Brown adipocytes promote epithelial mesenchymal transition of neuroblastoma cells by inducing PPAR-γ/UCP2 expression

Neuroblastoma (NB) is an embryonic malignant tumour of the sympathetic nervous system, and current research shows that activation of brown adipose tissue accelerates cachexia in cancer patients. However, the interaction between brown adipose tissues and NB remains unclear. The study aimed to investigate the effect of brown adipocytes in the co-culture system on the proliferation and migration of NB cells. Brown adipocytes promoted the proliferation and migration of Neuro-2a, BE(2)-M17, and SH-SY5Y cells under the co-culture system, with an increase of the mRNA and protein levels of UCP2 and PPAR-gamma in NB cells. The UCP2 inhibitor genipin or PPAR-gamma inhibitor T0090709 inhibited the migration of NB cells induced by brown adipocytes. Genipin or siUCP2 upregulated the expression of E-cadherin, and downregulated the expression of N-cadherin and vimentin in NB cells. We suggest that under co-cultivation conditions, NB cells can activate brown adipocytes, which triggers changes in various genes and promotes the proliferation and migration of NB cells. The PPAR-gamma/UCP2 pathway is involved in the migration of NB cells caused by brown adipocytes.

Automated summary

The study investigated the effects of brown adipocytes on the proliferation and migration of NB cells in a co-culture system. The results showed that brown adipocytes promoted the proliferation and migration of NB cells and the UCP2 and PPAR-gamma pathways were involved in this process.