Ping Lei

Inhibition of NFκB and Pancreatic Cancer Cell and Tumor Growth by Curcumin Is Dependent on Specificity Protein Down-regulation

Curcumin activates diverse anticancer activities that lead to inhibition of cancer cell and tumor growth, induction of apoptosis, and antiangiogenic responses. In this study, we observed that curcumin inhibits Panc28 and L3.6pL pancreatic cancer cell and tumor growth in nude mice bearing L3.6pL cells as xenografts. In addition, curcumin decreased expression of p50 and p65 proteins and NFκB-dependent transactivation and also decreased Sp1, Sp3, and Sp4 transcription factors that are overexpressed in pancreatic cancer cells. Because both Sp transcription factors and NFκB regulate several common genes such as cyclin D1, survivin, and vascular endothelial growth factor that contribute to the cancer phenotype, we also investigated interactions between Sp and NFκB transcription factors. Results of Sp1, Sp3, and Sp4 knockdown by RNA interference demonstrate that both p50 and p65 are Sp-regulated genes and that inhibition of constitutive or tumor necrosis factor-induced NFκB by curcumin is dependent on down-regulation of Sp1, Sp3, and Sp4 proteins by this compound. Curcumin also decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and induced reactive oxygen species in pancreatic cancer cells, and this pathway is required for down-regulation of Sp proteins in these cells, demonstrating that the mitochondriotoxic effects of curcumin are important for its anticancer activities.

Betulinic acid inhibits colon cancer cell and tumor growth and induces proteasome- dependent and -independent downregulation of specificity proteins (Sp) transcription factors

BackgroundBetulinic acid (BA) inhibits growth of several cancer cell lines and tumors and the effects of BA have been attributed to its mitochondriotoxicity and inhibition of multiple pro-oncogenic factors. Previous studies show that BA induces proteasome-dependent degradation of specificity protein (Sp) transcription factors Sp1, Sp3 and Sp4 in prostate cancer cells and this study focused on the mechanism of action of BA in colon cancer cells.MethodsThe effects of BA on colon cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis and tumor growth in vivo were determined using standardized assays. The effects of BA on Sp proteins and Sp-regulated gene products were analyzed by western blots, and real time PCR was used to determine microRNA-27a (miR-27a) and ZBTB10 mRNA expression.ResultsBA inhibited growth and induced apoptosis in RKO and SW480 colon cancer cells and inhibited tumor growth in athymic nude mice bearing RKO cells as xenograft. BA also decreased expression of Sp1, Sp3 and Sp4 transcription factors which are overexpressed in colon cancer cells and decreased levels of several Sp-regulated genes including survivin, vascular endothelial growth factor, p65 sub-unit of NFκB, epidermal growth factor receptor, cyclin D1, and pituitary tumor transforming gene-1. The mechanism of action of BA was dependent on cell context, since BA induced proteasome-dependent and proteasome-independent downregulation of Sp1, Sp3 and Sp4 in SW480 and RKO cells, respectively. In RKO cells, the mechanism of BA-induced repression of Sp1, Sp3 and Sp4 was due to induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), ROS-mediated repression of microRNA-27a, and induction of the Sp repressor gene ZBTB10.ConclusionsThese results suggest that the anticancer activity of BA in colon cancer cells is due, in part, to downregulation of Sp1, Sp3 and Sp4 transcription factors; however, the mechanism of this response is cell context-dependent.

Arsenic trioxide downregulates specificity protein (Sp) transcription factors and inhibits bladder cancer cell and tumor growth

