Fabrizio Angius1, Enrica Piras2, Stefano Spolitu3, Luisa Marras4, Sara Federica Armas5, Angela Ingianni6, Pierpaolo Contini7, Raffaello Pompei8. 1. University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. fangius@unica.it. 2. University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. enrica.piras@hotmail.com. 3. University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. stefanospolitu2002@yahoo.it. 4. University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. luisamarras@yahoo.it. 5. University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. sarafarmas@gmail.com. 6. University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. ingianni@unica.it. 7. S. Giovanni Hospital, Cagliari, Italy. contini.pierpaolo@tiscali.it. 8. University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. rpompei@unica.it.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Human Herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) is known to be the cause of the malignant tumour named Kaposi's sarcoma. It is believed to induce an intense modification of cell metabolism in endothelial cells. In this work we analysed the role of anti-HHV8 antibodies in both the insulin and glucose uptake of HHV8-infected primary human endothelial cells (HUVEC). METHODOLOGY: Western blotting, immunofluorescence and radiolabelled glucose were employed to assess the pPI3K expression, insulin binding and glucose-uptake by HUVEC cells, respectively. RESULTS: We confirmed that HHV8-infection is able to enhance both insulin binding and glucose-uptake in HHV8-infected primary endothelial cells; in addition, we found that anti-HHV8 specific antibodies are able to further increase both insulin and glucose uptake during the late latent phase of HHV8-infection in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that a specific immune response to HHV8-infection may cooperate in boosting the cell metabolism, further enhancing the already increased insulin binding and glucose-uptake in HHV8-infected cells, which is a peculiar property of several oncogenic viruses. Copyright (c) 2018 Fabrizio Angius, Enrica Piras, Stefano Spolitu, Luisa Marras, Sara Federica Armas, Angela Ingianni, Pierpaolo Contini, Raffaello Pompei.
INTRODUCTION:Human Herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) is known to be the cause of the malignant tumour named Kaposi's sarcoma. It is believed to induce an intense modification of cell metabolism in endothelial cells. In this work we analysed the role of anti-HHV8 antibodies in both the insulin and glucose uptake of HHV8-infected primary human endothelial cells (HUVEC). METHODOLOGY: Western blotting, immunofluorescence and radiolabelled glucose were employed to assess the pPI3K expression, insulin binding and glucose-uptake by HUVEC cells, respectively. RESULTS: We confirmed that HHV8-infection is able to enhance both insulin binding and glucose-uptake in HHV8-infected primary endothelial cells; in addition, we found that anti-HHV8 specific antibodies are able to further increase both insulin and glucose uptake during the late latent phase of HHV8-infection in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that a specific immune response to HHV8-infection may cooperate in boosting the cell metabolism, further enhancing the already increased insulin binding and glucose-uptake in HHV8-infected cells, which is a peculiar property of several oncogenic viruses. Copyright (c) 2018 Fabrizio Angius, Enrica Piras, Stefano Spolitu, Luisa Marras, Sara Federica Armas, Angela Ingianni, Pierpaolo Contini, Raffaello Pompei.