Androgen-dependent LNCaP Cells Research Articles

MED19 alters AR occupancy and gene expression in prostate cancer cells, driving MAOA expression and growth under low androgen.

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is a mainstay of prostate cancer treatment, given the dependence of prostate cells on androgen and the androgen receptor (AR). However, tumors become ADT-resistant, and there is a need to understand the mechanism. One possible mechanism is the upregulation of AR co-regulators, although only a handful have been definitively linked to disease. We previously identified the Mediator subunit MED19 as an AR co-regulator, and reported that MED19 depletion inhibits AR transcriptional activity and growth of androgen-insensitive LNCaP-abl cells. Therefore, we proposed that MED19 upregulation would promote AR activity and drive androgen-independent growth. Here, we show that stable overexpression of MED19 in androgen-dependent LNCaP cells promotes growth under conditions of androgen deprivation. To delineate the mechanism, we determined the MED19 and AR transcriptomes and cistromes in control and MED19-overexpressing LNCaP cells. We also examined genome-wide H3K27 acetylation. MED19 overexpression selectively alters AR occupancy, H3K27 acetylation, and gene expression. Under conditions of androgen deprivation, genes regulated by MED19 correspond to genes regulated by ELK1, a transcription factor that binds the AR N-terminus to induce select AR target gene expression and proliferation, and genomic sites occupied by MED19 and AR are enriched for motifs associated with ELK1. Strikingly, MED19 upregulates expression of monoamine oxidase A (MAOA), a factor that promotes prostate cancer growth. MAOA depletion reduces androgen-independent growth. MED19 and AR occupy the MAOA promoter, with MED19 overexpression enhancing AR occupancy and H3K27 acetylation. Furthermore, MED19 overexpression increases ELK1 occupancy at the MAOA promoter, and ELK1 depletion reduces MAOA expression and androgen-independent growth. This suggests that MED19 cooperates with ELK1 to regulate AR occupancy and H3K27 acetylation at MAOA, upregulating its expression and driving androgen independence in prostate cancer cells. This study provides important insight into the mechanisms of prostate cancer cell growth under low androgen, and underscores the importance of the MED19-MAOA axis in this process.

Corrigendum to Role of Testosterone Levels on the Combinatorial Effect of Boswellia serrata Extract and Enzalutamide on Androgen Dependent LNCaP Cells and in Patient Derived Cells

Corrigendum to Role of Testosterone Levels on the Combinatorial Effect of <i>Boswellia serrata</i> Extract and Enzalutamide on Androgen Dependent LNCaP Cells and in Patient Derived Cells

Role of Testosterone Levels on the Combinatorial Effect of Boswellia serrata Extract and Enzalutamide on Androgen Dependent LNCaP Cells and in Patient Derived Cells.

Co-therapy with herbal extracts along with current clinical drugs is being increasingly recognized as a useful complementary treatment for cancer. The anti-cancer property of the phyto-derivative acetyl-11 keto β boswellic acid (AKBA) has been studied in many cancers, including prostate cancer. However, the whole extract of the gum resin Boswellia serrata (BS) and anti-androgen enzalutamide has not been explored in prostate cancer to date. We hypothesized that the BS extract containing 30% (AKBA) with enzalutamide acted synergistically in the early phase of cancer, especially in LNCaP cells, by inhibiting androgen receptor (AR) and by reducing cell proliferation, and further, that the extract would be superior to the action of the active ingredient AKBA when used alone or in combination with enzalutamide. To test our hypothesis, we treated LNCaP cells with BS extract or AKBA and enzalutamide both individually and in combination to analyze cell viability under different levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT). The inhibition of androgen receptor (AR) followed by the expression of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and the efflux mechanism of the cells were analyzed to determine the effect of the combination on the cellular mechanism. Cells derived from prostate cancer patients were also tested with the combination. Only 6 µM enzalutamide along with BS in the range of 4.1 µg/ml to 16.4 µg/ml gave the best synergistic results with nearly 50% cell killing even though standard enzalutamide doses were as high as 48 µM. Cell killing was most effective at intermediate DHT concentrations of approximately 1 nM, which corresponds to normal physiological serum levels of DHT. The Pgp expression level and the androgen receptor expression levels were reduced under the combination treatment; the former helping to minimize drug efflux and the latter by reducing the sensitivity to hormonal changes. Furthermore, the combination reduced the PSA level secreted by the cells. In contrast, AKBA could not achieve the needed synergism for adequate cell killing at equivalent concentrations. The combination of enzalutamide and BS extract containing 30% AKBA because of their synergistic interaction is an attractive therapeutic option for treating early stage (hormone-dependent) prostate cancer and is superior to the use of AKBA alone.

