Inhibition of androgen receptor signaling by selenite and methylseleninic acid in prostate cancer cells: two distinct mechanisms of action

The development of prostate cancer and its progression to a hormone-refractory state is highly dependent on androgen receptor (AR) expression. Recent studies have shown that the selenium-based compound methylseleninic acid (MSeA) can disrupt AR signaling in prostate cancer cells. We have found that selenite can inhibit AR expression and activity in LAPC-4 and LNCaP prostate cancer cells as well but through a different mechanism. On entering the cell, selenite consumes reduced glutathione (GSH) and generates superoxide radicals. Pretreatment with N-acetylcysteine, a GSH precursor, blocked the down-regulation of AR mRNA and protein expression by selenite and restored AR ligand binding and prostate-specific antigen expression to control levels. MSeA reacts with reduced GSH within the cell; however, N-acetylcysteine did not effect MSeA-induced down-regulation of AR and prostate-specific antigen. The superoxide dismutase mimetic MnTMPyP was also found to prevent the decrease in AR expression caused by selenite but not by MSeA. A Sp1-binding site in the AR promoter is a key regulatory component for its expression. Selenite decreased Sp1 expression and activity, whereas MSeA did not. The inhibition of Sp1 by selenite was reversed in the presence of N-acetylcysteine. In conclusion, we have found that selenite and MSeA disrupt AR signaling by distinct mechanisms. The inhibition of AR expression and activity by selenite occurs via a redox mechanism involving GSH, superoxide, and Sp1.     

Calcitrol (1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3) inhibits androgen glucuronidation in prostate cancer cells

Calcitriol (1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3)), the active metabolite of vitamin D, has recently emerged as a promising therapeutic agent in the treatment of prostate cancer, the second most common cause of cancer death in American males. In the present study, we have analyzed the effects of calcitriol treatment on the expression and activity of the UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) 2B15 and 2B17 in prostate cancer LNCaP and 22Rv1 cells. These two enzymes share a crucial role in the inactivation of androgens in the human prostate. We report that calcitriol treatment results in lower glucuronide conjugation of the active androgen dihydrotestosterone and its reduced metabolites androstane-3alpha-diol and androsterone in LNCaP cells. The same treatment also drastically decreased the mRNA and protein levels of UGT2B15 and UGT2B17 in LNCaP and 22Rv1 cells. Using casodex, an androgen receptor (AR) antagonist, and AR-specific small interfering RNA probes, we show that calcitriol requires a functional AR to inhibit the expression of the UGT2B17 gene in LNCaP cells. By contrast, transient transfection and site-directed mutagenesis experiments revealed that calcitriol down-regulates UGT2B15 promoter activity through a responsive region between positions -171 and -113 bp. In conclusion, the present study identifies the vitamin D receptor activator calcitriol as a negative regulator of the UGT2B15- and UGT2B17-dependent inactivation of androgens in prostate cancer LNCaP cells. Androgens promote prostate cancer cell proliferation; thus, the reduction of their inactivation could have a limiting effect of the calcitriol antiproliferative properties in prostate cancer cells.     

Chemical ablation of androgen receptor in prostate cancer cells by the histone deacetylase inhibitor LAQ824

Androgen receptor plays a critical role in the development of primary as well as advanced hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Therefore, ablation of androgen receptor from prostate cancer cells is an interesting concept for developing a new therapy not only for androgen-dependent prostate cancer but also for metastatic hormone-refractory prostate cancer, for which there is no effective treatment available. We report here that LAQ824, a cinnamyl hydroxamatic acid histone deacetylase inhibitor currently in human clinical trials, effectively depleted androgen receptor in prostate cancer cells at nanomolar concentrations. LAQ824 seemed capable of depleting both the mutant and wild-type androgen receptors in either androgen-dependent and androgen-independent prostate cancer cells. Although LAQ824 may exert its effect through multiple mechanisms, several lines of evidence suggest that inactivation of the heat shock protein-90 (Hsp90) molecular chaperone is involved in LAQ824-induced androgen receptor depletion. Besides androgen receptor, LAQ824 reduced the level of Hsp90 client proteins HER-2 (ErbB2), Akt/PKB, and Raf-1 in LNCaP cells. Another Hsp90 inhibitor, 17-allyamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG), also induced androgen receptor diminution. LAQ824 induced Hsp90 acetylation in LNCaP cells, which resulted in inhibition of its ATP-binding activity, dissociation of Hsp90-androgen receptor complex, and proteasome-mediated degradation of androgen receptor. Consequently, LAQ824 blocked androgen-induced prostate-specific antigen production in LNCaP cells. LAQ824 effectively inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis of these prostate cancer cells. These results reveal that LAQ824 is a potent agent for depletion of androgen receptor and a potential new drug for prostate cancer.     

