The Effects of αvβ3 Integrin Blockage in Breast Tumor and Endothelial Cells under Hypoxia In Vitro

Breast cancer is characterized by a hypoxic microenvironment inside the tumor mass, contributing to cell metastatic behavior. Hypoxia induces the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1α), a transcription factor for genes involved in angiogenesis and metastatic behavior, including the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and integrins. Integrin receptors play a key role in cell adhesion and migration, being considered targets for metastasis prevention. We investigated the migratory behavior of hypoxia-cultured triple-negative breast cancer cells (TNBC) and endothelial cells (HUVEC) upon αvβ3 integrin blocking with DisBa-01, an RGD disintegrin with high affinity to this integrin. Boyden chamber, HUVEC transmigration, and wound healing assays in the presence of DisBa-01 were performed in hypoxic conditions. DisBa-01 produced similar effects in the two oxygen conditions in the Boyden chamber and transmigration assays. In the wound healing assay, hypoxia abolished DisBa-01′s inhibitory effect on cell motility and decreased the MMP-9 activity of conditioned media. These results indicate that αvβ3 integrin function in cell motility depends on the assay and oxygen levels, and higher inhibitor concentrations may be necessary to achieve the same inhibitory effect as in normoxia. These versatile responses add more complexity to the role of the αvβ3 integrin during tumor progression.