Obesity-Modified CD4+ T-Cells Promote an Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Phenotype in Prostate Cancer Cells

Nutr Cancer. 2022;74(2):650-659. doi: 10.1080/01635581.2021.1898649. Epub 2021 Mar 15.

Abstract

Obesity is associated with low-grade chronic inflammation, and metabolic dysregulation. Evidence shows that chronic inflammation inhibits protective immunity mediated by CD4+ T cells. Additionally, obesity-induced inflammation affects prostate cancer progression. However, the effect of obesity on CD4+ T-cell- response to prostate cancer is not well understood. To investigate whether obesity induces changes in CD4+ T cell cytokine profile, cytokine expression was measured in splenic CD4+ T-cells from 10-week-old male C57Bl/6 mice exposed to conditioned media (CM) from macrophages grown in sera from obese subjects. Additionally, expression levels of key regulators of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) were measure in prostate cancer epithelial cells exposed to conditioned media from obesity-modified T-cells. Cell migration and invasion was measured in prostate cancer epithelial cells exposed to CM from obesity-modified CD4+ T-cells. Obesity suppressed the expression of IFNγ and IL-2 in CD4+ T-cells but up-regulated the expression of IL-6. Prostate epithelial cancer cells exposed to conditioned media from obesity-modified T cell increased the expression of EMT markers and showed a higher invasive and migratory capacity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement
  • Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / genetics
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Obesity / complications
  • Phenotype
  • Prostate* / metabolism
  • Prostatic Neoplasms* / metabolism