RESUMO
Butyrate is a promising candidate for an antitumoral drug, as it promotes cancer cell apoptosis and reduces hormone receptor activity, while promoting differentiation and proliferation in normal cells. However, the effects of low-dose butyrate on breast cancer cell cultures are unclear. We explored the impact of sub-therapeutic doses of butyrate on estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) transcriptional activity in MCF-7 cells, using RT-qPCR, Western blot, wound-healing assays, and chromatin immunoprecipitation. Our results showed that sub-therapeutic doses of sodium butyrate (0.1 - 0.2 mM) increased the transcription of ESR1, TFF1, and CSTD genes, but did not affect ERα protein levels. Moreover, we observed an increase in cell migration in wound-healing assays. ChIP assays revealed that treatment with 0.1 mM of sodium butyrate resulted in estrogen-independent recruitment of ERα at the pS2 promoter and loss of NCoR. Appropriate therapeutic dosage of butyrate is essential to avoid potential adverse effects on patients' health, especially in the case of estrogen receptor-positive breast tumors. Sub-therapeutic doses of butyrate may induce undesirable cell processes, such as migration due to low-dose butyrate-mediated ERα activation. These findings shed light on the complex effects of butyrate in breast cancer and provide insights for research in the development of antitumoral drugs.
RESUMO
Several studies on biotin intestinal transport in the hamster have shown a biotin-specific carrier, but there are conflicting reports on whether it is transported actively, or by facilitated diffusion and on its Na+ dependence. We have studied it for the first time using brush-border membrane vesicles (BBMV), with concentrations in a more physiological (nanomolar)range and found an overshoot component, evidencing a carrier-mediated active process, driving the vitamin against a concentration gradient. Uptake was substantially reduced when potassium substituted for sodium. When the vesicles were treated with trypsin, Na+-dependent uptake was markedly reduced and the overshoot phenomenon was abolished, providing additional evidence for the carrier-mediated trasnport. The amount of uptake in a K+ gradient was considered due to passive diffusion and was about 30 percent of that observed in a Na+ gradient. A similar amount was observed when trypsinized vesicle were incubated in this latter gradient. Our results indicate that in the hamster's brush border intestinal epithelium, Na+-dependent active transport is the most important component in the intestinal uptake of biotin at nanomolar concentrations