Human Cervical Cancer SiHa Cells Research Articles

HPV E6 antisense induces apoptosis in CaSki cells via suppression of E6 splicing.

Cervical cancer is known to be highly associated with viral oncogene E6 and E7 of human papilloma virus. Down-regulation of oncogene expression by antisense-based gene therapy has been extensively studied. To investigate the effect of HPV 16 E6 antisense nucleic acid (AS) on cervical cancer cells, human cervical cancer cell lines, CaSki and SiHa cells harboring HPV 16 genome were transfected with plasmid containing E6(AS). The decreased viability and the apoptotic morphology were observed in E6(AS)-transfected cervical cancer cell lines. By 6 h after transfection, inhibition of E6 splicing, rapid upregulations of p53 and a p53-responsive protein, GADD45, were displayed in E6(AS)-transfected CaSki cells. Furthermore, E6(AS) induced loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, release of mitochondrial cytochrome c into the cytoplasm, and subsequent activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3. These results indicate that HPV 16 E6(AS) induces apoptosis in CaSki cells via upregulation of p53 and release of cytochrome c into cytoplasm, consequently activating procaspase-9 and procaspase-3.

Synthetic Bile Acids: Novel Mediators of Apoptosis

Summary and implications In this paper, we outlined the current understanding of naturaland synthetic bile acid signaling in apoptosis. Much insightwas gained in recent years, particularly with respect to theinducers of the hydrophobic bile acid signaling cascade.Moreover, the newly synthesized bile acids also inducedapoptosis in several human cancer cells, which were notderived from hepatocytes, cholangiocytes, and ilealenterocytes. Therefore, the new synthetic bile acids might beapplicable novel apoptosis mediators for the treatment ofvarious cancer cells.In human breast and prostate cancer cells with differenttumor suppressor p53 status, the synthetic bile acid derivative-induced growth inhibition and apoptosis were associated withthe up-regulation of Bax and p21 WAF1/CIP1 , and the effects weremediated via a p53-inpendent pathway. In Jurkat human T cellleukemia, the synthetic bile acid derivatives induced apoptosisthrough caspase activation. Additionly, the synthetic bile acidsinduced apoptosis in a JNK dependent manner in SiHa humancervical cancer cells, PC3 prostate cancer cells, HT29 coloncancer cells, and TE671 brain tumor cells (Im, E.O., Yoo,Y.H., and Kim, N.D., unpublished data).Alterations in cell survival play a critical role for thepathogenesis of various human diseases, including cancer(Thompson, 1995). Administration of modified bile acids thatinduce apoptosis might represent a rational therapy for tumorsthat originate from several different types of cells. Therefore,these novel derivatives of bile acids may represent promisingchemical entities, which specifically target various cancercells by triggering apoptosis. These could be important leadcompounds for the development of new anticancer agents thatare based on the structure of bile acids.Acknowledgments This work was supported by grant No.R01-2001-00145 from the Korea Science & EngineeringFoundation and by a Pusan National University ResearchGrant.

Anion exchanger isoform 2 operates in parallel with Na +/H + exchanger isoform 1 during regulatory volume decrease of human cervical cancer cells

Intracellular pH (pH i) homeostasis was investigated in human cervical cancer SiHa cells undergoing regulatory volume decrease (RVD) to determine which transport systems were involved. Using isoform-specific primers, mRNA transcripts of Na +/H + exchanger isoform 1 (NHE1) and isoform 3 were identified by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and the results confirmed by Western immunoblotting. From anion exchanger isoforms 1–3 (AE1–3), only the mRNA transcript of AE2 was identified by RT-PCR and the identity was confirmed by digestion with a specific restriction endonuclease. SiHa cells loaded with the fluorescent dye 2′,7′-bis(carboxyethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein and resuspended in isotonic media showed a stable pH i. In contrast, a gradual internal acidification took place following resuspension in hypotonic media. The NHE inhibitors, HOE694 (10 μM) and amiloride (1 mM), showed a similar potency in enhancing the rate and extent of the hypotonicity-induced internal acidification. The absence of extracellular Na + also substantially enhanced the acidification during RVD. These results suggest that internal acidification during RVD is mainly compensated by the operation of NHE1. Extracellular Cl − was critically necessary for the pH i acidification during RVD. The hypotonicity-induced acidification was significantly attenuated by 100 μM 4,4′-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid, a concentration inhibiting more than 90% AE activity. This indicates that AE2 mediates a net Cl − influx with compensating HCO 3 − efflux during RVD. We conclude that AE2 operates in parallel with NHE1 to regulate pH i during RVD of human cervical cancer cells.