Chelerythrine suppresses proliferation and metastasis of human prostate cancer cells via modulating MMP/TIMP/NF-κB system.

Chelerythrine is a natural benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloid found in many herbs and displays a wide range of antitumor activities. Here, the present study tested their effects on prostate cancer cells. The addition of chelerythrine can significantly inhibit the proliferation of androgen-independent prostate cancer DU145 and PC-3 cells at the concentration of 5 and 10μM, but not on androgen-dependent prostate cancer LNCaP cells as well as normal prostate epithelial cell line PrEC cells. Wound migration and transwell invasion assay showed the similar inhibitory effect of chelerythrine on the migration and invasion of DU145 and PC-3 cells in the same condition. Western blot analysis further confirmed that chelerythrine not only dramatically decreased MMP-2, MMP-9, and uPA protein expression, but also augmented the expression of their endogenous inhibitors (TIMP-1 and TIMP-2) and plasminogen activator inhibitors (PAI-1 and PAI-2) in both cancer cells. Meanwhile, NF-κB and AP-1 transcription factors were all suppressed as evidenced by the decline of p-p65, c-Fos, and c-Jun protein expression in both cells. Taken together, these findings suggested that chelerythrine could reduce the metastasis of androgen-independent prostate cancer cells via modulation of MMP/TIMP system and inactivation of NF-κB pathway.

HPCL3S promotes proliferation and migration of androgen-independent prostate cancer cells.

Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) allows the deposition of H3K27me3. PRC2 facultative subunits modulate its activity and recruitment such as hPCL3/PHF19, a human ortholog of Drosophila Polycomb-like protein (PCL). These proteins contain a TUDOR domain binding H3K36me3, two PHD domains and a “Winged-helix” domain involved in GC-rich DNA binding. The human PCL3 locus encodes the full-length hPCL3L protein and a shorter isoform, hPCL3S containing the TUDOR and PHD1 domains only.In this study, we demonstrated by RT-qPCR analyses of 25 prostate tumors that hPCL3S is frequently up-regulated. In addition, hPCL3S is overexpressed in the androgen-independent DU145 and PC3 cells, but not in the androgen-dependent LNCaP cells. hPCL3S knockdown decreased the proliferation and migration of DU145 and PC3 whereas its forced expression into LNCaP increased these properties. A mutant hPCL3S unable to bind H3K36me3 (TUDOR-W50A) increased proliferation and migration of LNCaP similarly to wt hPCL3S whereas inactivation of its PHD1 domain decreased proliferation. These effects partially relied on the up-regulation of genes known to be important for the proliferation and/or migration of prostate cancer cells such as S100A16, PlexinA2, and Spondin1.Collectively, our results suggest hPCL3S as a new potential therapeutic target in castration resistant prostate cancers.

Ergosterol exerts a differential effect on AR-dependent LNCaP and AR-independent DU-145 cancer cells

Androgen-dependent LNCaP and androgen-independent DU-145 cells, were treated with different concentrations of ergosterol (15 µM and 25 µM) and its respective cell viability was measured by MTT bioassay. While ergosterol showed an antiproliferative effect on LNCaP, on DU-145 promoted cell proliferation. This differential effect suggests that the effect of ergosterol might be related to its ability to act as an Androgen Receptor ligand. In silico Molecular Dynamics simulations were performed to analyze the interaction mechanism between androgen receptor and ergosterol, in comparison with natural ligands, 5α-dihydrotestosterone and testosterone. Our model suggests that the binding of androgen receptor with ergosterol is thermodinamically feasible, which is concordant with our experimental results.

Curcumin-Gene Expression Response in Hormone Dependent and Independent Metastatic Prostate Cancer Cells.