Androgen antagonist activity by the antioxidant moiety of vitamin E, 2,2,5,7,8-pentamethyl-6-chromanol in human prostate carcinoma cells

Antioxidants, such as vitamin E, are being investigated for efficacy in prostate cancer prevention. In this study, we show that the antioxidant moiety of vitamin E, 2,2,5,7,8-pentamethyl-6-chromanol (PMCol), has antiandrogen activity in prostate carcinoma cells. In the presence of PMCol, the androgen-stimulated biphasic growth curve of LNCaP human prostate carcinoma cells was shifted to the right. The PMCol-induced growth shift was similar to that produced by treatment with the pure antiandrogen bicalutamide (i.e., Casodex), indicative of androgen receptor (AR) antagonist activity. The concentration of PMCol used was below the concentration required to affect cell growth or viability in the absence of androgen. Using an AR binding competition assay, PMCol was found to be a potent antiandrogen in both LNCaP and LAPC4 cells, with an IC(50) of approximately 10 micro M against 1 nM R1881 (methyltrienolone; a stable, synthetic androgen). Prostate-specific antigen release from LNCaP cells produced by androgen exposure with either 0.05 or 1.0 nM R1881 was inhibited 100% and 80%, respectively, by 30 micro M PMCol. Also, PMCol inhibited androgen-induced promoter activation in both LNCaP and LAPC4 cells. However, PMCol did not affect AR protein levels, suggesting that the inhibitory effects of PMCol on androgenic pathways were not due to decreased expression of the AR. Therefore, growth modulation by the antioxidant moiety of vitamin E in androgen-sensitive prostate carcinoma cells is due, at least in part, to its potent antiandrogenic activity.     

Sensitizing hormone-refractory prostate cancer cells to drug treatment by targeting 14-3-3sigma

Advanced and hormone-refractory prostate cancer has long been considered as a chemoresistant disease. Recently, it was found that 14-3-3sigma expression increases as prostate tumor progresses, and that 14-3-3sigma contributes significantly to drug resistance in breast cancers. We, thus, hypothesized that advanced and hormone-refractory prostate cancers may have an increased level of 14-3-3sigma, which in turn may contribute to drug resistance in advanced and hormone-refractory prostate cancers. In this study, we tested this hypothesis and found that, indeed, the expression level of 14-3-3sigma in androgen-independent prostate cancer cell lines DU145, PC3, and CWR22RV are much higher than that in the androgen-dependent cell line LNCaP, and that the androgen-independent cells are more resistant to mitoxantrone and Adriamycin than the androgen-dependent cells. Depleting 14-3-3sigma expression in DU145 and CWR22RV by RNA interference significantly sensitized these cells to mitoxantrone and Adriamycin by abrogating G2-M checkpoint and increasing apoptosis, whereas restoring 14-3-3sigma expression in LNCaP cells enhanced drug resistance. We also showed that 14-3-3sigma deficiency caused nuclear localization of Cdc2 and dephosphorylation of the Tyr15 residue upon DNA damage. Based on these studies, we propose that therapeutic intervention targeting 14-3-3sigma may be useful for sensitizing hormone-refractory prostate cancers to chemotherapy by both G2-M checkpoint abrogation and apoptosis enhancement.     

Modulation of protein phosphatase 2A activity alters androgen-independent growth of prostate cancer cells: therapeutic implications