Protection against chemotherapy-induced cytotoxicity by cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (CKI) in CKI-responsive cells compared with CKI-unresponsive cells

Inactivation of the retinoblastoma (Rb) protein caused by gene mutation, association with oncoproteins from small DNA viruses, mutational inactivation of p16(Ink4a), or overexpression of cyclin D is a common feature of many human cancer cells and is causally associated with the aberrant proliferation control of cancer cells; whereas normal cells maintain an integrated cell cycle machinery and are subject to cell cycle checkpoint control by cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors (CKIs). To determine whether this difference can be translated into a therapeutic advantage to protect normal cells from adverse cytotoxicity caused by chemotherapy, we established cell model systems for ecdysone-inducible expression of p16(Ink4a), p21(Waf1), and p27(Kip1) in one CKI-responsive cell line (A431 human vulvar epidermoid carcinoma cells with functional Rb) and one CKI-unresponsive cell line (SiHa human cervical cancer cells with nonfunctional Rb). Expression of p16(Ink4a), p21(Waf1), or p27(Kip1) in both SiHa and A431 cells strongly inhibited CDK2 activity, indicating functional expression of the CDK inhibitors in both cell lines. However, only in A431 cells did expression of p16(Ink4a), p21(Waf1), or p27(Kip1) cause Rb dephosphorylation, arrest cell cycle traversal, and potently inhibit cell proliferation. Induction of p16(Ink4a), p21(Waf1), or p27(Kip1) in SiHa cells failed to cause Rb dephosphorylation or to arrest cell cycle traversal, and such induction only minimally inhibited cell proliferation. We then compared the chemosensitivity of clones derived from these two cell lines when the CKIs were and were not induced. Induction of p16(Ink4a), p21(Waf1), or p27(Kip1) conferred strong resistance to paclitaxel- or cisplatin-mediated cytotoxicity on the CKI-responsive A431 cells but not on the CKI-unresponsive SiHa cells. Our results support a novel chemotherapy strategy for treating patients with Rb pathway-impaired cancers by concurrent administration of chemotherapy with CKIs as chemoprotective agents for normal cells.

Involvement of JNK-mediated pathway in EGF-mediated protection against paclitaxel-induced apoptosis in SiHa human cervical cancer cells.

We investigated the signalling pathways by which epidermal growth factor (EGF) modulates paclitaxel-induced apoptosis in SiHa human cervical cancer cells. SiHa cells exposed to paclitaxel underwent apoptosis, which was strongly inhibited by EGF. This inhibition of apoptosis by EGF was not altered by pharmacological blockade of phosphatidylinositol 3′-OH kinase (PI-3K) with the PI-3K specific inhibitor LY294002 or blockade of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase (MEK) with the MEK specific inhibitor PD98059, or by transfection of the cells with PI-3K or MEK dominant-negative expression vectors. EGF did not stimulate PI-3K/Akt, MEK/MAPK, or p38 MAPK activity in SiHa cells but did transiently activate the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK). Co-exposure of SiHa cells to SB202190 at concentrations that inhibit JNK abolished the protective effect of EGF on SiHa cells against paclitaxel-induced apoptosis. Our findings indicate that the JNK signaling pathway plays an important role in EGF-mediated protection from paclitaxel-induced apoptosis in SiHa cells. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer.com

Role of anb3 Integrin Receptor in the Invasive Potential of Human Cervical Cancer (SiHa) Cells

One of the most important cell surface receptors in tumor development is alphavbeta3. To study the role of the alphavbeta3 integrin receptor in the invasive properties of tumor cells, we used human cervical tumor cells SiHa (cell surface alphavbeta3 integrin receptor-positive) and HeLa cells (cell surface alphavbeta3 integrin receptor-negative). Cell adhesion assay showed that SiHa and HeLa cells can bind very efficiently to extracellular matrix proteins fibronectin, laminin, and collagen IV, but the binding of HeLa cells to vitronectin is very poor compared to that of SiHa cells. Comparative invasion assay demonstrated a much lower invasive potential of HeLa cells than SiHa cells. Cell surface alphav and beta3 integrin receptor subunit assay showed the expression of alphavbeta3 integrin receptor on the SiHa cell surface, whereas the HeLa cell surface lacks functional alphavbeta3 heterodimer. The zymogram demonstrated a higher gelatinase/MMP-2 activity in culture medium, whole cell, and membrane extract of SiHa cells than that in HeLa cells. The alphavbeta3 integrin receptor-associated MMP-2 activity of SiHa and HeLa cells was tested in a comparative zymography that clearly showed very high gelatinase/MMP-2 activity in alphav mAb-immunoprecipitated fraction of SiHa cell (containing alphavbeta3 heterodimer) but not in the alphav mAb-immunoprecipitated fraction of HeLa cell membrane extract (containing only the beta3 subunit). Immunoblot assay of alphav monoclonal antibody-immunoprecipitated alphavbeta3 integrin receptor from SiHa cell membrane extract with MMP-2 monoclonal antibody demonstrated the association of MMP-2 protein with alphavbeta3 integrin receptor. We concluded that alphavbeta3 integrin receptor is one of the most important cell surface molecules regulating the invasive property of cervical tumor cells because of its associated gelatinase/MMP-2 activity. Our findings will contribute to a better understanding of the role of integrin receptors, especially of the alphavbeta3 integrin receptor, in the invasive property of cancer cells and possibly affect future therapeutic approaches to cancer invasion and metastasis.

