Attenuation of catalase activity in the malignant phenotype plays a functional role in an in vitro model for tumor progression

We have developed an in vitro model to study the molecular mechanisms of tumor progression. Using repeated treatments with ionizing radiation or N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), we caused malignant progression of a papilloma producing mouse keratinocyte cell line, 308 cells. In a previous study we have shown that the malignant variants of 308 cells have elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and have established a functional role for the pro-oxidant state in the progressed phenotype (Carcinogenesis 20 (1999) 2063). In this study, we have evaluated the status of intracellular defense mechanisms for ROS scavenging in the progressed phenotype to identify sources that contribute to their pro-oxidant state. Our results demonstrate that a reduction in several anti-oxidant defense mechanisms, including catalase and glutathione S-transferase mu, correlates with the emergence of the malignant phenotype. We provide evidence that attenuation of catalase activity may play a functional role in the malignant progression of mouse keratinocytes.     

Increased ROS levels contribute to elevated transcription factor and MAP kinase activities in malignantly progressed mouse keratinocyte cell lines.

There is evidence that reactive oxygen species (ROS) are important mediators of tumor promotion and progression. The molecular mechanisms involved in ROS-mediated signaling, however, are unclear at present. Using ionizing radiation and N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) as model physical and chemical carcinogens, we have malignantly progressed 308 cells, a papilloma-producing mouse keratinocyte cell line, and investigated the molecular alterations in the progressed phenotypes. In this study, we demonstrate that both MNNG and radiation-progressed malignant variants showed elevated ROS levels that contributed to their proliferative capacity in vitro as well as in vivo. We found increased Erk-1/2 and p38 MAP kinase activities to be important components of ROS-mediated signaling. The pro-oxidant state also contributed to constitutive elevation of AP-1, NFkappaB and cAMP response element transactivation in the malignant phenotype. Our data provide evidence for a functional role of elevated ROS levels in tumor progression and implicate Erk-1/2 and p38 MAP kinase activation in the malignant progression of mouse keratinocytes.     

Activation of Akt predicts poor outcome in neuroblastoma

Whereas aberrant activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway, a key survival cascade, has previously been linked to poor prognosis in several human malignancies, its prognostic effect in neuroblastoma has not yet been explored. We therefore investigated the phosphorylation status of Akt, S6 ribosomal protein as target of mammalian target of rapamycin, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in 116 primary neuroblastoma samples by tissue microarray and its correlation with established prognostic markers and survival outcome. Here, we provide for the first time evidence that phosphorylation of Akt at serine 473 (S473) and/or threonine 308 (T308), S6 ribosomal protein, and ERK frequently occurs in primary neuroblastoma. Importantly, we identified Akt activation as a novel prognostic indicator of decreased event-free or overall survival in neuroblastoma, whereas phosphorylation of S6 ribosomal protein or ERK had no prognostic effect. In addition, Akt activation correlated with variables of aggressive disease, including MYCN amplification, 1p36 aberrations, advanced disease stage, age at diagnosis, and unfavorable histology. Monitoring Akt at T308 or both phosphorylation sites improved the prognostic significance of Akt activation in neuroblastoma specimens compared with S473 phosphorylation. Parallel experiments in neuroblastoma cell lines revealed that activation of Akt by insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I significantly inhibited tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand- or chemotherapy-induced apoptosis in a PI3K-dependent manner because the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 completely reversed the IGF-I-mediated protection of neuroblastoma cells from apoptosis. By showing that activation of Akt correlates with poor prognosis in primary neuroblastoma in vivo and with apoptosis resistance in vitro, our findings indicate that Akt presents a clinically relevant target in neuroblastoma that warrants further investigation.     

