The effect of kisspeptin‑10 on angiogenesis and tumor growth

Abstract

Background and Aim: Kisspeptins (kp) bind to a coupled‑G protein receptor, GPR54 or KISS‑1R, to perform a variety of functions including modulation of processes involving angiogenesis such as tumor metastasis and invasion of trophoblast. In this study the effects of kp‑10, the most active kisspeptin, on angiogenesis and tumor growth have been evaluated. Methods: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with 10-100 or 500 nM kp‑10 for 24 hours. Tube formation was evaluated in these groups and compared with nontreated cells with Matrigel‑precoated 24‑well culture dishes. In addition, treated adipose‑derived mesenchymal stem cells with 10-100 or 500 nM kp‑10 and nontreated cells were transfused via the tail vein to melanoma tumor bearing C57BL/6 mice. After 24 hours, the mice were scarified and number of vessels in tumor sections was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Tumor size was measured with caliper and tumor volume was estimated. Kruskal‑Wallis and Mann‑Whitney tests were used to determine the difference between the treated and non‑treated groups. Results: The results showed that kp‑10 significantly increased angiogenesis at 100 nM compared to the other groups both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, a significant increase in the tumor growth was observed at 100 nM of kp‑10 compared to other groups. Conclusion: Our data demonstrated that kp‑10 increases angiogenesis in tumor tissue, which may lead to increase in tumor size.