The androgen receptor is one of the key targets for prostate cancer treatment. Despite its less satisfactory effects, chemotherapy is the most common treatment option for metastatic and/or castration-resistant patients. There are constant needs for novel anti-prostate cancer therapeutic/prevention agents. Curcumin, a known chemo-preventive agent, was shown to inhibit prostate cancer cell growth. This study aimed to unravel the inhibitory effect of curcumin in prostate cancer through analyzing the alterations of expressions of curcumin targeting genes clusters in androgen-dependent LNCaP cells and androgen-independent metastatic C4-2B cells. Hierarchical clustering showed the highest number of differentially expressed genes at 12 h post treatment in both cells, suggesting that the androgen-dependent/independent manner of curcumin impacts on prostate cancer cells. Evaluation of significantly regulated top canonical pathways highlighted that Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), Wingless-related integration site (Wnt), Phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Protein Kinase B/ mammalian target of rapamycin (PIK3/AKT(PKB)/mTOR), and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-kB) signaling were primarily inhibited, and Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) dependent cell cycle arrest and apoptosis pathways were elevated with curcumin treatment. The short term (3–24 h) and long term (48 h) effect of curcumin treatment revealed 31 and four genes modulated in both cell lines. TGF-β signaling, including the androgen/TGF-β inhibitor Prostate transmembrane protein androgen-induced 1 (PMEPA1), was the only pathway impacted by curcumin treatment after 48 h. Our findings also established that MYC Proto-Oncogene, basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) Transcription Factor (MYC) signaling was down-regulated in curcumin-treated cell lines. This study established, for the first time, novel gene-networks and signaling pathways confirming the chemo-preventive and cancer-growth inhibitory nature of curcumin as a natural anti-prostate cancer compound.

Effects of vitamin D as a regulator of androgen intracrinology in LNCAP prostate cancer cells

Prostate cancer is initially treated via androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), a highly successful treatment in the initial pursuit of tumor regression, but commonly restricted by the eventual emergence of a more lethal ‘castrate resistant’ form of the disease. Intracrine pathways that utilize dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) or other circulatory precursor steroids, are thought to generate relevant levels of growth-stimulating androgens such as testosterone (T) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT). In this study, we explored the capacity of the active vitamin D hormone to interact and elicit changes upon this prostatic intracrine pathway at a metabolic level. We used androgen dependent LNCaP cells cultured under steroid-depleted conditions and assessed the impact of vitamin D-based compounds upon intracrine pathways that convert exogenously added DHEA to relevant metabolites, through Mass Spectrometry (MS). Changes in relevant metabolism-related gene targets were also assessed. Our findings confirm that exposure to vitamin D based compounds, within LNCaP cells, elicits measurable and significant reduction in the intracrine conversion of DHEA to T, DHT and other intermediate metabolites within the androgenic pathway. The aassessment and validation of the biological model and analytical platforms were performed by pharmacological manipulations of the SRD5α and HSD-17β enzymes. The data provides further confirmation for how a vitamin D-based regime may be used to counter intracrine mechanisms contributing to the emergence of castrate-resistant tumors.

Paxillin regulated genomic networks in prostate cancer

Paxillin is extensively involved in focal adhesion signaling and kinase signaling throughout the plasma membrane and cytoplasm. However, recent studies in prostate cancer suggest that paxillin also plays a critical role in regulating gene expression within the nucleus, serving as a liaison between cytoplasmic and nuclear MAPK and Androgen Receptor (AR) signaling. Here we used RNA-seq to examine the paxillin-regulated transcriptome in several human prostate cancer cell lines. First, we examined paxillin effects on androgen-mediated transcription in control or paxillin-depleted AR-positive LNCaP and C4-2 human prostate cancer cells. In androgen-dependent LNCaP cells, we found over 1000 paxillin-dependent androgen-responsive genes, some of which are involved in endocrine therapy resistance. Most paxillin-dependent AR-mediated genes in LNCaP cells were no longer paxillin-dependent in androgen-sensitive, castration-resistant C4-2 cells, suggesting that castration-resistance may markedly alter paxillin effects on genomic AR signaling. To examine the paxillin-regulated transcriptome in the absence of androgen signaling, we performed RNA-seq in AR-negative PC3 human prostate cancer cells. Paxillin enhanced several pro-proliferative pathways, including the CyclinD/Rb/E2F and DNA replication/repair pathways. Additionally, paxillin suppressed pro-apoptotic genes, including CASP1 and TNFSF10. Quantitative PCR confirmed that these pathways are similarly regulated by paxillin in LNCaP and C4-2 cells. Functional studies showed that, while paxillin stimulated cell proliferation, it had minimum effect on apoptosis. Thus, paxillin appears to be an important transcriptional regulator in prostate cancer, and analysis of its transcriptome might lead to novel approaches toward the diagnosis and treatment of this important disease.

L-securinine inhibits cell growth and metastasis of human androgen-independent prostate cancer DU145 cells via regulating mitochondrial and AGTR1/MEK/ERK/STAT3/PAX2 apoptotic pathways.

