Altered tumor angiogenesis and metastasis of B16 melanoma in transgenic mice overexpressing tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1.

Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) has emerged as a multifunctional protein that plays contrasting roles during angiogenesis and cancer spread. We have investigated the growth, vascularization and metastasis of B16 melanoma cells in a transgenic mouse model with elevated TIMP-1 levels in the systemic circulation. Transgenic C57BL/6j-CBA mice overexpressing human TIMP-1 in the liver under the control of the mouse albumin promoter/enhancer were employed. An early subcutaneous growth advantage and an increased tumor angiogenic response were observed in transgenic animals with respect to wild-type hybrid mice. On the contrary, there was a dramatic decrease in the lung colonizing ability of B16 melanoma cells in TIMP-1 transgenic mice. No significant effect on metastasis formation was observed in another transgenic mouse model with increased TIMP-1 expression in lungs but low plasma levels, where the transgene was placed under the control of the murine mammary tumor virus promoter. These results support the notion that TIMP-1 displays paradoxical effects on tumor progression and suggest that circulating TIMP-1 is efficient in suppressing lung colonization of melanoma cells.