Effects of Exercise on Apoptosis, Metastasis, and Thrombosis of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cell Mediated by Platelet and Natural Killer Cell

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a common cancer in Taiwan, South China, and Southeastern Asia. Natural killer (NK) cells can induce the death of carcinoma cell by engaging the perforin/granzyme-mediated cytotoxicity (necrosis and apoptosis). However, platelets attenuate the ability of NK cells destroying carcinoma cell. In addition, thrombosis and coagulation induced by carcinoma cells confer a number of advantages to the survival of the carcinoma cell and in its successful metastasis. Platelets contribute to the secondary tethering processes of carcinoma cells to activated endothelial cells (EC), and subsequently trigger shedding of surface adhesion molecules on the carcinoma cells, thus promoting tumor metastasis. Studies have shown that regular exercise decreases the amount of fatigue, enhances functional capacity, prevents or reverses cachexia, and leads to improved quality of life in patients with cancer. However, physical exercise imposes, paradoxically, both enhancing and suppressing effects on immune function and thrombosis, according to responses dependent on the type, intensity, and duration of exercise. Apparently no work has explored how exercise dosage affects platelet-mediated cytotoxicity of NK cell to nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell (NPC) and its underlying mechanisms. Moreover, effect of exercise on interaction of carcinoma cell and EC induced by activated platelet remains to be determined. To answer these questions, we will conduct this study to clarify how distinct intensities of exercise influence (i) platelet-NPC hetero-aggregation, (ii) platelet-mediated cytotoxicity of NK cell to NPC, and (iii) dynamic NPC-EC interactions, including tethering, rolling, adhesion, and transmigration, induced by platelet under shear flow. We expect that these results obtained from this study will provide relatively understanding of effect of exercise dosage on the survival and metastasis of NPC via modulating immune and haemostatic functions, further developing suitable exercise regimens for prevention/treatment of certain malignancies.

Project ID:PC9706-0160
External Project ID:NSC95-2314-B182-035-MY3