Earlier we identified PPP2CA, which encodes for the α-isoform of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) catalytic subunit, as one of the downregulated genes in androgen-independent prostate cancer. PP2A is a serine/threonine phosphatase and a potent tumor suppressor involved in broad cellular functions; however, its role in prostate cancer has not yet been determined. Here, we have investigated the effect of PP2A activity modulation on the androgen-independent growth of prostate cancer cells. Our data show that the PPP2CA expression and PP2A activity is downregulated in androgen-independent (C4-2) prostate cancer cells as compared with androgen-dependent (LNCaP) cells. Downregulation of PP2A activity by pharmacologic inhibition or short interfering RNA-mediated PPP2CA silencing sustains the growth of LNCaP cells under an androgen-deprived condition by relieving the androgen deprivation-induced cell-cycle arrest and preventing apoptosis. Immunoblot analyses reveal enhanced phosphorylation of Akt, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), BAD, increased expression of cyclins (A1/D1), and decreased expression of cyclin inhibitor (p27) on PP2A downregulation. Furthermore, our data show that androgen receptor (AR) signaling is partially maintained in PP2A-inhibited cells through increased AR expression and ligand-independent phosphorylation. Pharmacologic inhibition of Akt, ERK, and AR suggest a role of these signaling pathways in facilitating the androgen-independent growth of LNCaP cells. These observations are supported by the effect of ceramide, a PP2A activator, on androgen-independent C4-2 cells. Ceramide inhibited the growth of C4-2 cells on androgen deprivation, an effect that could be abrogated by PP2A downregulation. Altogether, our findings suggest that modulation of PP2A activity may represent an alternative therapeutic approach for the treatment of advanced androgen-independent prostate cancer.     

Synergistic effect of a novel antiandrogen, VN/124-1, and signal transduction inhibitors in prostate cancer progression to hormone independence in vitro

This study was carried out to determine the mechanisms associated with loss of androgen dependency and disease progression in prostate cancer. We investigated the role of the androgen receptor and its relationship to other signal transduction proteins. A hormone-refractory prostate cancer cell line [high-passage LNCaP (HP-LNCaP)] was established in vitro. Cells were treated with inhibitors of mammalian target of rapamycin and tyrosine kinase receptors. Expression of these proteins and the androgen receptor were measured by Western immunoblotting. Analysis of the model and various treatments was also assessed through proliferation assays, luciferase activation assays, binding assays, and ELISA. Our novel antiandrogen, VN/124-1, effectively inhibited proliferation of hormone-resistant prostate cancer cell lines (HP-LNCaP), which were no longer sensitive to bicalutamide and had increased expression of the androgen receptor. Treatment with everolimus or gefitinib resulted in an increase in protein expression and activation of the androgen receptor. Conversely, inhibition of the androgen receptor resulted in increased expression of IGFR1beta, pHER2, pmTOR, and pAkt. The addition of bicalutamide to everolimus or gefitinib inhibited cell proliferation in HP-LNCaP cells. However, the addition of VN/124-1 has proven to be superior to bicalutamide, and the combination was synergistic (P<0.05) compared with either agent alone. This study suggests that compensatory cross-talk between the androgen receptor and various signaling pathways may account for decreased sensitivity to androgen receptor antagonists and the progression to hormone-resistant prostate cancer. Furthermore, these findings suggest that inhibition of both pathways may provide effective control in hormone-resistant prostate cancer and restore sensitivity to androgen antagonists in hormone-refractory patients.     

Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (vorinostat) represses androgen receptor expression and acts synergistically with an androgen receptor antagonist to inhibit prostate cancer cell proliferation

Growth of prostate cancer cells is initially dependent on androgens, and androgen ablation therapy is used to control tumor growth. Unfortunately, resistance to androgen ablation therapy inevitably occurs, and there is an urgent need for better treatments for advanced prostate cancer. Histone deacetylase inhibitors, such as suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA; vorinostat), are promising agents for the treatment of a range of malignancies, including prostate cancer. SAHA inhibited growth of the androgen-responsive LNCaP prostate cancer cell line at low micromolar concentrations and induced caspase-dependent apoptosis associated with chromatin condensation, DNA fragmentation, and mitochondrial membrane depolarization at higher concentrations (>/=5 mumol/L). Gene profiling and immunoblot analyses showed a decrease in androgen receptor (AR) mRNA and protein in LNCaP cells cultured with SAHA compared with control cells, with a corresponding decrease in levels of the AR-regulated gene, prostate-specific antigen. Culture of LNCaP cells in steroid-free medium markedly sensitized the cells to SAHA. Moreover, a combination of low, subeffective doses of SAHA and the AR antagonist bicalutamide resulted in a synergistic reduction in cell proliferation and increase in caspase-dependent cell death. Addition of exogenous androgen prevented the induction of cell death, indicating that suppression of androgen signaling was required for synergy. At the subeffective concentrations, these agents had no effect, alone or in combination, on proliferation or death of AR-negative PC-3 prostate cancer cells. Our findings indicate that SAHA is effective in targeting the AR signaling axis and that androgen deprivation sensitizes prostate cancer cells to SAHA. Consequently, combinatorial treatments that target different components of the AR pathway may afford a more effective strategy to control the growth of prostate cancer cells.     

