Intestinal Intervention Strategy Targeting Myeloid Cells to Improve Hepatic Immunity during Hepatocarcinoma Development

• Published in: Biomedicines 2021-11, Vol.9 (11), p.1633
• Main Authors: Bouzas Muñoz, Adrián, Giménez-Bastida, Juan Antonio, Tejedor, Aurora García, Haros, Claudia Monika, Gómez de Cedrón, Marta, Ramírez de Molina, Ana, Laparra Llopis, José Moisés
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: CD36 antigen; CX3CR1 protein; Cytokines; Diethylnitrosamine; Disease; Ethanolamine; Fatty acids; Gene expression; hepatocarcinoma; Hepatocellular carcinoma; High fat diet; Immune response; immunonutrition; Inflammation; Innate immunity; Interleukin 17; Interleukin 6; Lecithin; lipid homeostasis; Liver; Liver cancer; Macrophages; Metabolism; Monocytes; Myeloid cells; Oral administration; Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors; Phosphatidylcholine; Phosphatidylinositol; Proteinase inhibitors; Roles; Seeds; Stem cell factor; Stem cells; Thioacetamide; Tumor necrosis factor; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Tumors
• ISSN: 2227-9059; 2227-9059
• DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9111633

Innate immunity in the tumor microenvironment plays a pivotal role in hepatocarcinoma (HCC) progression. Plant seeds provide serine-type protease inhibitors (SETIs), which can have a significant influence on liver inflammation and macrophage function. To elucidate the influence of SETIs to counter pro-tumorigenic conditions, at the early stages of HCC development, it was used as an established model of diethylnitrosamine/thioacetamide-injured liver fed with a standard diet (STD) or high-fat diet (42%) (HFD). The administration of SETIs improved survival and ameliorated tumor burden via modulation of monocyte-derived macrophages as key effectors involved in diet-induced HCC development. RT-qPCR analyses of hepatic tissue evidenced a diet-independent downregulatory effect of SETIs on the transcripts of CD36, FASN, ALOX15, and SREBP1c; however, animals fed with an STD showed opposing effects for PPAR and NRLP3 levels. These effects were accompanied by a decreased production of IL-6 and IL-17 but increased that of TNF in animals receiving SETIs. Moreover, only animals fed an HFD displayed increased concentrations of the stem cell factor. Overall, SETIs administration decreased the hepatic contents of lysophosphatydilcholine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylcholine, and phosphatidyl ethanolamine. Notably, animals that received SETIs exhibited increased hepatic proportions of CD68+CX3CR1+CD74+ cells and at a higher rate in those animals fed an HFD. Altogether, the data evidence that oral administration of SETIs modulates the tumor microenvironment, improving hepatic innate immune response(s) and favoring a better antitumoral environment. It represents a path forward in developing coadjutant strategies to pharmacological therapies, with either a preventive or therapeutic character, to counter physiopathological conditions at early stages of HCC development.