The present study aims to evaluate the anticancer effect of L-securinine on androgen-independent prostate cancer (AIPC) DU145 cells. L-securinine (2.5, 5, and 10 μM) treatment for 24, 48 and 72 h displayed strong growth inhibitory effect on DU145 cells in a concentration and time-dependent fashion but has less toxicity toward normal androgen-dependent LNCaP cells. Hoechst 332582 staining of DU145 cells and Annexin V-FITC/ PI dual-labeling followed by flow cytometry assay identified that this growth inhibition by L-securinine would be due to the induction of apoptosis. Moreover Transwell assay revealed that L-securinine significantly inhibited the cell migration/invasion ability of DU145 cells. Furthermore, results of western blotting showed that the involvement of mitochondrial apoptotic pathway in the L-securinine-induced apoptosis of DU145 cell, as evidenced by an increase in the protein expression of Bax, cleaved caspase-9, cleaved caspase-3, cytosolic cytochrome c, and cleaved PARP, together with a unchanged cleaved caspase-8 and decreased Bcl-2 protein expression. Also, L-securinine-induced antimetastatic activity in DU145 cells was associated with decreased protein expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 and concurrent reduction of VEGF. In addition, further studies revealed that L-securinine may inhibit the protein expression of AGTR1, p-MEK1/2, p-ERK1/2, p-STAT3, PAX2, and p-PAX2, while the expression of ERK1/2, MEK1/2, and STAT3 protein retains intact. These findings suggest that L-securinine may be a promising chemopreventive agent against AIPC.

Differential expression of exosomal miRNAs between androgen-dependent prostate cancer cell and androgen-independent prostate cancer cell

Objective Studying the differential expression of exosomal miRNAs between androgen-dependent prostate cancer cell and androgen-independent prostate cancer cell, in order to further elucidate the mechanism of androgen-independent prostate cancer and find new targets for its treatment. Methods Prostate cancer androgen-dependent LNCaP cell and prostate cancer androgen-independent LNCaP-AI+F cell (induced by androgen and flutamide) were selected as the study subjects. Illumina HiSeqTM 2500 was used to perform high-throughput sequencing between the two groups. The differentially expressed exosomal miRNAs was verified by quantitative real-time PCR(qRT-PCR). The difference was statistically significant by t-test. Results Through the analysis of high-throughput sequencing results, thirteen molecules were screened increased in extracellular exosomes of the androgen-independent cell, including miR-7-5p, let-7a-5p, miR-375, miR-423-3p, miR-378a-3p, and miR-92a-3p, etc. Among them, miR-7-5p was verified by quantitative real-time PCR to be up-regulated by 19.52-fold (t=9.857, P=0.001). Conclusion Differentially expressed exosomal miRNAs may predict the development of androgen-independent prostate cancer and may further regulate the development of androgen-independent prostate cancer. Key words: Prostatic neoplasms; Exosomes; microRNAs; High-throughput nucleotide sequencing

Antineoplastic Constituents from the Chemical Diversified Extract of Radix puerariae.

To enhance the structural diversity of isoflavonoids and provide more derivatives for the biological screening, a semisynthetic mixture was generated by diversification of the crude extract of Radix puerariae (Pueraria montana var. lobata) through the chemical reaction with hydrazine hydrate. Eleven 3,4-diarylpyrazoles (1-11) and two 5-phenyl-6-benzyldihydropyridazinones (12 and 13) were isolated from the semisynthetic mixture, and their structures were identified by spectroscopic methods in combination with X-ray crystallographic analysis. Among them, nine compounds (5-13) were new derivatives. All the compounds were evaluated on the inhibitory activities against the prostate cancer cell lines LNCaP and PC3. Compounds 12 and 13 were found to exhibit much more potent inhibitory activities against the androgen dependent LNCaP cells than the androgen independent PC3 cells. Rapid synthesis of new 3,4-diarylpyrazoles and two 5-phenyl-6-benzyldihydropyridazinones with significant biological activity highlights the great potential of one-pot combinatorial modification for the diversification of natural products.

Metformin alters H2A.Z dynamics and regulates androgen dependent prostate cancer progression.

