Circadian rhythms of macrophages are altered by the acidic tumor microenvironment.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are prime therapeutic targets due to their pro-tumorigenic functions, but varying efficacy of macrophage-targeting therapies highlights our incomplete understanding of how macrophages are regulated within the tumor microenvironment (TME). The circadian clock is a key regulator of macrophage function, but how circadian rhythms of macrophages are influenced by the TME remains unknown. Here, we show that conditions associated with the TME such as polarizing stimuli, acidic pH, and lactate can alter circadian rhythms in macrophages. While cyclic AMP (cAMP) has been reported to play a role in macrophage response to acidic pH, our results indicate pH-driven changes in circadian rhythms are not mediated solely by cAMP signaling. Remarkably, circadian disorder of TAMs was revealed by clock correlation distance analysis. Our data suggest that heterogeneity in circadian rhythms within the TAM population level may underlie this circadian disorder. Finally, we report that circadian regulation of macrophages suppresses tumor growth in a murine model of pancreatic cancer. Our work demonstrates a novel mechanism by which the TME influences macrophage biology through modulation of circadian rhythms.

MYC disrupts transcriptional and metabolic circadian oscillations in cancer and promotes enhanced biosynthesis.

The molecular circadian clock, which controls rhythmic 24-hour oscillation of genes, proteins, and metabolites in healthy tissues, is disrupted across many human cancers. Deregulated expression of the MYC oncoprotein has been shown to alter expression of molecular clock genes, leading to a disruption of molecular clock oscillation across cancer types. It remains unclear what benefit cancer cells gain from suppressing clock oscillation, and how this loss of molecular clock oscillation impacts global gene expression and metabolism in cancer. We hypothesized that MYC or its paralog N-MYC (collectively termed MYC herein) suppress oscillation of gene expression and metabolism to upregulate pathways involved in biosynthesis in a static, non-oscillatory fashion. To test this, cells from distinct cancer types with inducible MYC were examined, using time-series RNA-sequencing and metabolomics, to determine the extent to which MYC activation disrupts global oscillation of genes, gene expression pathways, and metabolites. We focused our analyses on genes, pathways, and metabolites that changed in common across multiple cancer cell line models. We report here that MYC disrupted over 85% of oscillating genes, while instead promoting enhanced ribosomal and mitochondrial biogenesis and suppressed cell attachment pathways. Notably, when MYC is activated, biosynthetic programs that were formerly circadian flipped to being upregulated in an oscillation-free manner. Further, activation of MYC ablates the oscillation of nutrient transporter proteins while greatly upregulating transporter expression, cell surface localization, and intracellular amino acid pools. Finally, we report that MYC disrupts metabolite oscillations and the temporal segregation of amino acid metabolism from nucleotide metabolism. Our results demonstrate that MYC disruption of the molecular circadian clock releases metabolic and biosynthetic processes from circadian control, which may provide a distinct advantage to cancer cells.

Redox Homeostasis in Thyroid Cancer: Implications in Na+/I- Symporter (NIS) Regulation.

Radioiodine therapy (RAI) is a standard and effective therapeutic approach for differentiated thyroid cancers (DTCs) based on the unique capacity for iodide uptake and accumulation of the thyroid gland through the Na+/I- symporter (NIS). However, around 5-15% of DTC patients may become refractory to radioiodine, which is associated with a worse prognosis. The loss of RAI avidity due to thyroid cancers is attributed to cell dedifferentiation, resulting in NIS repression by transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms. Targeting the signaling pathways potentially involved in this process to induce de novo iodide uptake in refractory tumors is the rationale of "redifferentiation strategies". Oxidative stress (OS) results from the imbalance between ROS production and depuration that favors a pro-oxidative environment, resulting from increased ROS production, decreased antioxidant defenses, or both. NIS expression and function are regulated by the cellular redox state in cancer and non-cancer contexts. In addition, OS has been implicated in thyroid tumorigenesis and thyroid cancer cell dedifferentiation. Here, we review the main aspects of redox homeostasis in thyrocytes and discuss potential ROS-dependent mechanisms involved in NIS repression in thyroid cancer.