SATB1 promotes prostate cancer metastasis by the regulation of epithelial–mesenchymal transition

Special AT-rich sequence binding protein 1 (SATB1) plays important role in the regulation of chromatin structure and gene expression. Recent studies have indicated oncogenic role of SATB1. However, the function of SATB1 in prostate cancer progression and metastasis remains unclear. In this study SATB1 expression vector or siRNA was employed to modulate the expression level of SATB1 in prostate cancer cells and xenograft tumor in nude mouse model. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed on clinical prostate cancer samples. Silencing SATB1 inhibited the growth of DU-145 cells subcutaneous tumor in nude mice, while SATB1 overexpression promoted the growth of LNCaP cells subcutaneous tumor in nude mice. Immunohistochemical and Western blot analysis of the xenografts showed that silencing SATB1 led to decreased expression of vimentin and MMP2 and increased expression of E-cadherin, while SATB1 overexpression led to increased expression of vimentin and MMP2 and decreased expression of E-cadherin. Furthermore, SATB1, vimentin and MMP2 expression was increased significantly while E-cadherin expression was reduced significantly in clinical samples of prostate carcinoma with metastasis compared to prostate carcinoma without metastasis and benign prostate hyperplasia. Taken together, these findings suggest that the modulation of epithelial–mesenchymal transition by SATB1 may contribute to prostate cancer metastasis.     

组蛋白去乙酰化酶抑制剂FK228对前列腺癌LNCaP细胞抑制效应的细胞信号通路研究

目的研究组蛋白去乙酰化酶抑制剂FK228对前列腺癌LNCaP细胞抑制作用的细胞信号机制。方法Western blot分析细胞蛋白乙酰化水平、细胞信号通路蛋白及细胞周期相关蛋白的表达。结果FK228能够使细胞内蛋白乙酰化水平增高,乙酰化组蛋白H3积累,多种细胞信号通路的相关蛋白如雄激素受体、HER-2、Raf-1、Akt、CDK4等呈时间依赖性和剂量依赖性被清除。结论FK228能够同时阻断对细胞生长具有重要作用的多条细胞信号通路,从而对前列腺癌LNCaP细胞发挥抑制作用。     

Differential effects of prostate cancer therapeutics on neuroendocrine transdifferentiation

Androgen ablation therapy is widely used for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. However, the effectiveness of this intervention strategy is generally short-lived as the disease ultimately progresses to a hormone-refractory state. In recent years, it has become clear that even in antiandrogen-resistant cancers the androgen receptor (AR) signaling axis is intact and is required for prostate cancer growth. Thus, there is a heightened interest in developing small molecules that function in part by down-regulating AR expression in tumors. Paradoxically, AR expression has been shown to be important in preventing the transdifferentiation of epithelial prostate cancer cells toward a neuroendocrine phenotype associated with tumor progression. Consequently, we have evaluated the relative effect of prostate cancer therapeutics that function in part by depleting AR levels on neuroendocrine differentiation in established cellular models of prostate cancer. These studies reveal that although histone deacetylase inhibitors can down-regulate AR expression they increase the expression of neuroendocrine markers and alter cellular morphology. Inhibition of AR signaling using classic AR antagonists or small interfering RNA-mediated AR ablation induces incomplete neuroendocrine differentiation. Importantly, the Hsp90 inhibitor geldanamycin effectively down-regulates AR expression while having no effect on neuroendocrine differentiation. Taken together, these data show that the phenotypic responses to pharmacologic agents used in the clinic to prevent the progression of prostate cancer are not equivalent, a finding of significant therapeutic importance.     

