Chemotherapy induces ACE2 expression in breast cancer via the ROS-AKT-HIF-1α signaling pathway: a potential prognostic marker for breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy

Abstract

Background Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a key enzyme of the renin-angiotensin system and a well-known functional receptor for the entry of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) into host cells. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought ACE2 into the spotlight, and ACE2 expression in tumors and its relationship with SARS-COV-2 infection and prognosis of cancer patients have received extensive attention. However, the association between ACE2 expression and tumor therapy and prognosis, especially in breast cancer, remains ambiguous and requires further investigation. We have previously reported that ACE2 is elevated in drug-resistant breast cancer cells, but the exact function of ACE2 in drug resistance and progression of this malignant disease has not been explored. Methods The expression of ACE2 and HIF-1α in parental and drug-resistant breast cancer cells under normoxic and hypoxic conditions was analyzed by Western blot and qRT-PCR methods. The protein levels of ACE2 in plasma samples from breast cancer patients were examined by ELISA. The relationship between ACE2 expression and breast cancer treatment and prognosis was analyzed using clinical specimens and public databases. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in breast cancer cells were measured by using a fluorescent probe. Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) or lentivirus-mediated shRNA was used to silence ACE2 and HIF-1α expression in cellular models. The effect of ACE2 knockdown on drug resistance in breast cancer was determined by Cell Counting Kit 8 (CCK-8)-based assay, colony formation assay, apoptosis and EdU assay. Results ACE2 expression is relatively low in breast cancer cells, but increases rapidly and specifically after exposure to anticancer drugs, and remains high after resistance is acquired. Mechanistically, chemotherapeutic agents increase ACE2 expression in breast cancer cells by inducing intracellular ROS production, and increased ROS levels enhance AKT phosphorylation and subsequently increase HIF-1α expression, which in turn upregulates ACE2 expression. Although ACE2 levels in plasma and cancer tissues are lower in breast cancer patients compared with healthy controls, elevated ACE2 in patients after chemotherapy is a predictor of poor treatment response and an unfavorable prognostic factor for survival in breast cancer patients. Conclusion ACE2 is a gene in breast cancer cells that responds rapidly to chemotherapeutic agents through the ROS-AKT-HIF-1α axis. Elevated ACE2 modulates the sensitivity of breast cancer cells to anticancer drugs by optimizing the balance of intracellular ROS. Moreover, increased ACE2 is not only a predictor of poor response to chemotherapy, but is also associated with a worse prognosis in breast cancer patients. Thus, our findings provide novel insights into the spatiotemporal differences in the function of ACE2 in the initiation and progression of breast cancer.

RACK1 facilitates breast cancer progression by competitively inhibiting the binding of β-catenin to PSMD2 and enhancing the stability of β-catenin

“…Isolation, quantification, SDS-PAGE and transfer protocols for total cellular proteins were performed as previously described [ 59 ]. Briefly, membranes were blocked with 5% nonfat milk in tris-buffered saline (TBS) containing 0.1% Tween 20 (TBS-T) for 1 hour at room temperature.…”

Redox‐Responsive Polymeric Nanoparticle for Nucleic Acid Delivery and Cancer Therapy: Progress, Opportunities, and Challenges

“…[76][77][78] HIF: Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), an important regulator of glycolysis, is upregulated under oxidative stress condition and recruited in the hypoxia response elements (HREs) of the HIF-1 targeted antioxidation genes to enhance their expression. [79,80] ROS mainly stabilizes HIF through PI3K/Akt, [81][82][83] NF-𝜅B, [84,85] and MAPKs [82,86] signaling pathway in cancer cells. Therefore, upregulation of HIF can be considered as an effective method for cancer cells to counteract oxidative stress induced by hypoxic environment.…”

Alu antisense RNA ameliorates methylglyoxal-induced human lens epithelial cell apoptosis by enhancing antioxidant defense

“…VDAC-1/2, the major channel at the outer mitochondrial membrane, is responsible for uptake of Ca 2+ and ERK1/2 into mitochondria and promotes ROS production [39] . The accumulating ROS damages cellular proteins, lipids, DNA and other biological molecules and can cause cell apoptosis [40] . Our working hypothesis is that MGO induces Alu RNA expression, while the binding Aluas RNA with Alu RNA inhibits the resulting influx of Ca 2+ and blocks toxic effects of Alu RNA.…”