Akt/protein kinase B is constitutively active in non-small cell lung cancer cells and promotes cellular survival and resistance to chemotherapy and radiation

To evaluate the role of Akt/PKB in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) survival, we analyzed NSCLC cell lines that differed in tumor histology as well as p53, Rb, and K-ras status. Constitutive Akt/protein kinase B (PKB) activity was demonstrated in 16 of 17 cell lines by maintenance of S473 phosphorylation with serum deprivation. Additional analysis of five of 2these NSCLC lines revealed that phosphorylation of S473 and T308 correlated with in vitro kinase activity. Akt/PKB activation was phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-dependent and promoted survival because the phosphatidylinositol 3 inhibitors LY294002 and wortmannin inhibited Akt/PKB phosphorylation, Akt/PKB activity, and increased apoptosis only in cells with active Akt/PKB. To test whether Akt/PKB activity promoted therapeutic resistance, LY294002 was added with individual chemotherapeutic agents or irradiation. LY294002 greatly potentiated chemotherapy-induced apoptosis in cells with high Akt/PKB levels, but did not significantly increase chemotherapy-induced apoptosis in cells with low Akt/PKB levels. Combined with radiation in cells with active Akt/PKB, LY294002 additively increased apoptosis and inhibited clonogenic growth. These results were extended with transiently transfected Akt/PKB mutants. Transfecting dominant negative Akt/PKB decreased Akt/PKB activity and increased basal apoptosis as well as chemotherapy- and irradiation-induced apoptosis only in cells with high Akt/PKB activity. Conversely, transfecting constitutively active Akt/PKB into cells with low Akt/PKB activity increased Akt/PKB activity and attenuated chemotherapy- and radiation-induced apoptosis. We therefore identify Akt/PKB as a constitutively active kinase that promotes survival of NSCLC cells and demonstrate that modulation of Akt/PKB activity by pharmacological or genetic approaches alters the cellular responsiveness to therapeutic modalities typically used to treat patients with NSCLC.     

Tumor cell-protective catalase as a novel target for rational therapeutic approaches based on specific intercellular ROS signaling

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) exhibit procarcinogenic effects at multiple stages during multistep oncogenesis. As a hallmark of the transformed state, extracellular superoxide anions generated by NADPH oxidase1 (NOX1) are centrally involved in the control of the transformed state. These pro-carcinogenic effects of ROS are counterbalanced by specific ROS-dependent apoptosis induction in malignant cells, based on four interconnected signaling pathways. Tumor progression selects for a phenotype characterized by resistance to ROS-dependent apoptotic signaling. Resistance is based on membrane-associated catalase in tumor cells, which therefore represents a promising and unique target for specific tumor therapy. Novel approache, developed in vitro, utilize antibody-mediated inhibition of catalase or ROS-driven singlet oxygen generation and subsequent inactivation of tumor cell catalase as initial steps. As a consecutive step, malignant cell-generated superoxide anions then drive apoptotic signaling with high selectivity for malignant cells. We propose to translate this complex but well-established ROS-dependent signaling chemistry into novel approaches for experimental therapy in vivo.     

The cyclolignan PPP induces activation loop-specific inhibition of tyrosine phosphorylation of the insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor. Link to the phosphatidyl inositol-3 kinase/Akt apoptotic pathway

The insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) is crucial for many functions in neoplastic cells, for example, antiapoptosis. Recently, we demonstrated that the cyclolignan PPP efficiently inhibited phosphorylation of IGF-1R without interfering with insulin receptor activity. PPP preferentially reduced phosphorylated Akt, as compared to phosphorylated Erk1/2, and caused apoptosis. Now, we aimed to investigate how PPP inhibits the IGF-1R tyrosine kinase (IGF-1RTK) and the PI3K/Akt apoptotic pathway. Using a baculovirus driven IGF-1RTK we found that PPP interfered with tyrosine phosphorylation in the activation loop of the kinase domain. Specifically, it blocked phosphorylation of tyrosine (Y) 1136, while sparing the two others (Y1131 and Y1135). To explore the impact of inhibition of Y1136 on Akt phosphorylation we transfected P6 cells (overexpressing IGF-1R) and malignant melanoma cells with different IGF-1R mutants, including Y1136F (tyrosine replaced by phenylalanine). Y1136F was found to strongly decrease IGF-1 stimulated phosphorylation of Akt. Conversely, Akt phosphorylation was weakly affected in the Y1131F transfectant. Taken together, our data suggest that the preferential inhibition of phosphorylated Akt, after PPP treatment, may be due to specific inhibition of Y1136. PPP was proven not to interfere directly with Akt or any of its downstream molecules in the apoptotic pathway.     