Epigenetic mechanisms involved in prostate cancer include hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes, general hypomethylation of the genome, and alterations in histone posttranslational modifications (PTMs). In addition, over expression of the histone variant H2A.Z as well as deregulated expression of Polycomb group proteins including EZH2 have been well-documented. Recent evidence supports a role for metformin in prostate cancer (PCa) treatment. However, the mechanism of action of metformin in PCa is poorly understood. We provide data showing that metformin epigenetically targets PCa by altering the levels and gene binding dynamics of histone variant H2A.Z. Moreover, we show that the increase in H2A.Z upon metformin treatment occurs preferentially due to H2A.Z.1 isoform. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-RT PCR analysis indicates that metformin treatment results in an increased H2A.Z occupancy on the androgen receptor (AR) and AR-regulated genes that is more prominent in the androgen dependent AR positive LNCaP cells. Repression of H2A.Z.1 gene by siRNA–mediated knock down identified this H2A.Z isoform to be responsible. Based on preliminary data with an EZH2-specific inhibitor, we suggest that the effects of metformin on the early stages of PCa may involve both EZH2 and H2A.Z through the alteration of different molecular pathways.

Novel 4-azaandrostenes as prostate cancer cell growth inhibitors: Synthesis, antiproliferative effects, and molecular docking studies

In this study, synthesis, structural characterization, molecular docking studies, and antiproliferative effects in four different cell lines of several novel 16-arylidene-4-azaandrost-5-ene compounds are reported. These compounds were prepared by oxidative cleavage of the enone system of androstenedione followed by an azacyclization reaction and an aldol condensation with various aldehydes at C16. In the androgen-dependent LNCaP cells, the most relevant antiproliferative effects were observed with the 16-phenyl, 16-p-tolyl, and 16-p-nitrophenyl derivatives. Compound 16E-[(4-methylphenyl)methylidene]-4-azaandrost-5-ene-3,17-dione was the most potent in these cells (IC50 = 28.28 μM), having lower antiproliferative effects in the androgen-independent PC-3 cells (IC50 = 45.31 μM). In addition, an interesting selectivity toward cancer cell lines was found for all compounds because a generally low cytotoxicity was detected in healthy human fibroblasts. Furthermore, the 16-p-tolylazaandrostene steroid induced a reduction of viability in LNCaP cells similar to that observed with finasteride, a clinically used 5α-reductase inhibitor. Moreover, molecular docking studies predicted that these 4-azaandrostene derivatives can interact with 5β-reductase, which has a high level of similarity to 5α-reductase enzyme, and with other common targets of steroidal drugs, particularly the enzyme 17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase.

Abstract A083: Cell adhesion to laminin, by integrin α6β1, mediates drug resistance to PI3K in castration-resistant prostate cancer through AR-dependent induction of BNIP3

Abstract Pten loss leading to constitutive PI3K/Akt/mTor activation is a well-characterized PCa survival pathway frequently activated in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Unfortunately, targeted mono-therapies to PI3K/Akt/mTor with or without anti-androgen therapy failed to achieve significant response in clinical trials with CRPC patients. The mechanisms that drive PI3K resistance in CRPC are unknown. The androgen receptor (AR) is also a major driver of prostate cancer (PCa) survival, even in CRPC. However, surprisingly very little is known about how AR promotes PCa survival. We previously identified an AR-dependent survival pathway in androgen-dependent tumor cells whereby AR induction of integrin α6β1 and adhesion to laminin in the tumor microenvironment activates NF-κB to induce Bcl-xL. This pathway acts in parallel to the PI3K/Akt pathway in Pten-null tumor cells such that combined inhibition of both PI3K and integrin α6β1 is required to effectively kill tumor cells and suppress tumor growth. While this drug combination was effective in androgen-responsive tumors in vivo, it poorly suppressed CRPC. Thus, we hypothesized there are additional survival mechanisms operating in CRPC. To identify CRPC survival pathways, we mined the gene expression data comparing androgen-sensitive to CRPC tumors in a series of human PDX LuCaP models. We found the hypoxia-inducible protein, BNIP3, to be preferentially elevated in CRPC tumors, and this correlated with increased integrin α6β1 expression and enhanced AR signaling. Furthermore, elevated BNIP3 predicts for poor outcome in PCa patients. We discovered that androgen induces BNIP3 expression specifically in CRPC C4-2 cell lines, but not the androgen-dependent parental LNCaP cells. BNIP3 expression is dependent on AR induction of integrin α6β1, adhesion to laminin, and nuclear translocation of HIF-1α. The CRPC C4-2 cells are highly resistant to PI3K inhibition by PX866 compared to LNCaP when adherent to laminin, and siRNA-mediated loss of integrin α6 or BNIP3 sensitizes these cells to PI3K inhibition. Blocking Bnip3 expression in C4-2 cells injected orthotopically into mice reduced tumor growth and induced apoptosis. BNIP3 can promote survival by activating autophagy and/or mitophagy. Even though autophagic flux was specifically enhanced in laminin-adherent CRPC C4-2 cells, but not in LNCaP cells, this was not dependent on BNIP3. WT BNIP3 can restore PI3K drug resistance in shBNIP3-expressing cells, but the BNIP3 ΔLIR mutant, which is unable to target mitochondria to autophagosomes, cannot restore drug resistance. We have identified an AR-dependent survival pathway in CRPC involving BNIP3-induced mitophagy that is dependent on and mediated by integrin α6β1 adhesion to laminin that promotes resistance to PI3K inhibition. Laminin is abundant in prostate tissue, lymph nodes, and bone—the primary sites for PCa growth. Thus, laminin within the tumor microenvironment of both primary and metastatic PCa drives drug resistance in CRPC. Citation Format: Eric Nollet, Sourik Ganguly, Veronique Schulz, Eva Corey, Cindy K. Miranti. Cell adhesion to laminin, by integrin α6β1, mediates drug resistance to PI3K in castration-resistant prostate cancer through AR-dependent induction of BNIP3 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Prostate Cancer: Advances in Basic, Translational, and Clinical Research; 2017 Dec 2-5; Orlando, Florida. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(16 Suppl):Abstract nr A083.