Circadian rhythms of macrophages are altered by the acidic pH of the tumor microenvironment.

Macrophages are prime therapeutic targets due to their pro-tumorigenic and immunosuppressive functions in tumors, but the varying efficacy of therapeutic approaches targeting macrophages highlights our incomplete understanding of how the tumor microenvironment (TME) can influence regulation of macrophages. The circadian clock is a key internal regulator of macrophage function, but how circadian rhythms of macrophages may be influenced by the tumor microenvironment remains unknown. We found that conditions associated with the TME such as polarizing stimuli, acidic pH, and elevated lactate concentrations can each alter circadian rhythms in macrophages. Circadian rhythms were enhanced in pro-resolution macrophages but suppressed in pro-inflammatory macrophages, and acidic pH had divergent effects on circadian rhythms depending on macrophage phenotype. While cyclic AMP (cAMP) has been reported to play a role in macrophage response to acidic pH, our results indicate that pH-driven changes in circadian rhythms are not mediated solely by the cAMP signaling pathway. Remarkably, clock correlation distance analysis of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) revealed evidence of circadian disorder in TAMs. This is the first report providing evidence that circadian rhythms of macrophages are altered within the TME. Our data further suggest that heterogeneity in circadian rhythms at the population level may underlie this circadian disorder. Finally, we sought to determine how circadian regulation of macrophages impacts tumorigenesis, and found that tumor growth was suppressed when macrophages had a functional circadian clock. Our work demonstrates a novel mechanism by which the tumor microenvironment can influence macrophage biology through altering circadian rhythms, and the contribution of circadian rhythms in macrophages to suppressing tumor growth.

Catabolism of extracellular glutathione supplies amino acids to support tumor growth.

Restricting amino acids from tumors is an emerging therapeutic strategy with significant promise. While typically considered an intracellular antioxidant with tumor-promoting capabilities, glutathione (GSH) is a tripeptide of cysteine, glutamate, and glycine that can be catabolized, yielding amino acids. The extent to which GSH-derived amino acids are essential to cancers is unclear. Here, we find that GSH catabolism promotes tumor growth. We show that depletion of intracellular GSH does not perturb tumor growth, and extracellular GSH is highly abundant in the tumor microenvironment, highlighting the potential importance of GSH outside of tumors. We find supplementation with GSH can rescue cancer cell survival and growth in cystine-deficient conditions, and this rescue is dependent on the catabolic activity of γ-glutamyltransferases (GGTs). Finally, pharmacologic targeting of GGTs' activity prevents the breakdown of circulating GSH, lowers tumor cysteine levels, and slows tumor growth. Our findings indicate a non-canonical role for GSH in supporting tumors by acting as a reservoir of amino acids. Depriving tumors of extracellular GSH or inhibiting its breakdown is potentially a therapeutically tractable approach for patients with cancer. Further, these findings change our view of GSH and how amino acids, including cysteine, are supplied to cells.

Do macrophages follow the beat of circadian rhythm in TIME (Tumor Immune Microenvironment)?

Advances in cancer research have made clear the critical role of the immune response in clearing tumors. This breakthrough in scientific understanding was heralded by the success of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies such as anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/ programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4), as well as the success of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells in treating liquid tumors. Thus, much effort has been made to further understand the role of the immune response in tumor progression, and how we may target it to treat cancer. Macrophages are a component of the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) that can promote tumor growth both indirectly, by suppressing T cell responses necessary for tumor killing, as well as directly, through deposition of extracellular matrix and promotion of angiogenesis. Thus, understanding regulation of macrophages within the tumor microenvironment (TME) is key to targeting them for immunotherapy. However, circadian rhythms (24-hour cycles) are a fundamental aspect of macrophage biology that have yet to be investigated for their role in macrophage-mediated suppression of the anti-tumor immune response Circadian rhythms regulate macrophage-mediated immune responses through time-of-day-dependent regulation of macrophage function. A better understanding of the circadian biology of macrophages in the context of the TME may allow us to exploit synergy between existing and upcoming treatments and circadian regulation of immunity.