Activation of Akt/GSK3β and Akt/Bcl-2 signaling pathways in nickel-transformed BEAS-2B cells

The Akt signaling pathway has been implicated in a wide range of cellular functions involving cell survival and proliferation, angiogenesis, metabolism and cell migration. Accumulating evidence suggests that Akt perturbations play an important role in human malignancy. Here, we investigated Akt perturbation in nickel-transformed cells. Chronic treatment of human bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells with low doses of nickel chloride resulted in cell transformation demonstrated by anchorage-independent (AI) growth, increased cell growth and alterations of cell growth pattern. Western blot assays show that phosphorylation of Akt at Ser473, but not that of p38, JNK and ERK, was increased in nickel-transformed cells compared with controls. Inhibition of Akt or PI3K by pharmacological or biochemical interference suppressed nickel AI growth and cell growth of transformed cells. Activation of Akt led to inhibition of GSK3β by phosphorylation at Ser9 in nickel-transformed cells. In addition, two major anti-apoptotic proteins of the Bcl family, Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL, were increased in nickel-transformed cells. By employing the small interfering RNA technique (siRNA), our results showed that siRNA Akt attenuated the expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL in nickel-transformed cells, indicating that induction of Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL was likely mediated through Akt. ROS generation was decreased in nickel-transformed cells compared with controls. Moreover, down-regulation of retinoblastoma protein (Rb) was observed in nickel-transformed cells. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that activation of Akt, followed by GSK3β inhibition and Bcl-2, Bcl-XL up-regulation and decrease of ROS generation, along with a synergistic effect of Rb down-regulation may cause apoptosis resistance, contributing to the overall mechanism of nickel carcinogenesis.     

Phosphorylation of AKT: a mutational analysis

Akt (cellular homolog of murine thymoma virus akt8 oncogene) is an essential component of the PI3K (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase) pathway. Its activity is stimulated by receptor tyrosine kinases and G-protein coupled receptors and plays a critical role in the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. A gain of function in Akt can lead to uncontrolled cell proliferation and resistance to apoptosis, both hallmarks of oncogenic transformation. In this communication, we have investigated the phosphorylation at the Akt residues T308, S473 and T450 and their roles in oncogenic transformation and signaling. We find that T450 phosphorylation has only a minimal part in these activities. In contrast, the phosphorylation of T308 and of S473 fulfills essential, distinct, and non-overlapping functions that we define with inactivating and with phosphomimetic mutations of these sites.     

Ganglioside GD3 induces convergence and synergism of adhesion and hepatocyte growth factor/Met signals in melanomas

Ganglioside GD3 is highly expressed in human melanomas and enhances malignant properties of melanomas, such as cell proliferation and invasion activity. In this study, we analyzed the effects of GD3 expression on cell signals triggered by hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/Met interaction and by adhesion to collagen type I (CL-I). Although stimulation of melanoma N1 cells (GD3+ and GD3−) with either HGF or adhesion to CL-I did not show marked differences in the phosphorylation levels of Akt at Ser473 and Thr308 between two types of cells, simultaneous treatment resulted in definite and markedly increased activation of Akt in GD3+ cells. Similar increases were also shown in Erk1/2 phosphorylation levels with the costimulation in GD3+ cells. When resistance to induced apoptosis by H₂O₂ was examined, only GD3+ cells treated with both HGF and adhesion to CL-I showed clearly low percentages of dead cells compared with GD3− cells or GD3+ cells treated with either one of the stimulants. Cell growth measured by 5-ethynyl-2‘ deoxyuridine uptake also showed synergistic effects in GD3+ cells. These results suggested that GD3 plays a crucial role in the convergence of multiple signals, leading to the synergistic effects of those signals on malignant properties of melanomas.     

