated by cellular and noncellular components in a tumor-associated niche.
Methods:
Using 2 rat C6 glioma cell clones with different tumorigenesis, named C6-1 and C6-2, this study characterized genes associated with enhanced tumorigenic features of glioma cells by comparative cDNA microarray analysis combined with Q-PCR. Neurospehere formation and clonogenicity were examined to determine the growth of tumorigenic C6 glioma cells. The lentivirus-mediated gene knockdown approach was conducted to determine the role of interleukin-33 (IL-33) in glioma cell proliferation and migration. Transwell cell invasion assay was used to examine microglia migration induced by tumorigenic C6 cells.
Results:
The functional analysis of gene ontology (GO) biological processes shows that the upregulated genes found in tumorigenic C6 (C6-1) cells are closely related to cell proliferation. Tumorigenic C6 cells expressed cytokines and chemokines abundantly. Among these genes, IL-33 was profoundly induced in tumorigenic C6 cells with the expression of IL-33 receptor ST2. Furthermore, the growth rate and colony formation of tumorigenic C6 cells were attenuated by the inhibition of IL-33 and ST2 gene expression. Moreover, IL-33 was involved in tumorigenic glioma cell migration and regulation of the expression of several glioma-associated growth factors and chemokines in tumorigenic C6 cells.
Conclusion:
Accordingly, we concluded that glioma cells with abundant production of IL-33 grow rapidly; moreover, the interactions of multiple cytokines/chemokines induced by glioma cells may develop a microenvironment that facilitates microglia/macrophage infiltration and fosters glioma growth in the brain.
