N-(2-Hydroxyphenyl)-2-Propylpentanamide (HO-AAVPA) Induces Apoptosis and Cell Cycle Arrest in Breast Cancer Cells, Decreasing GPER Expression.

In this work, we performed anti-proliferative assays for the compound N-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-2-propylpentanamide (HO-AAVPA) on breast cancer (BC) cells (MCF-7, SKBR3, and triple-negative BC (TNBC) MDA-MB-231 cells) to explore its pharmacological mechanism regarding the type of cell death associated with G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) expression. The results show that HO-AAVPA induces cell apoptosis at 5 h or 48 h in either estrogen-dependent (MCF-7) or -independent BC cells (SKBR3 and MDA-MB-231). At 5 h, the apoptosis rate for MCF-7 cells was 68.4% and that for MDA-MB-231 cells was 56.1%; at 48 h, that for SKBR3 was 61.6%, that for MCF-7 cells was 54.9%, and that for MDA-MB-231 (TNBC) was 43.1%. HO-AAVPA increased the S phase in MCF-7 cells and reduced the G2/M phase in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. GPER expression decreased more than VPA in the presence of HO-AAVPA. In conclusion, the effects of HO-AAVPA on cell apoptosis could be modulated by epigenetic effects through a decrease in GPER expression.

Effect of botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNTA) on the morphology and viability of 3T3 murine fibroblasts.

AIM: BoNTA is used in the treatment of ophthalmological disorders, muscular hyperactivity and pain. In recent years it has been described that BoNTA reduces cellular viability and induces apoptosis in prostate cells lines. Studies about the effect of BoNTA are no well known. There have been studies about the effect of BoNTA on the expression levels of collagenase in fibroblasts, but not on its morphological impact on these cells. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of BoNTA on the morphology and viability of the 3T3 fibroblast cell line. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The 3T3 fibroblast cell line was cultured and the experimental group received 10 U BoNTA added to a 0.9% sterile saline solution in a reconstituted vial. The control group received saline solution only. Cultured cells were observed and photographed at 5, 10, 15 and 20 h. Cell viability was evaluated by means of the trypan blue test, and cell proliferation with the Proliferation Assay kit (PROMEGA). RESULTS: The application of BoNTA to 3T3 fibroblast cells induced morphological changes, such as a loss of normal fibroblast morphology. Additionally, we observed the cytoplasmic retraction and spread phenomena. The nuclei showed other important changes with Giemsa staining. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that BoNTA induced a loss of spindle form, increase in cytoplasmic vesicles, and the presence of nuclear vesicles (compacted chromatin surrounded by a nuclear envelope). This suggests an apoptotic process and decreased cell viability. Further studies are needed to explore the mechanisms of these alterations.

Relation of alcohol/tobacco use with metastasis, hormonal (estrogen and progesterone) receptor status and c-erbB2 protein in mammary ductal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: An association between alcohol/tobacco use and risk of metastasis in breast cancer has been clearly shown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study explored, in 48 samples of tissue from mammary ductal carcinoma (taken from Mexican women with an average age of 58.2±10.9 years), the association of risk of metastasis with the status of hormonal receptors and the c-erbB2 protein (by immunohistochemistry) as well as clinical, histopathological and sociodemographic factors. RESULTS: Of 48 patients, 41.6% (20/48) presented with metastasis, 43.8% were positive for the estrogen receptor (RE+), 31.3% for the progesterone receptor (RP+) and 47.7% for c-erbB2 (c-erbB2+). The following combinations were found: RE+/RP+/c-erbB2+ 8.3%, RE+/RP+ 22.9%, RE+/RP- 20.8%, RE-/RP+ 8.3%, RE-/RP-/c-erbB2- 22.9% and RE-/RP- 47.8%. There were 12 patients who used alcohol/tobacco, of which 91.6% did not present metastasis and 81.9% were RE-/RP-. Compared to the RE-/RP-/c-erbB2+, the RE+/RP+/c-erbB2+ group had a 15-fold greater risk for metastasis (95%CI, 0.9-228.8, p=0.05). The carriers of the double negative hormonal receptors had a 4.7 fold greater probability of being (or having been) smokers or drinkers (95%CI, 1.0-20.4, p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: There was a clear protective effect of using alcohol and/or tobacco, in the cases included in the present study of mammary ductal carcinoma, associated with double negative hormonal receptors. However, this association could be due to a protective factor not measured (Neyman bias) or to a bias inherent in the rate of hospitalization (Berkson fallacy). This question should be explored in a broad prospective longitudinal study.