MYC disrupts transcriptional and metabolic circadian oscillations in cancer and promotes enhanced biosynthesis.

The molecular circadian clock, which controls rhythmic 24-hour oscillation of genes, proteins, and metabolites in healthy tissues, is disrupted across many human cancers. Deregulated expression of the MYC oncoprotein has been shown to alter expression of molecular clock genes, leading to a disruption of molecular clock oscillation across cancer types. It remains unclear what benefit cancer cells gain from suppressing clock oscillation, and how this loss of molecular clock oscillation impacts global gene expression and metabolism in cancer. We hypothesized that MYC or its paralog N-MYC (collectively termed MYC herein) suppress oscillation of gene expression and metabolism to upregulate pathways involved in biosynthesis in a static, non-oscillatory fashion. To test this, cells from distinct cancer types with inducible MYC were examined, using time-series RNA-sequencing and metabolomics, to determine the extent to which MYC activation disrupts global oscillation of genes, gene expression pathways, and metabolites. We focused our analyses on genes, pathways, and metabolites that changed in common across multiple cancer cell line models. We report here that MYC disrupted over 85% of oscillating genes, while instead promoting enhanced ribosomal and mitochondrial biogenesis and suppressed cell attachment pathways. Notably, when MYC is activated, biosynthetic programs that were formerly circadian flipped to being upregulated in an oscillation-free manner. Further, activation of MYC ablates the oscillation of nutrient transporter proteins while greatly upregulating transporter expression, cell surface localization, and intracellular amino acid pools. Finally, we report that MYC disrupts metabolite oscillations and the temporal segregation of amino acid metabolism from nucleotide metabolism. Our results demonstrate that MYC disruption of the molecular circadian clock releases metabolic and biosynthetic processes from circadian control, which may provide a distinct advantage to cancer cells.

COVID-19 and thyroid function: What do we know so far?

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was characterized as a pandemic in March, 2020 by the World Health Organization. COVID-19 is a respiratory syndrome that can progress to acute respiratory distress syndrome, multiorgan dysfunction, and eventually death. Despite being considered a respiratory disease, it is known that other organs and systems can be affected in COVID-19, including the thyroid gland. Thyroid gland, as well as hypothalamus and pituitary, which regulate the functioning of most endocrine glands, express angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the main protein that functions as a receptor to which SARS-CoV-2 binds to enter host cells. In addition, thyroid gland is extremely sensitive to changes in body homeostasis and metabolism. Immune system cells are targets for thyroid hormones and T3 and T4 modulate specific immune responses, including cell-mediated immunity, natural killer cell activity, the antiviral action of interferon (IFN) and proliferation of T- and B-lymphocytes. However, studies show that patients with controlled hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism do not have a higher prevalence of COVID-19, nor do they have a worse prognosis when infected with the virus. On the other hand, retrospective observational studies, prospective studies, and case reports published in the last two years reported abnormal thyroid function related to acute SARS-CoV-2 infection or even several weeks after its resolution. Indeed, a variety of thyroid disorders have been documented in COVID-19 patients, including non-thyroidal illness syndrome (NTIS), subacute thyroiditis and thyrotoxicosis. In addition, thyroid disease has already been reported as a consequence of the administration of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. Overall, the data revealed that abnormal thyroid function may occur during and in the convalescence post-COVID condition phase. Although the cellular and molecular mechanisms are not completely understood, the evidence suggests that the "cytokine storm" is an important mediator in this context. Thus, future studies are needed to better investigate the pathophysiology of thyroid dysfunction induced by COVID-19 at both molecular and clinical levels.