Abstract A063: Preclinical evaluation of an arginine vasopressin receptor 1A (AVPR1A) antagonist in castration-resistant prostate cancer

Abstract Background: Advanced prostate cancer is treated by androgen deprivation, but despite initial responses most tumors inevitably recur. The recurrent disease is termed castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and is characterized by active androgen receptor (AR) signaling despite decreased androgen levels. AR activity in CRPC occurs through a variety of mechanisms including upregulation of AR coactivators, such as Vav3, and expression of constitutively active AR variants, which lack the ligand binding domain and are linked to poor prognosis. We previously demonstrated that PC cells are growth inhibited by depletion of either Vav3 or the clinically prevalent AR variant, AR-V7 (1). Gene expression profiling in CRPC cells revealed that arginine vasopressin receptor 1a (AVPR1a) was significantly reduced by depletion of either Vav3 or AR-V7. AVPR1a is a G protein-coupled receptor that has not been previously linked to PC. Analysis of publicly available datasets showed that the AVPR1a gene exhibits a significant increase in copy number in human CRPC specimens and AVPR1a mRNA is upregulated in aggressive PC (2-4). Methods: To explore the role of AVPR1a in PC cells, we selectively depleted AVPR1a in a panel of prostate cancer and prostate epithelial cell lines and examined cell survival and proliferation in culture and soft agar, as well as cell migration and invasion. Conversely, we overexpressed AVPR1a in an androgen-dependent PC cell line, LNCaP, and examined growth in vitro and in vivo in androgen-depleted conditions. We investigated AVPR1a antagonism in two distinct in vivo models of CRPC progression and growth using an effective and safe-in-humans AVPR1a antagonist, relcovaptan. Results: We showed that depletion of AVPR1a greatly inhibited the proliferation of multiple CRPC cell lines but had less to no effect on androgen-dependent PC cells or nontumorigenic prostate epithelial cells. Depletion of AVPR1a also decreased CRPC cell anchorage-independent growth. Conversely, overexpression of AVPR1a in androgen-dependent LNCaP cells conferred castration resistance in vitro and in vivo. Similar to depletion of AVPR1a, treatment of PC cells with the AVPR1a antagonist relcovaptan decreased CRPC anchorage-independent growth. AVPR1a depletion or antagonism was also effective at decreasing CRPC metastatic properties: migration and invasion. In a preclinical xenograft model of progression to castration resistance, we found that relcovaptan halted tumor growth and stabilized circulating levels of a clinical tumor progression marker, prostate specific antigen (PSA). We evaluated relcovaptan efficacy on end-stage metastatic CRPC growth. C4-2B CRPC cells were injected into the tibias of castrated mice to model tumor growth and bone remodeling. Relcovaptan significantly inhibited tumor growth and prevented cancer cell-induced bone remodeling. Conclusion: AVPR1a is a promising new therapeutic target against CRPC. We propose that AVPR1a antagonists may be repurposed for PC therapy.

