Molecular Mechanisms of Pro-Survival and Differentiating Function of Bone Marrow-Derived Adipocytes On Acute Monoblastic Leukemia Cells.
Authors: Jin Linhua , Konopleva Marina , Shikami Masato , Ikegami Takako , Kojima Kensuke , Andreeff Michael , Miida Takashi , Tabe Yoko 
Published: October 2019

Abstract 2582

Survival of adult patients with acute monocytic leukemia remains dismal. We proposed the hypothesis that bone marrow (BM) adipocytes abundant in aging marrow microenvironment play a role in chemoresistance of AML cells. We have reported that BM adipocytes promote monocytic differentiation, activation, and survival of monoblastic leukemia cells (ASH, 2012).In this study, we examined the molecular mechanism of BM adipocytes causing survival and differentiation of monoblastic leukemia cells. Monoblastic leukemia cell line U937 and primary samples from acute monoblastic leukemia patients (n=6) were co-cultured with BM-derived marrow stromal cells (MSC) and MSC-differentiated adipocytes. Under limiting serum conditions, MSCs and adipocytes inhibited spontaneous cell death of U937 cells with decrease in subG1 fractions, more prominently in co-cultures with adipocytes than with MSCs (% subG1 fraction; cultured alone 23.9+9.0, co-cultured with MSC 15.7+1.9%, co-cultured with adipocytes 11.9+1.2%, p=0.04). Adipocytes but not MSC moderately reduced spontaneous apoptosis in primary leukemic blasts (n=6, p=0.02).

We next focused on adipocytokines, lepin and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1(PAI-1), both implicated in cancer progression, as potential mediators of the protective effects by adipocytes. mRNA levels of leptin, leptin receptor and PAI-1 were up-regulated in MSC-derived adipocytes during adipocytic differentiation (relative expression to GAPDH, leptin: MSC 0, adipocyte 123.3+35.0; leptin receptor: MSC 0.16+0.05, adipocyte 4.47+0.37; PAI-1: MSC 314.9+46.5, adipocyte 3766.1+656.2). High level of secreted leptin was confirmed by ELISA in adipocyte conditioning medium (MSC 23.1+2.9, adipocyte 110.0+4.6 pg/mL). In serum-starved conditions, human recombinant leptin (5ng/mL) stimulated cell growth of monoblastic U937 cells known to express leptin receptor (35.8+7.9% increase of viable cell number at 48 hours, p=0.02) and inhibited apoptosis (%subG1 fraction; control 26.2+3.9, leptin16.4+4.1%, p=0.04).Human recombinant PAI-1 inhibited spontaneous and ara-C-induced apoptosis in U937 cells (11.2+1.1% and 15.1+1.7% decrease of Annexin V posivitity p=0.01). These results suggest that BM adipocytes produced leptin and PAI-1contribute to support myeloid leukemia cells survival within BM microenvironment.

We next focused on molecular changes in U937 cells co-cultured with adipocytes. We found up-regulation of monocyte/macrophage differentiation gene PPARg and of PPARg target genes, CD36 and FABP4, by quantitative RT-PCR (relative expression to GAPDH, control vs co-culture with adipocytes: PPARg: 8.8+0.9 v.s.18.8+2.6, CD36; 105.0+11.8v.s.425.7+35.6; FABP4: 0.27+0.03v.s.153.7+12.8). The purity of U937 cells separated from adipocytes was confirmed by lack of CD90 mRNA expression by PCR. PPARγ is known to promote monocytic differentiation and uptake of oxidized cholesterol through the induction of scavenger receptor CD36, a protein marker of mature monocytes/macrophages. The up-regulation of cell surface CD36 expression by co-culture with adipocytes was indeed found in U937 cells and in 4 of the 6 primary AML samples by flow cytometory (increase in CD36 MFI: U937; 230.28, Pt samples; 46.4+20.2). These data suggest that BM adipocytes promote monocytic differentiation of monoblastic leukemia cells.

In summary, our findings indicate that secretion of leptin and PAI-1 by BM adipocytes supports leukemic cell survival, while PAI-1 primarily and directly inhibits apoptosis of AML cells. It is conceivable that increased adipocyte content of BM in elderly AML patients may negatively affect the responsiveness of monocytic leukemia cells to chemotherapy.

Disclosures:

No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.