B4 androgen ablation: attacking the prostate cancer stem cell

There is increasing evidence that prostate cancers in rodent models and in men contain a cellular subpopulation that displays stem cell properties. These prostate cancer stem cells (PCSCs) lack androgen receptor expression and are increased in castration-resistant disease. In this issue of the JCI, a study from Yoshioka et al. demonstrates that PCSCs are regulated by a pathway in which α6β4 integrin amplifies signaling through ErbB2 and c-Met receptors. Targeting this pathway provides a novel therapeutic strategy for hormone refractory prostate cancer. The prostate gland is thought to contain two distinct stem cell populations, one located in the basal layer and the other located within the luminal compartment. In mouse models, there is evidence that either of these primitive stem cells is capable of giving rise to prostate cancers (1). Development of the normal prostate gland and prostate cancers is dependent on androgenic hormones, the actions of which are mediated by the androgen receptor (AR). In the mouse, although orchiectomy results in marked prostate involution, the gland is completely regenerated following androgen replacement, suggesting the existence of castration-resistant stem cells. Similarly, although androgen ablation remains a mainstay for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer, hormone resistance inevitably develops and, as a result, hormone-refractory metastatic prostate cancer remains incurable. There is increasing evidence that many cancers, including those of the prostate, are driven and maintained by a cellular subpopulation that displays stem cell properties. These properties include self-renewal, which drives tumorigenesis, as well as differentiation, which generates the tumor bulk. Furthermore, studies suggest that unlike AR-driven bulk tumor cell populations, prostate cancer stem cells (PCSCs) lack AR and do not express differentiation markers, such as PSA (2). PCSCs are increased in hormone-refractory prostate cancer in patients as well as in mouse models. In addition to their role in hormone resistance, evidence suggests that these PCSCs may also mediate metastasis to sites such as the bone (3). Given their potential clinical importance, an understanding of the pathways that drive hormone-resistant PCSCs is of considerable importance. In this issue of the JCI, Yoshioka et al. use human prostate cancer specimens and mouse transgenic models to demonstrate an important role for β4 integrin as well as the coexpressed receptor tyrosine kinases ErbB2 and c-Met in the regulation of PCSCs (4).     

Mechanisms of selenium down-regulation of androgen receptor signaling in prostate cancer

Prevention trials showed that selenium reduced prostate cancer incidence by 50%, establishing selenium as a promising chemopreventive agent for prostate cancer. Selenium inhibited human prostate cancer cell growth, blocked cell cycle progression at multiple transition points, and induced apoptotic cell death. Previous studies showed a novel mechanism of selenium anticancer action in which selenium markedly reduces androgen signaling and androgen receptor (AR)-mediated gene expression, including prostate-specific antigen (PSA), in human prostate cancer cells. The molecular mechanisms of selenium-mediated down-regulation of AR signaling are not clear. In this study, a systemic approach was taken to examine the modification of androgen signaling by selenium in human prostate cancer cells. In addition to reduced AR mRNA expression, selenium was found to initially increase the stability of AR mRNA within 6 hours while decreasing the stability of AR mRNA after 8 hours. Selenium increased AR protein degradation and reduced AR nuclear localization. Scatchard analysis indicated that selenium did not affect ligand binding to AR in LNCaP cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses showed that DHT increased the recruitment of AR and coactivators, such as SRC-1 and TIF-2, to the promoter of the PSA gene, and that recruitment was greatly diminished in the presence of 5 micromol/L selenium. On the other hand, selenium enhanced the recruitment of corepressors, such as SMRT, to the promoter of the PSA gene. Taken together, these results suggest that selenium disrupts AR signaling at multiple stages, including AR mRNA expression, mRNA stability, protein degradation, nuclear translocation, and recruitment of coregulators.     

Sodium selenite inhibits interleukin-6-mediated androgen receptor activation in prostate cancer cells via upregulation of c-Jun

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that interleukin-6 (IL-6) may modulate androgen receptor (AR) action to accelerate prostate cancer (PCa) progression. Selenium compounds are highly recommended as a promising chemopreventive agent for PCa. This study was to determine if selenium can repress IL-6 mediated AR action in PCa progression. METHODS: Cell proliferation, prostate-specific antigen, gene transfer, and Western blot assays were used to study the effects of sodium selenite and methylseleninic acid on IL-6 mediated AR action on an AR expressing human prostate cancer cell line, LNCaP. RESULTS: We found that sodium selenite, but not methylseleninic acid, significantly (p<0.05) inhibited IL-6-induced trans-activating activity of AR and cell proliferation in LNCaP cells. Interestingly, although sodium selenite did not show effect on activation of both STAT3 and ERK1/2 in the presence of IL-6, an increased expression of c-Jun was detected in cells after treatment with sodium selenite. Indeed, we showed overexpression of c-Jun blocked IL-6-induced AR activation. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our results suggest that sodium selenite not methylseleninic acid can inhibit IL-6-mediated AR activation by increased c-Jun in LNCaP cells. Sodium selenite may be a proper selenium form for further testing its potency on intervening IL-6-mediated PCa progression.