Melatonin and Its Metabolites Can Serve as Agonists on the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor and Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma.

Melatonin is widely present in Nature. It has pleiotropic activities, in part mediated by interactions with high-affinity G-protein-coupled melatonin type 1 and 2 (MT1 and MT2) receptors or under extreme conditions, e.g., ischemia/reperfusion. In pharmacological concentrations, it is given to counteract the massive damage caused by MT1- and MT2-independent mechanisms. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a perfect candidate for mediating the latter effects because melatonin has structural similarity to its natural ligands, including tryptophan metabolites and indolic compounds. Using a cell-based Human AhR Reporter Assay System, we demonstrated that melatonin and its indolic and kynuric metabolites act as agonists on the AhR with EC50's between 10-4 and 10-6 M. This was further validated via the stimulation of the transcriptional activation of the CYP1A1 promoter. Furthermore, melatonin and its metabolites stimulated AhR translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleus in human keratinocytes, as demonstrated by ImageStream II cytometry and Western blot (WB) analyses of cytoplasmic and nuclear fractions of human keratinocytes. These functional analyses are supported by in silico analyses. We also investigated the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)γ as a potential target for melatonin and metabolites bioregulation. The binding studies using a TR-TFRET kit to assay the interaction of the ligand with the ligand-binding domain (LBD) of the PPARγ showed agonistic activities of melatonin, 6-hydroxymelatonin and N-acetyl-N-formyl-5-methoxykynuramine with EC50's in the 10-4 M range showing significantly lower affinities that those of rosiglitazone, e.g., a 10-8 M range. These interactions were substantiated by stimulation of the luciferase activity of the construct containing PPARE by melatonin and its metabolites at 10-4 M. As confirmed by the functional assays, binding mode predictions using a homology model of the AhR and a crystal structure of the PPARγ suggest that melatonin and its metabolites, including 6-hydroxymelatonin, 5-methoxytryptamine and N-acetyl-N-formyl-5-methoxykynuramine, are excellent candidates to act on the AhR and PPARγ with docking scores comparable to their corresponding natural ligands. Melatonin and its metabolites were modeled into the same ligand-binding pockets (LBDs) as their natural ligands. Thus, functional assays supported by molecular modeling have shown that melatonin and its indolic and kynuric metabolites can act as agonists on the AhR and they can interact with the PPARγ at high concentrations. This provides a mechanistic explanation for previously reported cytoprotective actions of melatonin and its metabolites that require high local concentrations of the ligands to reduce cellular damage under elevated oxidative stress conditions. It also identifies these compounds as therapeutic agents to be used at pharmacological doses in the prevention or therapy of skin diseases.

The Blocking of Drug Resistance Channels by Selected Hydrophobic Statins in Chemoresistance Human Melanoma.

Despite the development of modern drugs, drug resistance in oncology remains the main factor limiting the curability of patients. This paper shows the use of a group of hydrophobic statins to inhibit drug resistance (Pgp protein). In a chemoresistance melanoma cell model, viability, necroptosis with DNA damage, the absorption of the applied pharmaceuticals, and the functional activity of the ABCB1 drug transporter after administration of docetaxel or docetaxel with a selected hydrophobic statin were studied. Taxol-resistant human melanoma cells from three stages of development were used as a model: both A375P and WM239A metastatic lines and radial growth phase WM35 cells. An animal model (Mus musculus SCID) was developed for the A375P cell line. The results show that hydrophobic statins administered with docetaxel increase the accumulation of the drug in the tumor cell a.o. by blocking the ABCB1 channel. They reduce taxol-induced drug resistance. The tumor size reduction was observed after the drug combination was administrated. It was shown that the structural similarity of statins is of secondary importance, e.g., pravastatin and simvastatin. Using cytostatics in the presence of hydrophobic statins increases their effectiveness while reducing their overall toxicity.

Cannabinoids and PPAR Ligands: The Future in Treatment of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Women with Obesity and Reduced Fertility.

Cannabinoids (CBs) are used to treat chronic pain, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, and multiple sclerosis spasticity. Recently, the medicinal use of CBs has attracted increasing interest as a new therapeutic in many diseases. Data indicate a correlation between CBs and PPARs via diverse mechanisms. Both the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) may play a significant role in PCOS and PCOS related disorders, especially in disturbances of glucose-lipid metabolism as well as in obesity and fertility. Taking into consideration the ubiquity of PCOS in the human population, it seems indispensable to search for new potential therapeutic targets for this condition. The aim of this review is to examine the relationship between metabolic disturbances and obesity in PCOS pathology. We discuss current and future therapeutic interventions for PCOS and related disorders, with emphasis on the metabolic pathways related to PCOS pathophysiology. The link between the ECS and PPARs is a promising new target for PCOS, and we examine this relationship in depth.

The expression and activity of cystathionine-γ-lyase and 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase in human neoplastic cell lines.

The expression and activity of cystathionine γ-lyase (CST) and 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (MPST) were investigated in the human neoplastic cells lines: astrocytoma U373, neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y, melanoma A375, and melanoma WM35. Gene expression analysis demonstrated that the investigated neoplastic cells showed the expression of MPST and what is particularly interesting, the expression of CST. The presence of CST in these cells was confirmed using RT-PCR and western blot analysis. However, in U373 cells, a very low activity of CST was detected. In all the investigated cell lines, the activity of MPST was higher than that of CST, which suggests that in these cells, the main pathway of sulfane sulfur formation is the MPST-catalyzed reaction. RP-HPLC analysis showed a large disparity between the level of cystathionine and GSH in the investigated neoplastic cells. In SH-SY5Y cells, the low level of GSH and low GSH/GSSG ratio corresponded with the highest CST activity. Further investigations could aim at verifying whether the stimulation of CST, at the level of protein or gene expression, could change the proliferation of neoplastic cells.