A new selective AKT pharmacological inhibitor reduces resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs, TRAIL, all-trans-retinoic acid, and ionizing radiation of human leukemia cells.

It is now well established that the reduced capacity of tumor cells of undergoing cell death through apoptosis plays a key role both in the pathogenesis of cancer and in therapeutic treatment failure. Indeed, tumor cells frequently display multiple alterations in signal transduction pathways leading to either cell survival or apoptosis. In mammals, the pathway based on phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt conveys survival signals of extreme importance and its downregulation, by means of pharmacological inhibitors of PI3K, considerably lowers resistance to various types of therapy in solid tumors. We recently described an HL60 leukemia cell clone (HL60AR cells) with a constitutively active PI3K/Akt pathway. These cells were resistant to multiple chemotherapeutic drugs, all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA), and tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). Treatment with two pharmacological inhibitors of PI3K, wortmannin and Ly294002, restored sensitivity of HL60AR cells to the aforementioned treatments. However, these inhibitors have some drawbacks that may severely limit or impede their clinical use. Here, we have tested whether or not a new selective Akt inhibitor, 1L-6-hydroxymethyl-chiro-inositol 2(R)-2-O-methyl-3-O-octadecylcarbonate (Akt inhibitor), was as effective as Ly294002 in lowering the sensitivity threshold of HL60 cells to chemotherapeutic drugs, TRAIL, ATRA, and ionizing radiation. Our findings demonstrate that, at a concentration which does not affect PI3K activity, the Akt inhibitor markedly reduced resistance of HL60AR cells to etoposide, cytarabine, TRAIL, ATRA, and ionizing radiation. This effect was likely achieved through downregulation of expression of antiapoptotic proteins such as c-IAP1, c-IAP2, cFLIP(L), and of Bad phosphorylation on Ser 136. The Akt inhibitor did not influence PTEN activity. At variance with Ly294002, the Akt inhibitor did not negatively affect phosphorylation of protein kinase C-zeta and it was less effective in downregulating p70S6 kinase (p70S6K) activity. The Akt inhibitor increased sensitivity to apoptotic inducers of K562 and U937, but not of MOLT-4, leukemia cells. Overall, our results indicate that selective Akt pharmacological inhibitors might be used in the future for enhancing the sensitivity of leukemia cells to therapeutic treatments that induce apoptosis or for overcoming resistance to these treatments.     

Selenocysteine derivative overcomes TRAIL resistance in melanoma cells: evidence for ROS-dependent synergism and signaling crosstalk

Tumor necrosis factor–related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), as one of the most promising targeted drug for new cancer therapeutics, is limited in clinical application by the evolution of resistance in many cancer cell lines, especially in malignant melanoma. Thus, it is urgently needed to identify chemosensitizers to enhance the apoptotic inducing efficacy of TRAIL and overcome resistance of malignant melanoma cells. Herein, we reported that 3,3′-diselenodipropionic acid (DSeA), a Selenocysteine derivative, could synergistically enhance the growth inhibitory effect of TRAIL on A375 melanoma cells though induction of ROS-dependent apoptosis with involvement of PTEN-mediated Akt inactivation and DNA damage-mediated p53 phosphorylation, which subsequently activated mitochondrial and death receptor apoptotic pathways. Moreover, silencing of p53 down-regulated the expression levels of p53-inducible genes, and effectively blocked the cell apoptosis. Suppression of PI3K significantly increased the apoptotic cell death. In contrast, antioxidants effectively reversed the cell apoptosis through regulation of Akt and p53 signaling pathways. Taken together, the combination of DSeA and TRAIL could be a novel strategy to overcome TRAIL resistance in malignant melanoma, and DSeA may be candidates for further evaluation as a chemosensitizer in clinical trails.     

