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Cathepsin D Inhibits Angiogenesis in Pituitary Neuroendocrine Tumors

Ren Fujiwara1,2, Hirotomo Ten3, Hui Chen4

  • 1Graduate School of Medicine, International University of Health and Welfare, 4-3 Kozunomori, Narita, Chiba 286-8686, Japan.

Acta Histochemica Et Cytochemica
|January 23, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Cathepsin D and FGF2 significantly impact angiogenesis in pituitary tumors. Cathepsin D

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Prolactin and growth hormone fragments, vasoinhibins, possess anti-angiogenic properties.
  • The roles of Cathepsin D and bone morphogenetic protein 1 (BMP-1) in vasohibin-mediated angiogenesis within pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs) remain unclear.
  • PitNETs exhibit altered angiogenesis, crucial for tumor growth and progression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanism of action of Cathepsin D and BMP-1 on angiogenesis in PitNETs.
  • To compare the effects of these enzymes with pro-angiogenic factors like vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2).

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 43 patients with PitNETs.
  • RNA extraction and analysis of mRNA and protein levels for Cathepsin D, BMP-1, VEGF, and FGF2 in 22 tumor samples.
  • Assessment of von Willebrand factor to quantify vascularization in PitNETs.

Main Results:

  • Cathepsin D and FGF2 showed significant correlations with vascularization in PitNETs.
  • Both Cathepsin D and FGF2 are implicated in angiogenesis within PitNETs.
  • Cathepsin D's anti-angiogenic effect was found to be dominant over FGF2's pro-angiogenic effect.

Conclusions:

  • Cathepsin D and FGF2 play significant roles in regulating angiogenesis in PitNETs.
  • Cathepsin D exhibits a dominant anti-angiogenic influence in the context of PitNET vascularization.
  • Understanding these mechanisms may offer novel therapeutic targets for PitNETs.
Keywords:
Cathepsin Dangiogenesispituitary neuroendocrine tumor

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