Effet de l’hypoxie sur la résistance des cellules cancéreuses à l’étoposide : Etude de l’apoptose et de l’autophagie

Doctoral thesis (2010)

L’hypoxie tumorale est une caractéristique du microenvironnement de la plupart des tumeurs solides. Elle correspond à la faible tension en oxygène observée au niveau de certaines zones de la tumeur et est ... [more ▼]

L’hypoxie tumorale est une caractéristique du microenvironnement de la plupart des tumeurs solides. Elle correspond à la faible tension en oxygène observée au niveau de certaines zones de la tumeur et est la conséquence de la prolifération rapide des cellules tumorales et de la structure désordonnée de la tumeur et de sa vascularisation. L’hypoxie tumorale est souvent corrélée à un mauvais pronostic de guérison des patients car c’est un phénomène qui renforce l’agressivité des cellules cancéreuses et leur résistance à des thérapies anticancéreuses telles que la radiothérapie et la chimiothérapie. La résistance à la chimiothérapie est due à un effet direct de l’hypoxie, car les agents utilisés en chimiothérapie nécessitent souvent l’oxygène pour exercer leur cytotoxicité, et à un effet indirect de l’hypoxie qui induit une série d’adaptations au niveau de la cellule. L’hypoxie modifie le métabolisme de la cellule, stimule l’angiogenèse, l’érythropoïèse et régule la survie cellulaire en participant à la régulation de l’apoptose. La régulation de l’apoptose par l’hypoxie est complexe car en fonction de sa sévérité, l’hypoxie peut stimuler ou au contraire, inhiber l’apoptose. La compréhension de la régulation de l’apoptose par l’hypoxie est importante car l’apoptose participe à la sélection des cellules tumorales les plus agressives et conditionne l’efficacité des agents cytotoxiques utilisés au cours de la chimiothérapie. Ce travail a pour objectif d’étudier les mécanismes de régulation de l’apoptose par l’hypoxie. Dans un premier temps, nous avons comparé l’effet de l’hypoxie sur l’apoptose induite par l’étoposide, qui est un agent cytotoxique utilisé pour traiter certains types de cancers, au niveau de trois lignées cancéreuses humaines provenant de trois organes différents. Nous avons montré que l’effet de l’hypoxie sur l’apoptose induite par l’étoposide était dépendant de la lignée cellulaire car l’hypoxie stimule l’apoptose induite par l’étoposide dans les cellules MCF7 alors qu’elle inhibe l’apoptose induite par l’étoposide dans les cellules HepG2. Ceci montre que la régulation de l’apoptose par l’hypoxie est un mécanisme complexe, qui ne dépend pas uniquement de la sévérité de l’hypoxie, mais également d’autres paramètres tels que la lignée cellulaire. Dans la suite du travail, nous avons étudié comment l’hypoxie était capable de protéger les cellules HepG2 de l’apoptose induite par l’étoposide. Pour cela, nous avons évalué l’implication de plusieurs facteurs de transcription. Les résultats ont mis en évidence que l’hypoxie protège les cellules HepG2 de l’apoptose induite par l’étoposide en inhibant le facteur de transcription p53 et en activant le facteur de transcription c-jun. Nous avons également évalué l’implication de l’autophagie qui est un processus cellulaire impliqué dans le recyclage des protéines de longue durée de vie et des organites ainsi que dans la survie et la mort cellulaire. En condition d’hypoxie, l’autophagie peut être induite par un mécanisme impliquant la protéine BNIP3. Nous avons montré que, dans les cellules HepG2, l’autophagie était induite par l’étoposide mais pas par l’hypoxie. Cependant, l’autophagie induite par l’étoposide a des conséquences différentes en fonction de la tension en oxygène puisque les résultats ont montré que l’autophagie favorise l’apoptose induite par l’étoposide en normoxie mais pas en hypoxie. Enfin, nous avons montré que BNIP3 n’influençait pas l’autophagie mais participait à la protection contre l’apoptose induite par l’étoposide en hypoxie. En conclusion, les résultats obtenus montrent que la régulation de l’apoptose par l’hypoxie est un phénomène complexe qui est dépendant de plusieurs paramètres dont la lignée cellulaire. De plus, ces résultats indiquent que, lorsque l’hypoxie protège de l’apoptose, cette protection résulte de plusieurs adaptations mises en place par l’hypoxie. Ces résultats sont importants car ils améliorent notre compréhension des phénomènes de résistance observés chez les patients. [less ▲]

