Tumor Growth Ameliorates Cardiac Dysfunction
Lama Awwad1, Rona Shofti2, Tali Haas2
1Department of Cell Biology and Cancer Science, Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3525422, Israel.
Abstract:
Heart failure and cancer are the deadliest diseases worldwide. Murine models for cardiac remodeling and heart failure demonstrate that cardiac dysfunction promotes cancer progression and metastasis spread. Yet, no information is available on whether and how tumor progression affects cardiac remodeling. Here, we examined cardiac remodeling following transverse aortic constriction (TAC) in the presence or absence of proliferating cancer cells. We show that tumor-bearing mice, of two different cancer cell lines, display reduced cardiac hypertrophy, lower fibrosis and improved cardiac contractile function following pressure overload induced by TAC surgery. Integrative analysis of qRT-PCR, flow cytometry and immunofluorescence identified tumor-dependent M1-to-M2 polarization in the cardiac macrophage population as a mediator of the beneficial tumor effect on the heart. Importantly, tumor-bearing mice lacking functional macrophages fail to improve cardiac function and display sustained fibrosis.
Insights
Cancer progression surprisingly improves heart function during pressure overload. Tumors promote beneficial M1-to-M2 macrophage polarization in the heart, reducing cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis, but this effect requires functional macrophages.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Biology
- Oncology
- Immunology
Background:
- Heart failure and cancer are leading global causes of mortality.
- Cardiac dysfunction is known to exacerbate cancer progression and metastasis.
- The impact of tumor progression on cardiac remodeling remains largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of tumor progression on cardiac remodeling under pressure overload.
- To identify the mechanisms by which tumors influence cardiac adaptation to stress.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a transverse aortic constriction (TAC) mouse model to induce pressure overload.
- Introduced proliferating cancer cells (two different lines) into TAC-operated mice.
- Performed integrative analysis including qRT-PCR, flow cytometry, and immunofluorescence.
Main Results:
- Tumor-bearing mice exhibited reduced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis following TAC.
- Cardiac contractile function was improved in tumor-bearing mice post-TAC.
- Tumor-dependent M1-to-M2 macrophage polarization in the heart mediated these beneficial effects.
- Macrophage depletion abolished the protective effects of tumors on cardiac function and fibrosis.
Conclusions:
- Tumor progression can beneficially modulate cardiac remodeling in response to pressure overload.
- Cardiac macrophage polarization is a key mechanism linking cancer and improved cardiac outcomes.
- Targeting cardiac macrophages may offer novel therapeutic strategies for heart failure patients with cancer.
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