Levels of PTEN protein modulate Akt phosphorylation on serine 473, but not on threonine 308, in IGF-II-overexpressing rhabdomyosarcomas cells

Constitutive activation of Akt has been found in many types of human cancer, and is believed to promote proliferation and increased cell survival thereby contributing to cancer progression. In this study, we examined Akt phosphorylation on Ser473 and Thr308 in seven IGF-II-overexpressing rhabdomyosarcomas (RMS) cells. All the RMS cell lines tested had high levels of Akt phosphorylation on Thr308, whereas three cell lines (Rh5, Rh18, and CTR) had a much lower level of Akt phosphorylation on Ser473. To determine whether the difference in Akt phosphorylation on Ser473, but not on Thr308, observed among cell lines is a cell-specific phenomenon or due to other factors, which possibly downregulate Akt phosphorylation, we examined expression of PTEN protein, which acts as a negative regulator of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway through its ability to dephosphorylate phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-triphosphate (PIP3). The levels of PTEN expression inversely correlate with Akt phosphorylation on Ser473, but not on Thr308. Consistent with this finding, transfection of wild-type PTEN into RMS and mouse myoblast C2C12 cells resulted in reduced Akt phosphorylation on Ser473, but not on Thr308. Our data suggest that Ser473 may be a key target residue for PTEN to modulate the effects of IGF-II on activating the PI3K/Akt pathway in RMS cells. A better understanding of the pathway in RMS will likely contribute to insights into the biology of the RMS tumorigenesis and hopefully lead to novel therapeutic options.     

Malignant ascites protect against TRAIL-induced apoptosis by activating the PI3K/Akt pathway in human ovarian carcinoma cells

Ascites are commonly found in ovarian cancer patients with advanced disease and are rich in cellular components and growth-promoting factors. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of malignant ascites on TRAIL-induced apoptosis. We demonstrate that malignant ascites obtained from women with advanced ovarian cancer protect tumor cells from TRAIL- and FasL-induced apoptosis but not against cisplatin-induced apoptosis. This antiapoptotic effect was consistently found among different malignant ascites while nonmalignant peritoneal fluids or conditioned medium from TRAIL-resistant cells failed to protect tumor cells against TRAIL killing. Malignant ascites strongly inhibits TRAIL-induced caspase-3 activation and PARP cleavage. Furthermore, ascites activate PI3K and its downstream target Akt and increases c-FLIP(S) protein levels without affecting ERK phosphorylation status. The antiapoptotic effect of malignant ascites is abrogated by the inhibition of PI3K with LY294002, by a specific inhibitor of Akt and by Akt siRNA. We further show that the pro-survival effect of ascites can be suppressed by down-regulation of c-FLIP(S). Our data indicate that malignant effusions protect against TRAIL-induced apoptosis by activating the PI3K/Akt pathway. These findings demonstrate that the tumor microenvironment may contribute to the resistance of ovarian cancer cells to death receptor-induced apoptosis.     

Sensitization of mesothelioma cells to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand-induced apoptosis by heat stress via the inhibition of the 3-phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1/Akt pathway