Hypoxia-Induced Decrease in p53 Protein Level and Increase in c-jun DNA Binding Activity Results in Cancer Cell Resistance to Etoposide

in Neoplasia : An International Journal for Oncology Research (2009), 11

Tumor hypoxia is one of the features of tumor microenvironment that contributes to chemoresistance in particular by cellular adaptations that modulate the apoptotic process. However, the mechanisms ... [more ▼]

Tumor hypoxia is one of the features of tumor microenvironment that contributes to chemoresistance in particular by cellular adaptations that modulate the apoptotic process. However, the mechanisms involved in this resistance still need deeper understanding. In this study, we investigated the involvement of four transcription factors, c-Myc, nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), p53, and c-jun/activator protein 1 (AP-1) in the hypoxia-induced resistance to etoposide in HepG2 cells. Whereas the profile of c-Myc and NF-κB activity did not fit the effect of hypoxia on caspase 3 activity, hypoxia decreased basal p53 abundance and DNA binding activity as well as p53 etoposide-induced activation. Short interfering RNA (siRNA) silencing evidenced that p53 was required for etoposide-induced apoptosis under normoxia. An inhibition of its activity under hypoxia could thus be responsible at least in part for the protection observed under hypoxic conditions. Moreover, p53 was found to induce the expression of Bak1. We showed that Bak1 was involved in the etoposide-induced apoptosis because Bak1 siRNA decreased it. Conversely, hypoxia increased c-jun DNA binding activity in the presence of etoposide. siRNA-mediated silencing of c-jun increased the responsiveness of cells to etoposide under hypoxia, as shown by an increase in caspase 3 activity and lactate dehydrogenase release. These effects occurred in a p53-independent manner. These data evidenced that hypoxia decreased the responsiveness of HepG2 cells to etoposide at least by two independent pathways involving p53 inhibition and c-jun activation. [less ▲]

Involvement of autophagic pathway in the hypoxia-induced resistance to etoposide in HepG2

Poster (2009)

Hypoxia promotes resistance to etoposide by regulating p53 stability and c-jun DNA-binding activity

Conference (2008)

Hypoxia promotes resistance to etoposide by regulating p53 stability and c-jun DNA-binding activity

Poster (2008)

Hypoxia induces protection against etoposide-induced apoptosis: molecular profiling of changes in gene expression and transcription factor activity

in Molecular Cancer (2008), 7

Background: it is now well established that hypoxia renders tumor cells resistant to radio- but also chemotherapy. However, few elements are currently available as for the mechanisms underlying this ... [more ▼]

Background: it is now well established that hypoxia renders tumor cells resistant to radio- but also chemotherapy. However, few elements are currently available as for the mechanisms underlying this protection. Results: in this study, physiological hypoxia was shown to inhibit apoptosis induced in HepG2 cells by etoposide. Indeed, hypoxia reduced DNA fragmentation, caspase activation and PARP cleavage. The DNA binding activity of 10 transcription factors was followed while the actual transcriptional activity was measured using specific reporter plasmids. Of note is the inhibition of the etoposideinduced activation of p53 under hypoxia. In parallel, data from low density DNA microarrays indicate that the expression of several pro- and anti-apoptotic genes was modified, among which are Bax and Bak whose expression profile paralleled p53 activity. Cluster analysis of data unravels several possible pathways involved in the hypoxia-induced protection against etoposide-induced apoptosis: one of them could be the inhibition of p53 activity under hypoxia since caspase 3 activity parallels Bax and Bak expression profile. Moreover, specific downregulation of HIF-1α by RNA interference significantly enhanced apoptosis under hypoxia possibly by preventing the hypoxia mediated decrease in Bak expression without altering Bax expression. Conclusion: these results are a clear demonstration that hypoxia has a direct protective effect on apoptotic cell death. Moreover, molecular profiling points to putative pathways responsible for tumor growth in challenging environmental conditions and cancer cell resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. [less ▲]

