Inhibition of cell growth and telomerase activity of breast cancer cells in vitro by retinoic acids

The effects of retinoic acid (RA) and its analogs, all-trans RA, 9-cis RA and 13-cis RA, were investigated in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells and immortalized breast epithelial cell line MCF-10A. RA inhibited the telomerase activity of MCF-7 cells in a wide range of concentrations. RA at 10 microM also inhibited the growth of MCF-7 cells in a time-dependent manner. However, no significant growth inhibition was found between untreated control and RA-treated MCF-10A cells. Moreover, a marked inhibition of telomerase activity by RA was detected early in MCF-7 cells (after 24 h of RA treatment), which was preceded by a reduction of hTERT mRNA expression (after 12 h of RA treatment). However, MCF-10A cells showed a reduction of telomerase activity and down-regulation of hTERT after 4 days of RA treatment. Simultaneous changes in hTERT mRNA expression and telomerase activity were found for MCF-10A cells. The expressions of hTR and hTEP1 telomerase component genes were not changed after RA treatment. These results indicate that the anti-breast cancer activity of RA could be mediated by its ability to down-regulate the expression of hTERT telomerase gene.     

shRNA-targeted hTERT suppress cell proliferation of bladder cancer by inhibiting telomerase activity

RNA interference (RNAi) has demonstrated profound prospect in human gene research. hTERT, the rate-limiting component of telomerase activity, is highly expressed in bladder cancer cells. Here, we investigated the anti-proliferation effects of small hairpin interfering RNA (shRNA)-targeted hTERT gene on bladder cancer in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that ph2-shRNA, the most-effective vector carrying shRNA-targeted hTERT, could significantly inhibit the cell proliferation by down-regulating hTERT expression, decreasing telomerase activity, decreasing cell number of S phase, increasing the cell number of G0/G1 phase in T24 cells and xenograft tumor tissues, and attenuate the tumor growth of xenograft mice model compared with controls. Our results demonstrate that hTERT-directed shRNAs are potent inhibitors of bladder cancer. Lin Zou and Penghui Zhang were equally contributed to this paper.     

人端粒酶逆转录酶(hTERT)特异性siRNA对乳腺癌细胞hTERT水平及细胞生长影响的研究

背景与目的:在肿瘤细胞中端粒酶高水平的表达是肿瘤细胞永生化的重要因素。本研究利用人端粒酶逆转录酶(hTERT)的小干扰RNA(siRNA)特异性地抑制乳腺癌细胞的hTERT,通过研究该效应对细胞生长、凋亡和永生化相关基因的影响,来进一步阐述端粒酶在肿瘤细胞永生化可能的作用。方法:通过实时定量RT-PCR(Real-TimeRT-PCR)测定各乳腺癌细胞系中内源性hTERT的表达水平及测定RNA干扰对与细胞永生化相关基因的调节;通过脂质体转染法将hTERTsiRNA导入MCF7细胞;通过细胞生长曲线和流式细胞仪(FACS)评价该特异性的siRNA所诱导的hTERT水平下调对细胞生长和凋亡的影响。结果:所检测的乳腺癌细胞系中,hTERT均相对高表达。hTERTsiRNA可抑制MCF7中hTERT的水平,并在抑制后的第4天开始表现出显著的细胞生长抑制,并出现凋亡,以及多个细胞永生化相关的基因,如RAC1、PCYT2、FDFT1和ATP5G2,表达水平均下调50%以上。结论:hTERTsiRNA可特异性地抑制hTERTmRNA水平,从而抑制细胞生长,导致细胞凋亡,并下调多个细胞永生化基因。     

hTERT phosphorylation by PKC is essential for telomerase holoprotein integrity and enzyme activity in head neck cancer cells

Telomerase activity is suppressed in normal somatic tissues but is activated in most cancer cells. We have previously found that all six telomerase subunit proteins, including hTERT and hsp90 are needed for full enzyme activity. Telomerase activity has been reported to be upregulated by protein kinase C (PKC), but the mechanism is not clear. In this study, we examined how PKC regulates telomerase activity in head and neck cancer cells. PKC inhibitor, bisindolylmaleimide I (BIS), inhibited telomerase activity but had no effect on the expressions of telomerase core subunits. RNA interference (RNAi) and in vitro phosphorylation studies revealed that PKC isoforms alpha, beta, delta, epsilon, zeta specifically involved in telomerase regulation, and the phosphorylation target was on hTERT. Treatment with the hsp-90 inhibitor novobiocin dissociated hsp90 and hTERT as revealed by immunoprecipitation and immunoblot analysis and reduced telomerase activity. Treatment with the PKC activator SC-10 restored the association of hsp90 and hTERT and reactivate telomerase, suggesting that hTERT phosphorylation by PKC is essential for telomerase holoenzyme integrity and function. Analysis on clinical normal and tumour tissues reveal that the expressions of PKC alpha, beta, delta, epsilon, zeta were higher in the tumour tissues, correlated with telomerase activity. Disruption of PKC phosphorylation by BIS significantly increased chemosensitivity to cisplatin. In conclusion, PKC isoenzymes alpha, beta, delta, epsilon, zeta regulate telomerase activity in head and neck cancer cells by phosphorylating hTERT. This phosphorylation is essential for telomerase holoenzyme assembly, leading to telomerase activation and oncogenesis. Manipulation of telomerase activity by PKC inhibitors is worth exploring as an adjuvant therapeutic approach.     

