Department of Breast Surgery, Fuzhou First Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.
Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
Cell Biol Int. 2022 Nov;46(11):1959-1969. doi: 10.1002/cbin.11875. Epub 2022 Aug 5.
This study is designed to illuminate the specific role and underlying mechanism of collagen type III alpha 1 chain (COL3A1) in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was applied to examine mRNA expression of COL3A1. Western blot analysis was employed to determine protein levels of COL3A1, programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1), Bcl-2, and cleaved caspase-3. Immunohistochemistry staining was utilized for assessing protein expression of Ki67 and COL3A1 in tissues. The proliferous capacity of cells was assessed through CCK-8 assay and 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine assay. Cell apoptosis and the percentage of CD8 T cells were measured using flow cytometry. Migration and invasion of TNBC cells were examined via transwell assay. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release was measured via a LDH assay kit. For establishing a xenograft tumor model, MDA-MB-231 cells were injected into the flank of mice through subcutaneous injection. COL3A1 expression was raised in TNBC tissues and cells, and it was inversely associated with overall survival data of TNBC patients. COL3A1 downregulation repressed proliferation, invasion, migration, and immune escape of TNBC cells along with tumor growth of xenograft mice. In TNBC cells and tumor tissues of mice, protein expression of PD-L1 was reduced by COL3A1 knockdown. COL3A1 knockdown-mediated inhibitory effects on cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and immune escape were reversed by PD-L1 upregulation in vitro. Silencing of COL3A1 exerted an antitumor role in TNBC, implying its potential as a therapeutic target for TNBC.
本研究旨在阐明 III 型胶原α 1 链(COL3A1)在三阴性乳腺癌(TNBC)中的具体作用和潜在机制。应用实时定量聚合酶链反应检测 COL3A1 的 mRNA 表达。采用 Western blot 分析测定 COL3A1、程序性死亡配体 1(PD-L1)、Bcl-2 和 cleaved caspase-3 的蛋白水平。免疫组织化学染色用于评估组织中 Ki67 和 COL3A1 的蛋白表达。通过 CCK-8 测定和 5-乙炔基-2'-脱氧尿苷测定评估细胞的增殖能力。通过流式细胞术测量细胞凋亡和 CD8 T 细胞的百分比。通过 Transwell 测定法检测 TNBC 细胞的迁移和侵袭。通过 LDH 测定试剂盒测量乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)释放。通过皮下注射将 MDA-MB-231 细胞注入小鼠的侧腹建立异种移植肿瘤模型。COL3A1 在 TNBC 组织和细胞中表达上调,与 TNBC 患者的总生存数据呈负相关。COL3A1 下调抑制 TNBC 细胞的增殖、侵袭、迁移和免疫逃逸以及异种移植小鼠的肿瘤生长。在 TNBC 细胞和小鼠肿瘤组织中,COL3A1 敲低降低了 PD-L1 的蛋白表达。COL3A1 敲低介导的对细胞增殖、迁移、侵袭和免疫逃逸的抑制作用可被体外 PD-L1 上调逆转。COL3A1 沉默在 TNBC 中发挥了抗肿瘤作用,表明其作为 TNBC 的治疗靶点的潜力。