Differential effects of hypoxia on étoposide induced apoptosis according to the cancer cell lines

Poster (2006)

Hypoxia protects HepG2 cells against etoposide-induced apoptosis VIA a HIF-1-independent pathway

in Experimental Cell Research (2006), 312

Tumor hypoxia has been described to increase the resistance of cancer cells to radiation therapy and chemotherapy. It also supports the invasiveness and metastatic potential of the tumor. However, few ... [more ▼]

Tumor hypoxia has been described to increase the resistance of cancer cells to radiation therapy and chemotherapy. It also supports the invasiveness and metastatic potential of the tumor. However, few data are available on the transduction pathway set up under hypoxia and leading to this resistance against anti-cancer therapies. HIF-1, the main transcription factor activated by hypoxia, has been recently shown to participate to this process although its role as an anti- or a pro-apoptotic protein is still controversy. In this study, we showed that hypoxia protected HepG2 cells against etoposide-induced apoptosis. The effect of hypoxia on cell death was assayed by measuring different parameters of the apoptotic pathway, like DNA fragmentation, caspase activity and PARP-1 cleavage. The possible implication of HIF-1 in the anti-apoptotic role of hypoxia was investigated using HIF-1α siRNA. Our results indicated that HIF-1 is not involved in the hypoxia-induced antiapoptotic pathway. Another transcription factor, AP-1, was studied for its potential role in the hypoxia-induced protection against apoptosis. Specific inhibition of AP-1 decreased the protection effect of hypoxia against etoposide-induced apoptosis. Together, all these data underline that hypoxia could mediate its anti-apoptotic role via different transcription factors depending on the cellular context and pro-apoptotic stimuli. [less ▲]

Hypoxia-inducible Factor-1-dependent Overexpression of Myeloid Cell Factor-1 Protects Hypoxic Cells against tert-Butyl Hydroperoxide-induced Apoptosis

in Journal of Biological Chemistry (2005), 280

Increased levels of Mcl-1 (myeloid cell factor-1) have been reported in several cancers, suggesting an important role played by Mcl-1 in cancer cell survival. Mcl-1 is an anti-apoptotic protein shown to ... [more ▼]

Increased levels of Mcl-1 (myeloid cell factor-1) have been reported in several cancers, suggesting an important role played by Mcl-1 in cancer cell survival. Mcl-1 is an anti-apoptotic protein shown to delay or block apoptosis. In this work, using semiquantitative immunofluorescence, real-time PCR, and RNase protection assay, an increase in Mcl-1 expression was detected in hepatoma HepG2 cells incubated under hypoxia or in the presence of cobalt chloride. Through analysis of the Mcl-1 promoter sequence, a putative HIF-1 (hypoxiainducible factor-1) binding site was identified. A Mcl-1 promoter fragment containing this hypoxia-responsive element was able to bind HIF-1 in vitro. It also induced hypoxia-dependent transcription of a luciferase reporter gene, which was suppressed by anti-HIF-1 short interfering RNA. Finally, overexpression of Mcl-1 protected HepG2 cells against apoptosis induced by tertbutyl hydroperoxide as shown by inhibition of caspase-3 activation and DNA fragmentation. All these data suggest a potential anti-apoptotic role of HIF-1 that could protect cells against apoptosis under hypoxia by overexpression of the Mcl-1 protein. [less ▲]