乳腺癌组织中端粒酶活性的研究

目的细胞中端粒(telomere)的长度与细胞寿命的调控密切相关,端粒长度的维持需要端粒酶(telomerase)的激活,近年来的研究发现,端粒酶的激活与肿瘤的发生,发展关系密切.本文研究乳腺癌组织,癌旁组织,良性乳腺病变,正常乳腺组织中的端粒酶活性,探讨其作为乳腺癌肿瘤标志物的可能性.方法采用端粒重复序列扩增法(telomeraic repeat amplification protocol,TRAP)来检测36例乳腺癌及其相应癌旁组织,12例良性乳腺病变,6例正常乳腺组织中的端粒酶活性.结果 36例乳腺癌组织中,有33例端粒酶表达阳性,其阳性率为91.7%,而且与肿瘤的大小,淋巴结的状态,临床分期有相关性.36例癌旁组织中,有2例端粒酶表达阳性,阳性率为5.6%.12例良性乳腺病变中,仅有1例端粒酶表达阳性,阳性率为8.3%.6例正常乳腺组织端粒酶表达均为阴性.结论乳腺癌组织中普遍存在端粒酶活性表达,端粒酶有可能成为诊断乳腺癌的肿瘤标志物.     

Inhibition of breast cancer growth by suramin.

In this study, the polyanionic compound suramin was shown to be a potent in vitro growth inhibitor of both hormone-insensitive, estrogen receptor-negative human breast cancer cells (MDA MB231 and SK-BR-3) and hormone-responsive, estrogen receptor-positive human breast cancer cells (ZR 75-1, T47D, and MCF7). The inhibitory effect of suramin was dose dependent, with a median effective dose varying from 7 microM for MDA MB231 cells to 50 microM for MCF7 cells. This result indicated that estrogen receptor-negative cells were more sensitive to the drug. In MCF7 cells, not only did suramin block the mitogenic action of growth factors such as epidermal growth factor (EGF) and insulin-like growth factors I and II (IGF-I and IGF-II, respectively), but it also totally abolished the increase in cell proliferation induced by the steroid hormone 17 beta-estradiol (E2). Maximal inhibition was obtained after 5 days of suramin treatment, and inhibition either was partially reversed by E2, IGF-I, and IGF-II or was not reversible by EGF following removal of drug. In addition, suramin significantly decreased synthesis and secretion of the lysosomal enzyme cathepsin D, which was shown to be associated with a high risk of breast tumor metastasis. These results therefore suggest that, because of its effects on growth and cathepsin D secretion, suramin might be a helpful additional therapeutic tool for breast cancer patients, especially for patients with estrogen receptor-negative tumors which are insensitive to antihormonal strategies.     

hTERT基因反义核酸对K562细胞端粒酶活性的影响

探讨人类端粒酶逆转录酶（ｈｕｍａｎ ｔｅｌｏｍｅｒａｓｅ ｒｅｖｅｒｓｅ ｔｒａｎｓｃｒｉｐｔａｓｅ,ｈＴＥＲＴ）基因的反义寡核苷酸（ａｎｔｉｓｅｎｓ ｏｌｉｇｏｄｅｏｘｙｎｕｃｌｅｏｔｉｄｅ,ＡＳＯＮＤ）对Ｋ５６２细胞端粒酶活性的影响。方法：采用多聚酶链反应－酶联免疫测定（ＰＣＲ－ＥＬＩＳＡ）方法检测人工合成的反义脱氧寡核苷酸处理Ｋ５６２细胞前后端粒酶活性的改变,以逆转录ＰＣＲ（ＲＴ－ＰＣＲ）分     

Inhibition of growth of breast cancer cells in vitro by the ribosome-inactivating protein saporin 6

The antiproliferative activity of Saporin 6, a Ribosome-inactivating protein purified from the seeds of Saponaria officinalis has been tested on human breast cancer cells in vitro by the analysis (a) of colony formation in cells from surgical specimens from 27 patients bearing primary breast cancer and (b) of protein synthesis inhibition in the MCF/7 cell line. Results indicate a very high sensitivity of breast cancer cells from most patients to a short-term treatment with Saporin 6 at concentrations (10(-9) M), until now found effective only in acellular systems or after conjugation with monoclonal antibodies. On the contrary, the treatment of the human cell line MCF/7 indicate a very reduced sensitivity compared to fresh human neoplastic cells, with the necessity of a long lag for the effect to begin.     

Attenuation of telomerase activity by hammerhead ribozyme targeting human telomerase RNA induces growth retardation and apoptosis in human breast tumor cells

Ribozyme possesses specific endoribonuclease activity and catalyzes the hydrolysis of specific phosphodiester bonds, which results in the cleavage of target RNA sequences. Here, we evaluated the ability of hammerhead ribozymes targeting human telomerase RNA (hTR) to inhibit the catalytic activity of telomerase and the proliferation of cancer cells. Hammerhead ribozymes were designed against 7 NUX sequences located in open loops of the hTR secondary structure. We verified the ribozyme specificity by in vitro cleavage assay by using a synthetic RNA substrate. Subsequently, we introduced ribozyme expression vector into human breast tumor MCF-7 cells and assessed the biologic effects of ribozyme. Hammerhead ribozyme R1 targeting the template region of hTR efficiently cleaved hTR in vitro, and stable transfectants of this ribozyme induced the degradation of target hTR RNA and attenuated telomerase activity in MCF-7 cells. Moreover, the ribozyme R1 transfectant displayed a significant telomere shortening and a lower proliferation rate than parental cells. Clones with reduced proliferation capacity showed enlarged senescence-like shapes or highly differentiated dendritic morphologies of apoptosis. In conclusion, the inhibition of telomerase activity by hammerhead ribozyme targeting the template region of the hTR presents a promising strategy for inhibiting the growth of human breast cancer cells.