Obesity is a well-established risk factor for endometrial cancer, due in part to the adipokines generated by adipose tissue, such as adiponectin (also known as Acrp30) and leptin, which are associated with many endocrine-related cancers. Recent reports suggested that Acrp30 inhibits leptin-stimulated cell proliferation in HEC-1A and RL95-2 endometrial cancer cell lines, and that the serum leptin/Acrp30 ratio plays an important role in endometrial cancer development. We explored whether Acrp30 could reverse the leptin-induced metastasis phenotype in the SPEC-2 endometrial cancer cell line. Transcripts for Acrp30 receptors (AdipoR1 and AdipoR2) and leptin receptor (Ob-Rb) were detected by quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) in six endometrial cancer cell lines. Leptin (1 µg/ml) treatment stimulated SPEC-2 cell proliferation by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, while Acrp30 (10 µg/ml) treatment inhibited the growth of SPEC-2 cells. Importantly, Acrp30 was able to inhibit leptin-induced SPEC-2 cell proliferation. Leptin promoted SPEC-2 cell invasion in a Matrigel transwell assay, while Acrp30 partly suppressed the invasion stimulated by leptin. To investigate the molecular mechanism underlying this phenomenon, we monitored the AMPK and JAK/STAT3 signaling pathways by western blotting and cell immunofluorescence. Acrp30 reduced leptin-induced STAT3 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation via activation of the MAPK pathway. AG490 (JAK/STAT3 inhibitor) reduced MMP-2 and MMP-9 protein levels in cells treated with leptin, while IL-6 (JAK/STAT3 stimulator) and Compound C (AMPK inhibitor) elevated MMP-2 and MMP-9 protein levels in cells treated with Acrp30. In conclusion, we demonstrated that Acrp30 effectively reversed the invasion stimulated by leptin, and AMPK and JAK/STAT3 pathways mediated the invasive phenotype of SPEC-2 cells.

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