Morphine-3-glucuronide upregulates PD-L1 expression via TLR4 and promotes the immune escape of non-small cell lung cancer  

作　　者：Kaiyuan Wang Jian Wang Ting Liu Wenwen Yu Nan Dong Chen Zhang Wenbin Xia Feng Wei Lili Yang Xiubao Ren 

机构地区：[1]Department of Anesthesiology,Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital,National Clinical Research Center for Cancer,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy,Tianjin,Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer,Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy,Tianjin 300060,China [2]Department of Immunology,Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital,National Clinical Research Center for Cancer,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy,Tianjin,Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer,Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy,Tianjin 300060,China [3]Department of Cancer Biobank,Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital,National Clinical Research Center for Cancer,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy,Tianjin,Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer,Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy,Tianjin 300060,China [4]Department of Biotherapy,Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital,National Clinical Research Center for Cancer,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy,Tianjin,Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer,Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy,Tianjin 300060,China

出　　处：《Cancer Biology & Medicine》2021年第1期155-171,共17页癌症生物学与医学（英文版）

基　　金：supported by the Science&Technology Development Fund of Tianjin Education Commission for Higher Education,Tianjin,China(Grant No.2017KJ200)。

摘　　要：Objective:Patients with cancer pain are highly dependent on morphine analgesia,but studies have shown a negative correlation between morphine demand and patient outcomes.The long-term use of morphine may result in abnormally elevated serum morphine-3-glucuronide(M3G)levels.Hence,the effects of M3G on tumor progression are worth studying.Methods:The effects of M3G on PD-L1 expressions in human non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)cell lines were first evaluated.Activation of TLR4 downstream pathways after M3G treatment was then determined by Western blot.The effects of M3G on human cytotoxic T lymphocytes(CTL)cytotoxicity and INF-γrelease was also detected.Finally,the LLC murine lung adenocarcinoma cell line were used to establish a murine lung cancer model,and the effects of M3G on tumor growth and metastasis were determined.Results:M3G promoted the expressions of PD-L1 in the A549 and H1299 cell lines in a TLR4-dependent manner(P<0.05).M3G activated the PI3 K and the NFκB signaling pathways,and this effect was antagonized by a TLR4 pathway inhibitor.A PI3 K pathway inhibitor reversed the M3G-mediated PD-L1 upregulation.M3G inhibited the cytotoxicity of CTL on A549 cells and decreased the level of INF-γ.Repeated M3G intraperitoneal injections promoted LLC tumor growth and lung metastasis through the upregulation of tumor expressed PD-L1 and the reduction of CTL in the tumor microenvironment.Conclusions:M3G specifically activated TLR4 in NSCLC cells and upregulated PD-L1 expression through the PI3 K signaling pathway,thereby inhibiting CTL cytotoxicity and finally promoting tumor immune escape.

关 键 词：Non-small cell lung cancer TLR4 PD-L1 morphine-3-glucuronide immune escape 

分 类 号：R734.2[医药卫生—肿瘤]