Mechanistic Study on ITGA6 Regulation of Abdominal Wall Endometriosis via the PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway

Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui     font:big middle small

Found programs: National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos.82371652, No.82371658); Natural Science Research Project of Anhui Educational Committee (No.2023AH053331)

Authors:Gu Rong1,2, Huang HaiLiang3, Wang XinRui4, Li HanLu4, Liu KaiJiang5, Zhu Ying1

Keywords:Integrin alpha-6; endometrial cancer; EMT; angiogenesis; cell adhesion

DOI:专辑:医药卫生科技

〔Abstract〕 To investigate the differential expression of integrin alpha-6(ITGA6) in abdominal wall endometriosis (AWE) tissues and its molecular mechanisms in regulating AWE.Methods 36 AWE lesions were designated as the experimental group, while 36 cases of normal endometrial tissues served as the controls. Differential expression of ITGA6 between the two groups was assessed through immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. Human ITGA6 gene-specific interference sequences were designed, synthesized, and packaged into lentiviral vectors to establish the Ishikawa cell line with ITGA6-knockdown. Similarly, the ITGA6-overexpression cell line was constructed using the coding sequence (CDS) of the gene. Real-time PCR and Western blot were performed to detect changes in EMT-related markers and angiogenesis-related indicators. Cell invasion and migration capabilities were assessed by Cell Scratch and Transwell assays. Furthermore, Western blot was conducted to profile PI3K/AKT pathway dynamics. Results Ectopic endometrial tissues exhibited a marked increase in the number of ITGA6-positive cells and their expression intensity compared to eutopic endometrium (each P < 0.001). Compared with the NC group, the ITGA6-knockdown group showed significantly reduced expression of N- cadherin, VEGF, and TGF-bata (P < 0.001; P < 0.01; P < 0.01), while E-cadherin expression was markedly increased (P < 0.001). Concomitantly, the invasion and migration capacities of ITGA6- low expression were significantly impaired (P < 0.001 for both), accompanied by a marked reduction in AKT and phosphorylated AKT(p-AKT) levels (all P < 0.001). Conversely, overexpressing ITGA6 resulted in opposite effects. Conclusion ITGA6 modulates EMT and angiogenesis in Ishikawa cells via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, thereby enhancing cell invasion and migration capabilities, which contributes to the pathogenesis of abdominal wall endometriosis.