Abstract 3498: Regulation of AR through an FGF5 driven mechanism

Abstract Purpose To investigate the role of increasing FGF5 expression in the progression of prostate cancer and emergence of castration resistant prostate cancer. Methods Utilizing a cell line model representing different stages of prostate cancer progression, we assessed FGF5 expression and function in vitro and in vivo. We analyzed both an outcomes and progression tissue microarray (TMA) containing ~400 prostate cancer patient cores to assess FGF5 expression in a clinical setting. Results There was a significant increase in the both RNA and protein expression of FGF5 in tumorigenic cell lines compared to nontumorigenic. In TMAs that were analyzed, there was a significant increase of FGF5-positive cells across progression of prostate cancer from benign to metastatic, with the highest percentage occurring in cases of cancer. When performing gain of function experiments with recombinant FGF5 (rFGF5) or overexpression plasmids, we found that FGF5 significantly increased the proliferation of AR-positive cell lines. Conversely, in AR-negative cell lines, FGF5 inhibited proliferation. Because FGF5 is associated with stem cells and differentiation events, we next asked whether the population of FGF5 cells that increases through cancer progression could lead to molecular changes in the total population. In addition to inhibiting proliferation of AR-negative nontumorigenic BPH1 cells, rFGF5 resulted in a robust AR expression. In LNCaP, C4-2, and C4-2B rFGF5 resulted in an increase in AR expression. In C4-2 and C4-2B cells an increase in AR protein coincided with an increase in nuclear YAP1, a potent transcriptional regulator. We hypothesized that androgens could be regulating FGF5 expression in the prostate. When androgen dependent LNCaP cells are subjected to an androgen-depleted environment, FGF5 protein and RNA significantly increased within 24hrs. Additionally, when AR is stimulated using dihyrotestosterone, FGF5 protein and RNA levels significantly decreased. These effects are not observed in cell lines that do not express AR. Conclusions These results suggest that FGF5 is increased in prostate cancer progression cell lines as well as patient samples, with highest expression in aggressive cancer cores. Data also suggests that AR plays a role in the regulation of FGF5 and vice versa. These data suggest that FGF5 driven AR expression could be driven by YAP1 nuclear localization. This mechanism will be further interrogated. Citation Format: Dalton McLean. Regulation of AR through an FGF5 driven mechanism [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3498.

Abstract 4809: Bardoxolone-methyl suppresses both androgen receptor and its splice-variant ARv7 in prostate cancer cells to enhance the anti-cancer efficacy of enzalutamide

Abstract Prostate cancer (PCa) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in elderly men in the United States. Despite androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), the recurrence of castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) remains a significant challenge. Augmented signaling via the full-length androgen receptor (AR) and the constitutively active AR splice variants, especially ARv7, is associated with ADT-resistance. Therefore, a proper understanding of augmented AR signaling and adjunct strategies to suppress both AR and ARv7 levels are critically needed. ADT-induced oxidative stress (Ox-stress) can facilitate CRPC outgrowth. We previously documented that the Ox-stress induced transcription factor, Nrf2 can suppress AR expression and AR-transactivation function in PCa cells. Recently, we also showed that the Nrf2-inducing natural compound, sulforaphane (SFN) can decrease both AR and ARv7 levels in PCa cells, and co-exposure to SFN enhanced the efficacy of anti-androgens. In this study, we examined whether a synthetic triterpenoid drug, Bardoxolone-methyl (CDDO-me), a potent enhancer of Nrf2, can similarly decrease AR and ARv7 expression. Exposure to nanomolar (nM) concentrations of CDDO-me rapidly downregulated AR levels in the androgen-dependent LNCaP cells and androgen-independent C4-2B cells. Exposure to CDDO-me also suppressed both AR and ARv7 levels in the CRPC line, CWR22Rv1. A biphasic effect of CDDO-me on reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels was observed. Pre-exposure to the antioxidant, n-acetyl cysteine (NAC) blocked the AR-suppressive effect of CDDO-me. Molecular mechanistic studies using actinomycin-D (transcription inhibitor), cycloheximide (translation inhibitor), and MG132 (proteasomal inhibitor) suggested that CDDO-me may decrease AR gene expression and increase degradation of AR and ARv7 proteins. Furthermore, exposure to CDDO-me increased proteasomal activity in PCa cells and suppressed the levels of several AR splicing factors, i.e. the heteronuclear ribonucleoproteins A1 and H1 (hnRNP-A1 and hnRNP-H1). Co-exposure to CDDO-me increased the anti-cancer efficacy of enzalutamide (ENZ) as evident by decreased cell-viability (MTT), migration (scratch-wound) and colony forming unit (CFU) assays. Therefore, adjunct treatment with low-dose CDDO-me may be an effective strategy to suppress AR and ARv7 levels and augment the efficacy of anti-androgens. Most importantly, since CDDO-me is in late-stage clinical trials for chronic kidney disease (CKD), its repositioning as a potent AR suppressive agent may be of significant translational value in PCa patients undergoing ADT. Citation Format: Namrata Khurana, Partha Chandra, Hogyoung Kim, Asim B Abdel-Mageed, Suresh Sikka, Debasis Mondal. Bardoxolone-methyl suppresses both androgen receptor and its splice-variant ARv7 in prostate cancer cells to enhance the anti-cancer efficacy of enzalutamide [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4809.