Arsenic trioxide exhibits antiproliferative, antiangiogenic and proapoptotic activity in cancer cells, and many genes associated with these responses are regulated by specificity protein (Sp) transcription factors. Treatment of cancer cells derived from urologic (bladder and prostate) and gastrointestinal (pancreas and colon) tumors with arsenic trioxide demonstrated that these cells exhibited differential responsiveness to the antiproliferative effects of this agent and this paralleled their differential repression of Sp1, Sp3 and Sp4 proteins in the same cell lines. Using arsenic trioxide-responsive KU7 and non-responsive 253JB-V bladder cancer cells as models, we show that in KU7 cells, < or =5 microM arsenic trioxide decreased Sp1, Sp3 and Sp4 and several Sp-dependent genes and responses including cyclin D1, epidermal growth factor receptor, bcl-2, survivin and vascular endothelial growth factor, whereas at concentrations up to 15 microM, minimal effects were observed in 253JB-V cells. Arsenic trioxide also inhibited tumor growth in athymic mice bearing KU7 cells as xenografts, and expression of Sp1, Sp3 and Sp4 was significantly decreased. Inhibitors of oxidative stress such as glutathione or dithiothreitol protected KU7 cells from arsenic trioxide-induced antiproliferative activity and Sp repression, whereas glutathione depletion sensitized 253JB-V cells to arsenic trioxide. Mechanistic studies suggested that arsenic trioxide-dependent downregulation of Sp and Sp-dependent genes was due to decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and induction of reactive oxygen species, and the role of peroxides in mediating these responses was confirmed using hydrogen peroxide.

PHARMACOLOGIC DOSES OF ASCORBIC ACID REPRESS SPECIFICITY PROTEIN (Sp) TRANSCRIPTION FACTORS AND Sp-REGULATED GENES IN COLON CANCER CELLS

Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) inhibits cancer cell growth, and there is a controversy regarding the cancer chemoprotective effects of pharmacologic doses of this compound that exhibits prooxidant activity. We hypothesized that the anticancer activity of pharmacologic doses of ascorbic acid (<5 mM) is due, in part, to reactive oxygen species-dependent downregulation of specificity protein (Sp) transcription factors Sp1, Sp3, and Sp4 and Sp-regulated genes. In this study, ascorbic acid (1–3 mM) decreased RKO and SW480 colon cancer cell proliferation and induced apoptosis and necrosis, and this was accompanied by downregulation of Sp1, Sp3, and Sp4 proteins. In addition, ascorbic acid decreased expression of several Sp-regulated genes that are involved in cancer cell proliferation [hepatocyte growth factor receptor (c-Met), epidermal growth factor receptor and cyclin D1], survival (survivin and bcl-2), and angiogenesis [vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors (VEGFR1 and VEGFR2)]. Other prooxidants such as hydrogen peroxide exhibited similar activities in colon cancer cells, and cotreatment with glutathione inhibited these responses. This study demonstrates for the first time that the anticancer activities of ascorbic acid are due, in part, to ROS-dependent repression of Sp transcription factors.

1,1-Bis(3′-indolyl)-1-(p-substituted phenyl)methanes inhibit ovarian cancer cell growth through peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-dependent and independent pathways

1,1-Bis(3′-indolyl)-1-(p-t-butylphenyl)methane (DIM-C-pPhtBu) is a peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor γ (PPARγ) agonist, and treatment of SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells with this compound (5 μmol/L) inhibits cell proliferation, whereas up to 15 μmol/L rosiglitazone had no effect on cell growth. DIM-C-pPhtBu also inhibits G0-G1 to S phase cell cycle progression and this is linked, in part, to PPARγ-dependent induction of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21. DIM-C-pPhtBu induces PPARγ-independent down-regulation of cyclin D1 and we therefore further investigated activation of receptor-independent pathways. DIM-C-pPhtBu also induced apoptosis in SKOV3 cells and this was related to induction of glucose-related protein 78, which is typically up-regulated as part of the unfolded protein response during endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Activation of ER stress was also observed in other ovarian cancer cell lines treated with DIM-C-pPhtBu. In addition, DIM-C-pPhtBu induced CCAAT/enhancer binding protein homologous protein through both ER stress and c-jun NH2-terminal kinase–dependent pathways, and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein homologous protein activated death receptor 5 and the extrinsic pathway of apoptosis. These results show that DIM-C-pPhtBu inhibits growth and induces apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells through both PPARγ-dependent and PPARγ-independent pathways, and this complex mechanism of action will be advantageous for future clinical development of these compounds for treatment of ovarian cancer. [Mol Cancer Ther 2006;5(9):2324–38]

