Pepsin promotes activation of epidermal growth factor receptor and downstream oncogenic pathways, at slightly acidic and neutral ph, in exposed hypopharyngeal cells

Abstract

Pepsin refluxate is considered a risk factor for laryngopharyngeal carcinogenesis. Non-acidic pepsin was previously linked to an inflammatory and tumorigenic effect on laryngopharyngeal cells in vitro. Yet there is no clear evidence of the pepsin‐effect on a specific oncogenic pathway and the importance of pH in this process. We hypothesized that less acidic pepsin triggers the activation of a specific oncogenic factor and related‐signalling pathway. To explore the pepsin‐effect in vitro, we performed intermittent exposure of 15 min, once per day, for a 5‐day period, of human hypopharyngeal primary cells (HCs) to pepsin (1 mg/mL), at a weakly acidic pH of 5.0, a slightly acidic pH of 6.0, and a neutral pH of 7.0. We have documented that the extracellular environment at pH 6.0, and particularly pH 7.0, vs. pH 5.0, promotes the pepsin‐effect on HCs, causing increased internalized pepsin and cell viability, a pronounced activation of EGFR accompanied by NF‐κB and STAT3 activation, and a significant upregulation of EGFR, AKT1, mTOR, IL1β, TNF‐α, RELA(p65), BCL‐2, IL6, and STAT3. We herein provide new evidence of the pepsin‐effect on oncogenic EGFR activation and its related‐signaling pathway at neutral and slightly acidic pH in HCs, opening a window to further explore the prevention and therapeutic approach of laryngopharyngeal reflux disease.