Heat stress may enhance the effect of apoptosis-inducing agents in resistant tumor cells. One such agent is the tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), which has attracted intense interest for its ability to induce apoptosis in tumors without affecting nonmalignant cells. We therefore tested whether heat stress potentiates TRAIL-induced apoptosis in mesothelioma cells, its cell type being resistant to TRAIL alone. We found that heat stress enhanced the apoptosis caused by TRAIL but not by chemotherapy. To explain this potentiation, we found that heat stress decreased Akt phosphorylation via the dissociation of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) from its client protein 3-phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 (PDK-1), a major Akt kinase. The role of Hsp90 and the Akt pathway was confirmed by showing that inhibitors of Hsp90 and the phosphatidyilinositol-3 kinase/Akt pathway reproduced the effect of heat stress on TRAIL-induced apoptosis and that the effect of inhibiting Hsp90 on TRAIL-induced apoptosis could be overcome by activating the Akt pathway with a constitutively active construct of the Akt kinase PDK-1. The effect of heat stress involved multiple steps of the apoptotic machinery. Heat stress potentiated the death receptor pathway, as shown by an increase in TRAIL-induced caspase 8 cleavage. Nonetheless, knockdown of Bid, the main intermediary molecule from the death receptor pathway to the mitochondria, inhibited the effect of heat stress, showing that mitochondrial amplification was required for potentiation by heat stress. In summary, these results support the novel concept that heat stress inhibits the Akt pathway by dissociating PDK-1 from its chaperone Hsp90, leading to potentiation of TRAIL-induced apoptosis in resistant malignant cells.     

GM3 suppresses anchorage-independent growth via Rho GDP dissociation inhibitor beta in melanoma B16 cells

Ly-GDI, Rho GTPase dissociation inhibitor beta, was found to be expressed parallel to the GM3 level in mouse B16 cells whose GM3 contents were modified by B4galt6 sense, B4galt6 antisense cDNA, or St3galt5 siRNA transfection. Ly-GDI expression was increased on GM3 addition to these cells and decreased with D-PDMP treatment, a glucosylceramide synthesis inhibitor. Suppression of GM3 or Ly-GDI by RNAi was concomitantly associated with an increase in anchorage-independent growth in soft agar. These results clearly indicate that GM3 suppresses anchorage-independent growth through Ly-GDI. GM3 signals regulating Ly-GDI expression was inhibited by LY294002, siRNA against Akt1 and Akt2 and rapamycin, showing that GM3 signals are transduced via the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. Either siRNA towards Rictor or Raptor suppressed Ly-GDI expression. The Raptor siRNA suppressed the effects of GM3 on Ly-GDI expression and Akt phosphorylation at Thr(308) , suggesting GM3 signals to be transduced to mTOR-Raptor and Akt-Thr(308) , leading to Ly-GDI stimulation. siRNA targeting Pdpk1 reduced Akt phosphorylation at Thr(308) and rendered the cells insensitive to GM3 stimulation, indicating that Akt-Thr(308) plays a critical role in the pathway. The components aligned in this pathway showed similar effects on anchorage-independent growth as GM3 and Ly-GDI. Taken together, GM3 signals are transduced in B16 cells through PI3K, Pdpk1, Akt(Thr308) and the mTOR/Raptor pathway, leading to enhanced expression of Ly-GDI mRNA, which in turn suppresses anchorage-independent growth in melanoma B16 cells.     

AKT activation and response to interferon-beta in human cancer cells

Significant growth inhibition and induction of apoptosis by IFN-beta in cancer cells including colorectal cancer cells have been observed. We and others have previously reported the Stat 1 induction of TRAIL is a crucial step in the IFN-beta induced apoptosis pathway. However, when evaluating the sensitivity of a panel of colorectal cancer cell lines, we found no clear correlation between activation of the Jak/Stat signaling pathway and response to interferon. In the present study, we have evaluated the interaction of the PI3k/Akt pathway and IFN-beta induced apoptosis in human colorectal cancer cells. The results demonstrate a correlation between Akt activity, phosphorylation of Bad and resistance to interferon-induced apoptosis in these cells. The association of activation of Akt, phosphorylation of Bad and resistance to IFN-beta-induced apoptosis was further supported by the observation that disruption of the pathway in a more resistant cell line led to sensitization, and expression of an activated Akt in a more sensitive cell line led to increased resistance. Taken together, this data indicates that the PI3/Akt kinase pathway may be an important contributor to IFN-beta sensitivity and resistance in colorectal cancer cells. This data demonstrates a potential pathway by which cells may develop resistance to IFN, and further elucidation of this process may allow us to better target IFN therapy.     

