Tumor cell-endothelial cell interactions: evidence for roles for lipoxygenase products of arachidonic acid in metastasis.

Adhesion of tumor cells (TC) to endothelial cells (EC) is necessary for movement of TC out of the interstitium to form metastatic deposits. This interaction may be influenced by proadhesive molecules such as lipoxygenase products of arachidonic acid metabolism. We studied the effect of inflammatory stimuli, A23187 calcium ionophore, n-formyl-methionyl-leucine-phenylalanine (FMLP) and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) on TC-EC interaction. Adherence of metastatic breast tumor cell line (MCF-7), choriocarcinoma cell line (JEG-3), and non metastatic pituitary cell (GH-3) were assayed as the number of radiolabeled TC attached to EC (cpm/well). TC and EC were incubated with A23187, FMLP, and PMA for varying time periods. Lipoxygenase products (LTB4, 5-HETE) were measured under basal and stimulated conditions using RP-HPLC and RIA. There were no differences in basal adherence of TC lines to EC. When EC were incubated with stimuli, there were significant increases in the numbers of MCF-7 and JEG-3 cells adherent to EC compared to GH-3. Light and phase contrast microscopy confirmed that TC were attached to EC. Upon stimulation, GH-3 preferentially produced prostaglandins (PGI1(2)) while MCF-7 and JEG-3 produced lipoxygenase products (LTB4 and 5-HETE). Pre-incubation of MCF-7 and JEG-3 with the lipoxygenase inhibitor nordihydroguiaretic acid resulted in partial inhibition of adhesion to EC. Our data strongly indicate a role for lipoxygenase products of arachidonic acid in adherence of TC to EC.