Diferentes respostas à alternagina-c, uma proteína tipo desintegrina, em fibroblastos, células tumorais de mama e células endoteliais in vitro

Abstract

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are key factors in tumor progression that allow tumor cells to modify the extracellular matrix (ECM) and to release cytokines, growth factors being activated by cell surface molecules such as the integrins. Integrins are major adhesion receptors of cell surface that connect the cells to the external environment enabling its movement. Integrins activate signaling cascades that influence the adhesion, survival and cell proliferation. Important inhibitors of these molecules were found in snake venoms called disintegrins. Alternagin-C (ALT-C) a disintegrin from Rhinocerophis alternatus snake venom has affinity with α2β1 integrin therfore modulating cell adhesion, migration and proliferation. However, the effect of ALT-C on MMP activity has not been described yet. Here, we have found that, ALT-C increased cell migration in MDA-MB-231 at lower concentration (10 nM) and it decreased cell migration at higher concentrations (40, 100 and 1000 nM). ALT-C was able to inhibit MMP-9 activity in human breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) conditioned medium and MMP-2 activity in fibroblastas and human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1) conditioned medium. ALT-C also modulated the expression of angiogenic genes such as VEGF, c-MYC, MMP-2 and MMP-9 and it was able to inhibit transendothelial migration of MDA-MB-231 cells at all concentrations (10, 40, 100 and 1000 nM). In conclusion, ALT-C affects the extracellular matrix remodeling by modulating the activity of MMPs and expression of angiogenic genes essential for tumor growth as well as decreased cell migration.