Diallyl trisulfide, a constituent of processed garlic, inactivates Akt to trigger mitochondrial translocation of BAD and caspase-mediated apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells

We have shown previously that apoptosis induction by diallyl trisulfide (DATS), a constituent of processed garlic, in PC-3 and DU145 human prostate cancer cells is associated with c-Jun N-terminal kinase and extracellular signal-regulated kinase-mediated phosphorylation of Bcl-2. However, pharmacological inhibition of these kinases offers only partial protection against the cell death caused by DATS. Here, we demonstrate that DATS inactivates Akt to trigger apoptosis in prostate cancer cells. Treatment of PC-3/DU145 cells with apoptosis inducing concentration of DATS (40 microM) resulted in a rapid decrease in Ser(473) and Thr(308) phosphorylation of Akt leading to inhibition of its kinase activity. The DATS-mediated inactivation of Akt was associated with downregulation of insulin-like growth factor receptor 1 protein level and inhibition of its autophosphorylation. DATS treatment (40 microM) also caused a decrease in Ser(155) and Ser(136) phosphorylation of BAD (a proapoptotic protein), which is a downstream target of Akt. Phosphorylation sequesters BAD in the cytoplasm owing to increased binding with 14-3-3 proteins. The interaction between BAD and 14-3-3beta was reduced markedly upon a 4 h treatment with 40 microM DATS in both cell lines. Consistent with these results, DATS treatment (40 microM, 4 h) promoted mitochondrial translocation of BAD as revealed by immunocytochemistry. Ectopic expression of constitutively active Akt conferred statistically significant protection against DATS-induced apoptosis. The DATS-induced apoptosis in both cell lines was significantly attenuated in the presence of pan caspase inhibitor zVAD-fmk and caspase 9 specific inhibitor zLEHD-fmk. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that DATS-induced apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells is mediated, at least in part, by inactivation of Akt signaling axis.     

Vitamin E Protects against Lipid Peroxidation and Rescues Tumorigenic Phenotypes in Cowden/Cowden-like Patient-Derived Lymphoblast Cells with Germline SDHx Variants

PURPOSE: Cowden syndrome (CS), a Mendelian autosomal-dominant disorder, predisposes to breast, thyroid, and other cancers. Germline variations in succinate dehydrogenase genes (SDHx) occur in approximately 10% PTEN mutation-negative CS and CS-like (CSL) individuals (SDH(var+)). We previously showed that SDHx variants result in elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS), disruption of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) equilibrium, and destabilization of p53 hence apoptosis resistance in CS/CSL patient-derived lymphoblastoid cells. In the present study, we sought to address the tumorigenic impacts of increased ROS and the potential of protecting SDH(var+) cells with antioxidants. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We measured the lipid peroxidation levels in patient-derived SDH(var+) lymphoblastoid cells and sequenced 74 controls or SDH(var+) germline DNA samples for mitochondrial hypervariable region II (HVRII) polymorphisms. SDH(var+) lymphoblastoid cells were treated with various antioxidants to check p53 expression and sub-G(1) cell population with cell-cycle analysis. RESULTS: We showed that elevated ROS results in higher lipid peroxidation in SDH(var+) cells. Accumulation of polymorphisms in mitochondrial HVRII was observed in SDH(var+) samples. Interestingly, α-tocopherol (vitamin E) treatment, but not other antioxidants, rescued SDH(var+) cells from apoptosis resistance and protected SDH(var+) cells from oxidative damage such as decreased lipid peroxidation as well as partially recovered p53 expression and NAD/NADH levels. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that disruption of complex II because of SDHx variants leads to increased ROS generation, specifically accompanied by lipid peroxidation. The lipid soluble antioxidant α-tocopherol can selectively protect SDH(var+) cells from oxidative damage, apoptosis resistance, and rebalance redox metabolites NAD/NADH. Clin Cancer Res; 18(18); 4954-61. ?2012 AACR.