Abstract 1798: A detailed comparison between second-generation AR antagonists reveals differences in the overall impact on gene regulation patterns in prostate cancer cells

Abstract Androgen receptor (AR) signaling is essential at all prostate cancer stages and is clinically addressed by surgical or chemical castration, AR antagonists and androgen synthesis inhibitors. Second-generation AR antagonists include the approved drug enzalutamide and the late-stage clinical investigational oral compounds apalutamide and darolutamide. Comparing the gene expression patterns and the overarching epigenetic modifications elicited by AR antagonists will be essential for a detailed understanding of the molecular mode of action of these compounds. Methods: The transcriptome and AR binding patterns were analyzed by RNA-seq and qPCR, respectively. Genome-wide changes of the active transcription histone modification H3K27 acetylation were determined by ChIP-seq. Results: RNA-seq was performed in the androgen-dependent VCaP and LNCaP cell lines for a detailed analysis of the genome-wide transcriptional effects of the AR antagonists darolutamide, enzalutamide and apalutamide. Gene set enrichment analysis indicated that many genes involved in androgen response were up- or down-regulated by androgen treatment with R1881. Principal component analysis showed that treatment with pharmacologically relevant doses of AR antagonists had similar effects at the 8-hour time point, however some differences were visible at the 22-hour time point. A strong expression down-regulation of a number of genes from the Wnt and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathways was observed for darolutamide as compared to enzalutamide and apalutamide treatment in the VCaP cell line. In LNCaP cells the major differences between the AR antagonists were observed in the androgen-regulated genes, which is consistent with varying degrees of inhibition by the drugs in this cell line. Next we determined the global H3K27 acetylation profiles which characterize open chromatin and active transcription. ChIP-seq analysis performed in LNCaP cells revealed a strong impact of androgen treatment on the H3K27 acetylation profiles of numerous genes involved in hormonal regulation. Darolutamide significantly reversed genome-wide H3K27 acetylation patterns, almost to non-androgen stimulated levels. More specifically, a reduction of H3K27 peaks was observed at KLK3 and FKBP5 regulatory elements. In addition, we determined the impact of AR antagonists on AR binding at the KLK2 and KLK3 regulatory elements. Darolutamide and enzalutamide strongly reduced androgen-stimulated AR binding whereas the impact of apalutamide was slightly lower. Conclusions: AR antagonists strongly reversed the effects of the androgen R1881, both at the level of gene expression, and of H3K27 acetylation and AR binding. A detailed comparison between second-generation AR antagonists showed interesting differences in the regulation of genes in the Wnt and EMT pathways. Citation Format: Simon J. Baumgart, Ekaterina Nevedomskaya, Ralf Lesche, Henrik Seidel, Bernard Haendler. A detailed comparison between second-generation AR antagonists reveals differences in the overall impact on gene regulation patterns in prostate cancer cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1798.

Exploring the Role of Enzalutamide in Combination with Radiation Therapy: AnIn VitroStudy

Androgen receptor plays a key role in prostate cancer development and is a causative agent of its radio-resistance. The present study investigated the potential radio-sensitizing effect of enzalutamide, a second-generation anti-androgen, in human prostate cancer cells. The radio-sensitizing effect of enzalutamide was assessed in the androgen-dependent LNCaP cells and the androgen-independent PC3 cells by clonogenic assay and γ-H2AX assay. Enzalutamide-treated LNCaP cells showed a significant decrease of cell survival at all radiation doses tested. An increased number of γ-H2AX-positive nuclei was observed, suggesting a possible impairment of the DNA repair machinery. Conversely, enzalutamide did not exhibit a significant radio-sensitizing effect on PC3 cells. The combination of enzalutamide with ionizing radiation significantly improves radio-sensitivity of hormone-dependent LNCaP cells. Translated in the clinical practice, our results may help to find additional strategies to improve effectiveness of radiotherapy.