Differential expression of volume-regulated anion channels during cell cycle progression of human cervical cancer cells.

This study investigated the volume-regulated anion channel (VRAC) of human cervical cancer SiHa cells under various culture conditions, testing the hypothesis that the progression of the cell cycle is accompanied by differential expression of VRAC activity. Exponentially growing SiHa cells expressed VRACs, as indicated by the presence of large outwardly rectifying currents activated by hypotonic stress with the anion permeability sequence I- > Br- > Cl-. VRACs were potently inhibited by tamoxifen with an IC50 of 4.6 [mu]M. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) experiments showed that 59 +/- 0.5, 5 +/- 0.5 and 36 +/- 1.1% of unsynchronized, exponentially growing cervical cancer SiHa cells were in G0/G1, S and G2/M stage, respectively. Treatment with aphidicolin (5 [mu]M) arrested 88 +/- 1.4% of cells at the G0/G1 stage. Arrest of cell growth in the G0/G1 phase was accompanied by a significant decrease of VRAC activity. The normalized hypotonicity-induced current decreased from 48 +/- 5.2 pA pF-1 at +100 mV in unsynchronized cells to 15 +/- 2.6 pA pF-1 at +100 mV in aphidicolin-treated cells. After removal of aphidicolin, culturing in medium containing 10% fetal calf serum triggered a rapid re-entry into the cell cycle and a concomitant recovery of VRAC density. Pharmacological blockade of VRACs by tamoxifen or NPPB caused proliferating cervical cancer cells to arrest in the G0/G1 stage, suggesting that activity of this channel is critical for G1/S checkpoint progression. This study provides new information on the functional significance of VRACs in the cell cycle clock of human cervical cancer cells.

Effect of All-trans-Retinoic Acid on Integrin Receptors of Human Cervical Cancer (SiHa) Cells

Cell surface receptors have been the subject of intensive investigations over the past few decades. One very important group of receptors on the cell surface is the “integrin” receptors which bind to extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. Because of integrin's importance in cellular growth, development, and morphology the role of integrin receptors in cellular transformation, malignant growth, and metastasis has received wide attention. In this article we report on the effect of all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) on (a) the integrin family of cell surface receptors, (b) collagenase enzyme activity, and (c) invasive potential in human cervical cancer (SiHa) cells. A comparative cell adhesion assay clearly showed that ATRA affects the cell surface integrin receptors against different ECM proteins in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The binding of SiHa cells to ECM proteins (fibronectin, vitronectin, laminin, collagen IV) was drastically reduced when cells were treated with ATRA at 10 μM for 96 h in culture. Interestingly, when ATRA-treated (10 μM, 96 h) SiHa cells were allowed to grow for 15 days in ATRA-free complete medium the binding of SiHa cells to fibronectin and vitronectin was inhibited, even after 15 days of drug withdrawal, whereas cell adhesion to laminin and collagen IV returned to normal within 3–7 days. The comparative immunoprecipitation of two cell surface integrin receptors (α5β1 and αvβ3) shows the effect of ATRA on the expression of α5, αv, and β1 subunits. In ATRA-treated SiHa cells the cell surface expression of the αv subunit (in αvβ3 receptor) is much less than in untreated SiHa cells. In the case of the α5β1 integrin receptor ATRA treatment caused a significant reduction in the expression of both α5 and β1 subunits on the cell surface. Comparative zymography clearly demonstrated the inhibitory effect of ATRA on collagenase enzyme activity. Interestingly, the effect was irreversible, even after 15 days of culture in ATRA-free medium. The assay of the invasive potential of ATRA-treated and untreated SiHa cells in Boyden's invasion chamber demonstrated that ATRA treatment (10 μM, 96 h) inhibits the invasive potential of SiHa cells. The effect was not reversible even after 15 days of culture in ATRA-free medium. In conclusion, our observations indicate that ATRA has an inhibitory effect on the expression of SiHa cell surface integrin receptors and collagenase enzyme activity. The effect of ATRA on cell surface integrin receptors and collagenase enzyme activity may affect the invasive potential of SiHa cells.