In Vitro Spectroscopy-Based Profiling of Urothelial Carcinoma: A Fourier Transform Infrared and Raman Imaging Study.

Markers of bladder cancer cells remain elusive, which is a major cause of the low recognition of this malignant neoplasm and its recurrence. This implies an urgent need for additional diagnostic tools which are based on the identification of the chemism of bladder cancer. In this study, we employed label-free techniques of molecular imaging-Fourier Transform Infrared and Raman spectroscopic imaging-to investigate bladder cancer cell lines of various invasiveness (T24a, T24p, HT-1376, and J82). The urothelial HCV-29 cell line was the healthy control. Specific biomolecules discriminated spatial distribution of the nucleus and cytoplasm and indicated the presence of lipid bodies and graininess in some cell lines. The most prominent discriminators are the total content of lipids and sugar moieties as well as the presence of glycogen and other carbohydrates, un/saturated lipids, cytochromes, and a level of S-S bridges in proteins. The combination of the obtained hyperspectral database and chemometric methods showed a clear differentiation of each cell line at the level of the nuclei and cytoplasm and pointed out spectral signals which differentiated bladder cancer cells. Registered spectral markers correlated with biochemical composition changes can be associated with pathogenesis and potentially used for the diagnosis of bladder cancer and response to experimental therapies.

The effect of PPARgamma ligands on the proliferation and apoptosis of human melanoma cells.

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) is a member of the nuclear receptor family of ligand-activated transcription factors. PPARgamma ligands have been shown to inhibit the growth of cells from different cancer lineages. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of PPARgamma receptor activation in human melanoma cell lines. The effects of its expression and activation on cell proliferation and apoptosis in human melanoma cell lines (early stage cancer [WM35] and metastatic tumour [A375]) were investigated. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis showed that both human melanoma cell lines expressed PPARgamma mRNA and protein. Treatment of cells transfected with the luciferase gene ligated to PPAR response element constructed promoter showed that ciglitazone and prostaglandin J2 (PGJ2), selective ligands for PPARgamma, increased the luciferase activity, proving the induction of the PPARgamma reporter gene. Ciglitazone and PGJ2 inhibited melanoma cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. Analysis of the cellular morphology and apoptosis assayed by fluorescence microscopy after incubation of A375 cells with 10 micro M ciglitazone for 24 h indicated that this ligand not only inhibited cell proliferation but also induced apoptosis.

Inhibition of melanoma metastases by fenofibrate.

The effect of fenofibrate, a ligand of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) alpha, on the growth and metastatic potential of Bomirski hamster melanoma s.c. tumors, pigmented line (BHM Ma) was investigated in vivo. RT-PCR and Western-blot analyses revealed the presence of mRNA and protein of PPAR alpha in BHM Ma cells. The animals treated orally with fenofibrate developed significantly fewer metastatic foci in the lungs, as compared to the control group; however, primary tumor growth remained unaltered. This observation is interesting in respect of the potential use of fenofibrate in melanoma chemoprevention.

PPAR gamma regulates MITF and beta-catenin expression and promotes a differentiated phenotype in mouse melanoma S91.

Melanoma represents one of the most rapidly metastasizing, hence deadly tumors due to its high proliferation rate and invasiveness, characteristics of undifferentiated embryonic tissues. Given the absence of effective therapy for metastatic melanoma, understanding more fully the molecular mechanisms underlying melanocyte differentiation may provide opportunities for novel therapeutic intervention. Here we show that in mouse melanoma S91 cells activation of the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) gamma induces events resembling differentiation, such as growth arrest accompanied by apoptosis, spindle morphology and enhanced tyrosinase expression. These events are preceded by an initial transient increase in expression from the Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor gene, (MITF) promoter, whereas exposure to a PPAR gamma ligand- ciglitazone that exceeds 8 h, causes a gradual decrease of MITF, until by 48 h MITF expression is substantially reduced. Beta-catenin, an MITF transcriptional activator, shows a similar pattern of decline during ciglitazone treatment, consistent with previous reports that activated PPAR gamma inhibits the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway through induction of beta-catenin proteasomal degradation. We suggest that the PPAR gamma-mediated beta-catenin down-regulation is likely to be responsible for changes in MITF levels. The data suggest that PPAR gamma, besides its well-established role in mesenchymal cell differentiation towards adipocytes, might regulate differentiation in the melanocytic lineage.

The microarray expression analysis identifies BAX as a mediator of beta-carotene effects on apoptosis.

Beta-carotene is a ubiquitous compound rich in foods. However, there are conflicting reports regarding its role in carcinogenesis. We performed a microarray expression analysis in normal [human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs)] and neoplastic (melanoma A375 and myelomonocytic leukemia U937) actively proliferating cells and found evidence that beta-carotene stimulated vital cellular functions in the former and suppressed them in the latter. These differential effects correlated with the expression of the proapoptotic BCL2-associated X protein (BAX), which was downregulated in HUVECs and upregulated in the two neoplastic cell lines. The quantitative expression analysis using real-time polymerase chain reaction largely confirmed the inhibition of B-cell CLL/lymphoma 2 (BCL2) pathway-mediated apoptosis in HUVECs and its activation in melanoma and leukemic cells. The assays for apoptosis, detecting DNA breaks and caspase activation, showed consistent proapoptotic and antiapoptotic effects in U937 and HUVEC lines, respectively. However, beta-carotene-induced expression changes of BAX and other BCL2 pathway genes did not lead to the predicted induction of apoptosis in the A375 cells.