Survival Of Human Prostate Cancer Cells Research Articles

Lycopene Extracts from Different Tomato-Based Food Products Induce Apoptosis in Cultured Human Primary Prostate Cancer Cells and Regulate TP53, Bax and Bcl-2 Transcript Expression

Carotenoids are the main tomato components, especially lycopene. Lycopene is more bioavailable in tomato processed products than in raw tomatos, since formation of lycopene cis-isomers during food processing and storage may increase its biological activity. In the current study, we evaluated the influence of lycopene extracts (5 mg / mL) from different tomato-based food products (paste, sauce, extract and ketchup) on cell viability and apoptosis on primary human prostate cancer cells (PCa cels) for 96h. Using MTT assay, we observed a significant decrease on primary PCa cell viability upon treatment with lycopene extracted from either 4 tomato-based food products. Flow cytometeric analysis revealed that lycopene from tomato extract and tomato sauce promoted up to fifty-fold increase on the proportion of apoptotic cells, when compared to the control group. Using real time PCR assay, we found that lycopene promoted an upregulation of TP53 and Bax transcript expression and also downregulation of Bcl-2 expression in PCa cells. In conclusion, our data demostrate that cis-lycopene promoted a significant inhibition on primary PCa cell viability, as well as an increase on their apoptotic rates, evidencing that cis-lycopene contained in tomato sauce and extract cain mainly modulate of primary human prostate cancer cell survival.

Abstract 5054: The interplay between Disabled-2 and protein kinase C epsilon in the regulation of prostate cancer cell survival

Abstract Prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in men in the world. Previous studies have demonstrated that Disabled-2 (DAB2) is a tumor suppressor and down-regulation of DAB2 expression is accompanied with prostate cancer progression. On the other hands, protein kinase C epsilon (PKCε) functions as an oncogene and promotes human prostate cancer cell survival upon treatment of methyseleninic acid (MSA), an anti-cancer agent that induces prostate cancer cell apoptosis. However, little is known whether there is a crosstalk between DAB2 and PKCε. In this study, we first analyzed DAB2 and PKCε protein expression in three prostate cancer cell lines DU145, PC3 and C4-2. Western blot analysis revealed that DAB2 was relatively abundant in PC3 when compared with the DU145 and C4-2 cells. In contrast, the expression of PKCε was higher in DU145 and C4-2 cells when compared with the PC3 cells. Consistent with these findings, ectopic expression of DAB2 resulted in down-regulation of PKCε. These observations implicate a reverse association of DAB2 and PKCε and suggest that DAB2 is a regulator of PKCε expression. To further explore the interplay between DAB2 and PKCε, we determined the effect of DAB2 overexpression on DU145 cell susceptibility to MSA-induced cell death. Consistent with a previous report, overexpression of PKCε increased DU145 cell survival and knockdown of PKCε by small interfering RNA augmented cell death upon treatment of MSA but not Ibupofen. Accordingly, expression of DAB2 down-regulated PKCε and increased in cell susceptibility to MSA that resulted in a 40% decrease of cell survival. These findings suggest that DAB2 modulates PKCε expression and affects prostate cancer cell susceptibility to selective anti-cancer agents. This study represents the first report to unveil the interplay between DAB2, PKCε and prostate cancer cell survival. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5054.

5α‐androstane‐3α,17β‐diol supports human prostate cancer cell survival and proliferation through androgen receptor‐independent signaling pathways: Implication of androgen‐independent prostate cancer progression

Androgen and androgen receptor (AR) are involved in growth of normal prostate and development of prostatic diseases including prostate cancer. Androgen deprivation therapy is used for treating advanced prostate cancer. This therapeutic approach focuses on suppressing the accumulation of potent androgens, testosterone and 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone (5alpha-DHT), or inactivating the AR. Unfortunately, the majority of patients with prostate cancer eventually advance to androgen-independent states and no longer respond to the therapy. In addition to the potent androgens, 5alpha-androstane-3alpha,17beta-diol (3alpha-diol), reduced from 5alpha-DHT through 3alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (3alpha-HSDs), activated signaling may represent a novel pathway responsible for the progression to androgen-independent prostate cancer. Androgen sensitive human prostate cancer LNCaP cells were used to compare 5alpha-DHT and 3alpha-diol activated androgenic effects. In contrast to 5alpha-DHT, 3alpha-diol regulated unique patterns of beta-catenin and Akt expression as well as Akt phosphorylation in parental and in AR-silenced LNCaP cells. More significantly, 3alpha-diol, but not 5alpha-DHT, supported AR-silenced LNCaP cells and AR negative prostate cancer PC-3 cell proliferation. 3alpha-diol-activated androgenic effects in prostate cells cannot be attributed to the accumulation of 5alpha-DHT, since 5alpha-DHT formation was not detected following 3alpha-diol administration. Potential accumulation of 3alpha-diol, as a result of elevated 3alpha-HSD expression in cancerous prostate, may continue to support prostate cancer growth in the presence of androgen deprivation. Future therapeutic strategies for treating advanced prostate cancer might need to target reductive 3alpha-HSD to block intraprostatic 3alpha-diol accumulation.

Specific positive and negative effects of FLIP on cell survival in human prostate cancer

We demonstrate here for the first time novel positive and negative effects of the FLICE-like inhibitory protein (FLIP) on human prostate cancer cell survival. A proteaosome inhibitor, MG132, mediated cell cycle arrest at G2/M and apoptosis through p38 activation. Interestingly, FLIP was stabilized by MG132 and interacted with Raf-1, resulting in enhancement of p38 signals and cytotoxicity. In contrast, overexpression of FLIP inhibited ubiquitylation and proteasomal degradation of beta-catenin, resulting in increase of the target gene cyclin D1, colony formation and invasive activity. Immunohistochemical analysis and in vitro experiments in primary culture showed FLIP to be overexpressed, statistically associated with expression of beta-catenin/cyclin D1 in metastatic cells, the FLIP/beta-catenin/cyclin D1 signals contributing to colony formation and invasion, which were canceled by FLIP knock down. In contrast, MG132-induced cytotoxicity including apoptosis was strongly inhibited by reduction of FLIP. Taken together, the results indicate that FLIP plays an important role in development of metastatic prostate cancer by inhibiting proteasomal degradation of beta-catenin, whereas it is mainly involved in proteasome inhibitior-mediated cell cycle arrest and apoptosis through activating the Raf-1/p38 pathway. Furthermore, proteasome inhibitors may be effective drugs for advanced prostate cancers overexpressing FLIP.