A novel role for AMP-kinase in the regulation of the Na+/I--symporter and iodide uptake in the rat thyroid gland.

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of AMP-kinase (AMPK) in the regulation of iodide uptake by the thyroid gland. Iodide uptake was assessed in PCCL3 follicular thyroid cells exposed to the AMPK agonist 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-ribonucleoside (AICAR), and also in rat thyroid glands 24 h after a single intraperitoneal injection of AICAR. In PCCL3 cells, AICAR-induced AMPK and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) phosphorylation decreased iodide uptake in a concentration-dependent manner, while the AMPK inhibitor compound C prevented this effect. In the thyroid gland of rats injected with AICAR, AMPK and ACC phosphorylation was increased and iodide uptake was reduced by ~35%. Under conditions of increased AMPK phosphorylation/activation such as TSH deprivation or AICAR treatment, significant reductions in cellular Na(+)/I(-)-symporter (NIS) protein (~41%) and mRNA content (~65%) were observed. The transcriptional (actinomycin D) and translational (cycloheximide) inhibitors, as well as the AMPK inhibitor compound C prevented AICAR-induced reduction of NIS protein content in PCCL3 cells. The presence of TSH in the culture medium reduced AMPK phosphorylation in PCCL3 cells, while inhibition of protein kinase A (PKA) with H89 prevented this effect. Conversely, the adenylyl cyclase activator forskolin abolished the AMPK phosphorylation response induced by TSH withdrawal in PCCL3 cells. These findings demonstrate that TSH suppresses AMPK phosphorylation/activation in a cAMP-PKA-dependent manner. In summary, we provide novel evidence that AMPK is involved in the physiological regulation of iodide uptake, which is an essential step for the formation of thyroid hormones as well as for the regulation of thyroid function.

The flavonoid quercetin reduces cell migration and increases NIS and E-cadherin mRNA in the human thyroid cancer cell line BCPAP.

Thyroid cancer is the most frequent cancer of the endocrine system. Most patients are treated with thyroidectomy followed by radioiodine therapy. However, in part of the patients, a reduction of the sodium-iodide symporter (NIS) occurs, rendering radioiodine therapy ineffective. Moreover, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) may occur, leading to more aggressive and invasive features. Herein, we evaluated the effect of the flavonoid quercetin on EMT and NIS expression in BCPAP, a papillary thyroid carcinoma cell line. BCPAP was treated with 100 µM quercetin for 24 h and cell viability, apoptosis, EMT markers and NIS were evaluated. Quercetin decreased cell viability by enhancing apoptosis. The flavonoid also reduced matrix metalloproteinase 9 and increased E-cadherin mRNA levels, inhibiting BCPAP adhesion and migration. Additionally, quercetin increased NIS expression and function. Thus, our results suggest that quercetin could be useful as adjuvant in thyroid cancer therapy, inducing apoptosis, reducing invasion and increasing the efficacy of radioiodine therapy.

Congenital hypothyroidism and thyroid cancer.

Differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) combined with congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is a rare situation, and there is no well-established causal relationship. CH is a common congenital endocrine, while DTC occurring in childhood represents 0.4-3% of all malignancies at this stage of life. The association of CH with DTC could be related to dyshormonogenetic goiter (DHG) or developmental abnormalities. This review will explore the clinical features and the molecular mechanisms potentially associated with the appearance of DTC in CH: sporadic somatic driver mutations, chronic increase of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels, higher concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), cell division cycle associated 8 (Borelain/CDC8) gene mutations, and in others genes associated with CH - either alone or associated with the mechanisms involved in dyshormonogenesis. There are some pitfalls in the diagnosis of thyroid cancer in patients with CH with nodular goiter, as the proper cytological diagnosis of nodules of patients with dyshormonogenesis might be demanding due to the specific architectural and cytological appearance, which may lead to an erroneous interpretation of malignancy. The purpose of this article is to suggest an analytical framework that embraces the fundamental relationships between the various aspects of CH and CDT. In face of this scenario, the entire genetic and epigenetic context, the complex functioning, and cross talk of cell signaling may determine cellular mechanisms promoting both the maintenance of the differentiated state of the thyroid follicular cell and the disruption of its homeostasis leading to cancer. Whereas, the exact mechanisms for thyroid cancer development in CH remain to be elucidated.

