ACE2 overexpression inhibits acquired platinum resistance-induced tumor angiogenesis in NSCLC

Angiotensin II (AngII) is a multifunctional bioactive peptide in the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a newly identified component of RAS. We previously reported that ACE2 overexpression may inhibit cell growth and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production in vitro and in vivo. In the present study, we investigated the effect of ACE2 on tumor-associated angiogenesis after the development of acquired platinum resistance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Four NSCLC cell lines, A549, LLC, A549-DDP and LLC-DDP, were used in vitro, while A549 and A549-DDP cells were used in vivo. A549-DDP and LLC-DDP cells were newly established at our institution as acquired platinum-resistant sublines by culturing the former parent cells in cisplatin (CDDP)-containing conditioned medium for 6 months. These platinum-resistant cells showed significantly higher angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R), ACE and VEGF production and lower ACE2 expression than their corresponding parent cells. We showed that ACE2 overexpression inhibited the production of VEGF in vitro and in vivo compared to their corresponding parent cells. We also found that ACE2 overexpression reduced the expression of AT1R and ACE. Additionally, we confirmed that ACE2 overexpression inhibited cell growth and VEGF production while simultaneously suppressing ACE and AT1R expression in human lung cancer xenografts. Our findings indicate that ACE2 overexpression may potentially suppress angiogenesis in NSCLC after the development of acquired platinum resistance.