E0771 and 4T1 murine breast cancer cells and interleukin 6 alter gene expression patterns but do not induce browning in cultured white adipocytes

Breast cancer remains a substantial clinical problem worldwide, and cancer-associated cachexia is a condition associated with poor prognosis in this and other malignancies. Adipose tissue is involved in the development and progression of cancer-associated cachexia, but its various roles and mechanisms of action are not completely defined, especially as it relates to breast cancer. Interleukin 6 has been implicated in several mechanisms contributing to increased breast cancer tumorigenesis, as well as a net-negative energy balance and cancer-associated cachexia via adipose tissue remodeling in other models of cancer; however, its potential role in breast cancer-associated white adipose browning has not been explored. In this study, we demonstrate localized white adipose tissue browning in a spontaneous model of murine mammary cancer. We then used an in vitro murine adipocyte culture system with the E0771 and 4T1 cell lines as models of breast cancer. We demonstrate that while the E0771 and 4T1 secretomes and cross-talk with white adipocytes alter white adipocyte mRNA expression, they do not directly induce white adipocyte browning. Additionally, we show that neither exogenous administration of interleukin 6 alone or with its soluble receptor directly induce white adipocyte browning. Together, these results demonstrate that neither the E0771 or 4T1 murine breast cancer cell lines, nor interleukin 6, directly cause browning of cultured white adipocytes. This suggests that their roles in adipose tissue remodeling are more complex and indirect in nature.