Apelin abrogates the stimulatory effects of 17β-estradiol and insulin-like growth factor-1 on proliferation of epithelial and granulosa ovarian cancer cell lines via crosstalk between APLNR and ERα/IGF1R.

Apelin and chemerin are adipocytokines that play important roles in many physiological and pathological processes throughout the body. Our previous study demonstrated that these two adipokines are expressed and secreted by epithelial and granulosa cancer cell lines. 17β-estradiol (E2) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) are important regulators of ovarian functions, and their roles are well known. This study investigated whether apelin and chemerin regulate proliferation and apoptosis of epithelial (OVCAR-3) and granulosa (COV434) ovarian cancer cell lines by interacting with E2 and IGF-1. Apelin and chemerin did not affect caspase-3 activation in either cell line. However, apelin abrogated the stimulatory effects of E2 on proliferation of OVCAR-3 cells and of IGF-1 on proliferation of COV434 cells independently of ERK1/2 and PI3K via crosstalk of apelin receptor with estrogen receptor alpha and IGF-1 receptor, respectively.