Epinephrine facilitates the growth of T cell lymphoma by altering cell proliferation, apoptosis, and glucose metabolism

• Published in: Chemico-biological interactions 2023-01, Vol.369, p.110278-110278, Article 110278
• Main Authors: Tiwari, Rajan Kumar, Rawat, Shiv Govind, Gupta, Vishal Kumar, Jaiswara, Pradip Kumar, Sonker, Pratishtha, Kumar, Santosh, Gautam, Vibhav, Mishra, Manoj K., Kumar, Ajay
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Apoptosis; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins - metabolism; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Epinephrine; Glucose - metabolism; Glycolysis; Humans; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit - metabolism; Lymphoma, T-Cell - drug therapy; Lymphoma, T-Cell - metabolism; Reactive oxygen species; T cell lymphoma
• ISSN: 0009-2797; 1872-7786
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2022.110278

In recent years, studies have reported the role of stress-regulatory hormones, including epinephrine, in regulating the progression of a few cancers. However, the tumor-promoting action of epinephrine is not yet investigated in T cell malignancy, a rare and complicated neoplastic disorder. More so, very little is known regarding the implication of epinephrine in the glucose metabolic rewiring in tumor cells. The present investigation showed that epinephrine enhanced the proliferation of T lymphoma cells through up- and down-regulating the expression of PCNA, cyclin D, and p53, respectively. In addition, epinephrine inhibited apoptosis in T lymphoma cells possibly by increasing the level of BCL2 (an anti-apoptotic protein) and decreasing PARP level (a pro-apoptotic protein). Intriguingly, epinephrine is reported to stimulate glycolysis in T lymphoma cells by increasing the expression of crucial glycolysis regulatory molecules, namely HKII and PKM2, in a HIF-1α-dependent manner. Moreover, augmented production of ROS has been observed in T lymphoma cells, which might be a central player in epinephrine-mediated T cell lymphoma growth. Taken together, our study demonstrates that epinephrine might have a significant role in the progression of T cell lymphoma. [Display omitted] •Epinephrine increases cell proliferation in T lymphoma cells by modulating PCNA, cyclin D, and p53 levels.•Epinephrine inhibits starvation-induced apoptosis in T lymphoma cells via altering p53 and HKII levels.•Epinephrine enhances glycolysis in T lymphoma cells by HKII and PKM2 via HIF-1α.•Epinephrine induces ROS and inhibits NO production in T lymphoma cells.