Thyroid Hormone Promotes ß-Catenin Activation and Cell Proliferation in Colorectal Cancer.

Thyroid hormone status has long been implicated in cancer development. Here we investigated the role of thyroxine (T4) in colorectal cancer cell lines HCT 116 (APC wild type) and HT-29 (APC mutant), as well as the primary cultures of cancer cells derived from patients. Cell proliferation was evaluated with standard assay and proliferation marker expression. ß-Catenin activation was examined according to nuclear ß-catenin accumulation and ß-catenin target gene expression. The results showed that T4 increased colorectal cancer cell proliferation while cell number and viability were elevated by T4 in both established cell lines and primary cells. Moreover, the transcriptions of proliferative genes PCNA, CCND1, and c-Myc were enhanced by T4 in the primary cells. T4 induced nuclear ß-catenin accumulation, as well as high cyclin D1 and c-Myc levels compared to the untreated cells. In addition, the ß-catenin-directed transactivation of CCND1 and c-Myc promoters was also upregulated by T4. CTNNB1 transcription was raised by T4 in HCT 116, but not in HT-29, while the boosted ß-catenin levels were observed in both. Lastly, the T4-mediated gene expression could be averted by the knockdown of ß-catenin. These results suggested that T4 promotes ß-catenin activation and cell proliferation in colorectal cancer, indicating that an applicable therapeutic strategy should be considered.

The combination of tetraiodothyroacetic acid and cetuximab inhibits cell proliferation in colorectal cancers with different K-ras status.

Thyroid hormone induces cancer cell proliferation through its cell surface receptor integrin αvß3. Acting via integrin αvß3, the deaminated T4 analog tetraiodothyroacetic acid (tetrac), and its nanoparticle formulation nano-diamino-tetrac (NDAT) could inhibit cell proliferation and xenograft growth. In this study, we investigated the T4 effects on proliferation in colorectal cancer cell lines based on the proliferation marker expressions at both mRNA and protein levels. The effects of tetrac/NDAT, the monoclonal anti-EGFR antibody cetuximab, and their combinations on colorectal cancer cell proliferation were examined according to the relevant gene expression profiles and cell count analysis. The results showed that T4 significantly enhanced PCNA, Cyclin D1 and c-Myc levels in both K-ras wild type HT-29 and mutant HCT 116 cells. In HCT 116 cells, the combination of NDAT and cetuximab significantly suppressed the mRNA expressions of proliferative genes PCNA, Cyclin D1, c-Myc and RRM2 raised by T4 compared to cetuximab alone. In addition, T4-suppressed mRNA expressions of pro-apoptotic genes p53 and RRM2B could be significantly elevated by the combination of NDAT and cetuximab compared to cetuximab alone. In the K-ras mutant HCT 116 cells, but not in the K-ras wild type COLO 205 cells, the combinations of tetrac/NDAT and cetuximab significantly reduced cell proliferation compared to cetuximab alone. In conclusion, T4 promoted colorectal cancer cell proliferation which could be repressed by tetrac and NDAT. The combinations of tetrac/NDAT and cetuximab potentiated cetuximab actions in K-ras mutant colorectal cancer cells.

MicroRNA-21 expression and its pathogenetic significance in cutaneous melanoma.

Identification of prognostic biomarkers is timely for melanoma as clinicians seek ways to stratify patients for molecular therapy. MicroRNAs are promising as tissue biomarkers because they can be assayed directly from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded clinical samples. We previously reported that microRNA-21 (miR-21) was strongly expressed in melanoma relative to naevi and now sought to further assess the significance of this by assessing its relationship with its putative target, PTEN. Clinical melanoma samples were analysed by immunohistochemical analysis for PTEN, stem-loop qRT-PCR for miR-21 and PCR for BRAF/NRAS mutation status. Cell lines were investigated for the effect of anti-miR-21 on PTEN. A total of 81 clinical melanocytic tumour samples were investigated, with uniformly high PTEN expression in the nucleus and cytoplasm of naevi and with preferential loss of PTEN expression in the nucleus of melanoma cells. miR-21 expression was inversely associated with nuclear PTEN expression but not with cytoplasmic PTEN expression. An anti-miR-21 preferentially altered nuclear PTEN in melanoma cell lines. The presence of a BRAF or NRAS mutation had no significant effect on miR-21 expression. These data suggest miR-21 may exert an oncogenic effect in melanoma by favouring redistribution of PTEN to the nucleus.

Anti-proliferative and gene expression actions of resveratrol in breast cancer cells in vitro.

We have used a perfusion bellows cell culture system to investigate resveratrolinduced anti-proliferation/apoptosis in a human estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231). Using an injection system to perfuse media with stilbene, we showed resveratrol (0.5 - 100 µM) to decrease cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner. Comparison of influx and medium efflux resveratrol concentrations revealed rapid disappearance of the stilbene, consistent with cell uptake and metabolism of the agent reported by others. Exposure of cells to 10 µM resveratrol for 4 h daily × 6 d inhibited cell proliferation by more than 60%. Variable extracellular acid-alkaline conditions (pH 6.8 - 8.6) affected basal cell proliferation rate, but did not alter anti-proliferation induced by resveratrol. Resveratrol-induced gene expression, including transcription of the most up-regulated genes and pro-apoptotic p53-dependent genes, was not affected by culture pH changes. The microarray findings in the context of induction of anti-proliferation with brief daily exposure of cells to resveratrol-and rapid disappearance of the compound in the perfusion system-are consistent with existence of an accessible initiation site for resveratrol actions on tumor cells, e.g., the cell surface receptor for resveratrol described on integrin αvß3.