Abstract
Due to its ability to induce vascular endothelial growth factor expression and proliferation,
migration, and vasculogenesis of endothelial cells, nerve growth factor (NGF) has
been considered as an angiogenic factor in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). In this
work, we evaluated the angiogenic and proliferative mRNA expression profiles of EOC
and addressed the responsiveness of EOC explants to NGF stimulation. Twenty EOC samples
were obtained from Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, University of Chile’s Clinical
Hospital. Global gene expression profiles of selected poorly differentiated serous
EOC samples were obtained with DNA oligonucleotide microarrays. In addition, EOC explants
were subjected to NGF stimulation and levels of p-AKT, BAX, BCL2, Ki-67, c-MYC, and
FOXL2 proteins were determined by immunohistochemistry. Results showed that mRNAs
coding for specific transcriptional regulators and antiapoptotic components of the
NGF signaling pathway were upregulated in EOC cells. At the protein level, key members
of the NGF pathway including p-AKT, BCL2/BAX, Ki-67, and c-MYC were found increased,
while FOXL2 was decreased in response to NGF stimulation. These findings strongly
suggest that NGF stimulates cellular proliferation of human EOC.
Key words
NGF - proliferation - EOC - HOSE