Betulinic Acid Targets YY1 and ErbB2 through Cannabinoid Receptor-dependent Disruption of MicroRNA-27a:ZBTB10 in Breast Cancer

Treatment of ErbB2-overexpressing BT474 and MDA-MB-453 breast cancer cells with 1 to 10 μmol/L betulinic acid inhibited cell growth, induced apoptosis, downregulated specificity protein (Sp) transcription factors Sp1, Sp3, and Sp4, and decreased expression of ErbB2. Individual or combined knockdown of Sp1, Sp3, Sp4 by RNA interference also decreased expression of ErbB2 and this response was because of repression of YY1, an Sp-regulated gene. Betulinic acid–dependent repression of Sp1, Sp3, Sp4, and Sp-regulated genes was due, in part, to induction of the Sp repressor ZBTB10 and downregulation of microRNA-27a (miR-27a), which constitutively inhibits ZBTB10 expression, and we show for the first time that the effects of betulinic acid on the miR-27a:ZBTB10-Sp transcription factor axis were cannabinoid 1 (CB1) and CB2 receptor–dependent, thus identifying a new cellular target for this anticancer agent. Mol Cancer Ther; 11(7); 1421–31. ©2012 AACR.

Structure-dependent activation of endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated apoptosis in pancreatic cancer by 1,1-bis(3′-indoly)-1-(p-substituted phenyl)methanes

1,1-Bis(3′-indoly)-1-(p-substituted phenyl)methanes (C-DIM) exhibit structure-dependent activation of peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor γ and nerve growth factor–induced Bα (Nur77) and induce receptor-dependent and receptor-independent apoptosis in cancer cells and tumors. In this study, we investigated the activation of apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells by p-bromo (DIM-C-pPhBr) and p-fluoro (DIM-C-pPhF) and structurally related analogues that do not activate either peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor γ or Nur77. The ortho, meta, and para-bromo and -fluoro isomers all activated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-dependent apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells; however, methylation of the indole N group significantly decreased activity, suggesting that a free N was important for activation of ER stress. Both DIM-C-pPhBr and DIM-C-pPhF resembled the classic ER stress inducer thapsigargin in pancreatic cancer cells and activated ER stress markers, such as glucose-related protein 78 and the c-Jun NH2 kinase pathway, resulting in the induction of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein, death receptor 5, and the extrinsic apoptotic pathway. Moreover, DIM-C-pPhBr also inhibited tumor growth in an orthotopic model for pancreatic cancer, demonstrating the clinical potential for this C-DIM compound in pancreatic cancer chemotherapy. [Mol Cancer Ther 2008;7(10):3363–72]

INHIBITION OF PITUITARY TUMOR-TRANSFORMING GENE-1 IN THYROID CANCER CELLS BY DRUGS THAT DECREASE SPECIFICITY PROTEINS

Methyl 2‐cyano‐3,11‐dioxo‐18β‐olean‐1,12‐dien‐30‐oate (CDODA‐Me) and the corresponding 2‐trifluoromethyl analog (CF3DODA‐Me) are derived synthetically from the triterpenoid glycyrrhetinic acid, a major component of licorice. CDODA‐Me and CF3DODA‐Me inhibited growth of highly invasive ARO, DRO, K‐18, and HTh‐74 thyroid cancer cells and this was due, in part, to decreased expression of specificity protein (Sp) transcription factors Sp1, Sp3, and Sp4 that are overexpressed in these cells. CDODA‐Me and CF3DODA‐Me also decreased expression of Sp‐dependent genes, such as survivin and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and induced apoptosis. In addition, pituitary tumor‐transforming gene‐1 (PTTG‐1) protein and mRNA levels were also decreased in thyroid cancer cells treated with CDODA‐Me or CF3DODA‐Me and this was accompanied by decreased expression of PTTG‐1‐dependent c‐Myc and fibroblast growth factor‐2 (FGF‐2) genes. RNA interference studies against Sp1, Sp3, and Sp4 proteins showed that in thyroid cancer cells, PTTG‐1 was an Sp‐dependent gene. This study demonstrates for the first time that drugs, such as CDODA‐Me and CF3DODA‐Me, that decrease Sp protein expression also downregulate PTTG‐1 in thyroid cancer cells and therefore have potential for clinical treatment of thyroid cancer and other endocrine neoplasias where PTTG‐1 is a major pro‐oncogenic factor.

Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ-Dependent Activity of Indole Ring-Substituted 1,1-Bis(3'-indolyl)-1-(p-biphenyl)methanes in Cancer Cells

Purpose1,1-Bis(3-indolyl)-1-(p-substituted phenyl)methanes (C-DIMs) substituted in the phenyl ring with a para-, t-butyl, trifluoromethyl (DIM-C-pPhCF3) or phenyl (DIM-C-pPhC6H5) group activate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) in several cancer cell lines, and DIM-C-pPhCF3 also activates the orphan receptor Nur77. In this study, we have examined the effects of 5,5′-dihydroxy, 5,5′-dimethyl, 5,5′-dibromo, 5,5′-dinitro and 5,5′-dimethoxyindole ring-substituted analogs of DIM-C-pPhC6H5 on their activity as PPARγ agonists.MethodsVarious substituted C-DIM analogs were used to investigate their growth-inhibitory activities and activation of PPARγ-mediated transactivation in colon and pancreatic cancer cells. Their structure-dependent induction of putative PPARγ-responsive genes/proteins including p21, KLF-4 and caveolin1 were also determined by Western and Northern blot analysis.ResultsIntroduction of the 5,5′-dihydroxy and 5,5′-dimethyl substituents enhanced activation of PPARγ in colon and pancreatic cancer cells. However, activation of p21 in Panc28 pancreatic cancer cells and induction of caveolin-1 and KLF4 in colon cancer cells by the C-DIM compounds were structure- and cell context-dependent.ConclusionsThe results demonstrate that DIM-C-pPhC6H5 and indole ring-substituted analogs are selective PPARγ modulators.

1,1‐bis(3′‐indolyl)‐1‐(p‐methoxyphenyl)methane activates Nur77‐independent proapoptotic responses in colon cancer cells

1,1‐Bis(3′‐indolyl)‐1‐(p‐methoxyphenyl)methane (DIM‐C‐pPhOCH3) is a methylene‐substituted diindolylmethane (C‐DIM) analog that activates the orphan receptor nerve growth factor‐induced‐Bα (NGFI‐Bα, Nur77). RNA interference studies with small inhibitory RNA for Nur77 demonstrate that DIM‐C‐pPhOCH3 induces Nur77‐dependent and ‐independent apoptosis, and this study has focused on delineating the Nur77‐independent proapoptotic pathways induced by the C‐DIM analog. DIM‐C‐pPhOCH3 induced caspase‐dependent apoptosis in RKO colon cancer cells through decreased mitochondrial membrane potential which is accompanied by increased mitochondrial bax/bcl‐2 ratios and release of cytochrome c into the cytosol. DIM‐C‐pPhOCH3 also induced phosphatidylinositol‐3‐kinase‐dependent activation of early growth response gene‐1 which, in turn, induced expression of the proapoptotic nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drug‐activated gene‐1 (NAG1) in RKO and SW480 colon cancer cells. Moreover, DIM‐C‐pPhOCH3 also induced NAG‐1 expression in colon tumors in athymic nude mice bearing RKO cells as xenografts. DIM‐C‐pPhOCH3 also activated the extrinsic apoptosis pathway through increased phosphorylation of c‐jun N‐terminal kinase which, in turn, activated C/EBP homologous transcription factor (CHOP) and death receptor 5 (DR5). Thus, the effectiveness of DIM‐C‐pPhOCH3 as a tumor growth inhibitor is through activation of Nur77‐dependent and ‐independent pathways.