Conformation of the N-Terminal Ectodomain Elicits Different Effects on DUOX Function: A Potential Impact on Congenital Hypothyroidism Caused by a H2O2 Production Defect.

BACKGROUND: Dual oxidases (DUOX1 and DUOX2) were initially identified as H2O2 sources involved in thyroid hormone synthesis. Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) resulting from inactivating mutations in the DUOX2 gene highlighted that DUOX2 is the major H2O2 provider to thyroperoxidase. The role of DUOX1 in the thyroid remains unknown. A recent study suggests that it could compensate for DUOX2 deficiency in CH. Both DUOX enzymes and their respective maturation factors DUOXA1 and DUOXA2 form a stable complex at the cell surface, which is fundamental for their enzymatic activity. Recently, intra- and intermolecular disulfide bridges were identified that are essential for the structure and the function of the DUOX2-DUOXA2 complex. This study investigated the involvement of cysteine residues conserved in DUOX1 toward the formation of disulfide bridges, which could be important for the function of the DUOX1DUOXA1 complex. METHODS: To analyze the role of these cysteine residues in both the targeting and function of dual oxidase, different human DUOX1 mutants were constructed, where the cysteine residues were replaced with glycine. The effect of these mutations on cell surface expression and H2O2-generating activity of the DUOX1-DUOXA1 complex was analyzed. RESULTS: Mutations of two cysteine residues (C118 and C1165), involved in the formation of the intramolecular disulfide bridge between the N-terminal ectodomain and one of the extracellular loops, mildly altered the function and the targeting of DUOX1, while this bridge is crucial for DUOX2 function. Unlike DUOXA2, with respect to DUOX2, the stability of the maturation factor DUOXA1 is not dependent on the oxidative folding of DUOX1. Only mutation of C579 induced a strong alteration of both targeting and function of the oxidase by preventing the covalent interaction between DUOX1 and DUOXA1. CONCLUSION: An intermolecular disulfide bridge rather than an intramolecular disulfide bridge is important for both the trafficking and H2O2-generating activity of the DUOX1-DUOXA1 complex.

NADPH Oxidase NOX4 Is a Critical Mediator of BRAFV600E-Induced Downregulation of the Sodium/Iodide Symporter in Papillary Thyroid Carcinomas.

AIMS: The BRAFV600E oncogene, reported in 40%-60% of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), has an important role in the pathogenesis of PTC. It is associated with the loss of thyroid iodide-metabolizing genes, such as sodium/iodide symporter (NIS), and therefore with radioiodine refractoriness. Inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, constitutively activated by BRAFV600E, is not always efficient in resistant tumors suggesting that other compensatory mechanisms contribute to a BRAFV600E adaptive resistance. Recent studies pointed to a key role of transforming growth factor ß (TGF-ß) in BRAFV600E-induced effects. The reactive oxygen species (ROS)-generating NADPH oxidase NOX4, which is increased in PTC, has been identified as a new key effector of TGF-ß in cancer, suggestive of a potential role in BRAFV600E-induced thyroid tumors. RESULTS: Here, using two human BRAFV600E-mutated thyroid cell lines and a rat thyroid cell line expressing BRAFV600E in a conditional manner, we show that NOX4 upregulation is controlled at the transcriptional level by the oncogene via the TGF-ß/Smad3 signaling pathway. Importantly, treatment of cells with NOX4-targeted siRNA downregulates BRAFV600E-induced NIS repression. Innovation and Conclusion: Our results establish a link between BRAFV600E and NOX4, which is confirmed by a comparative analysis of NOX4 expression in human (TCGA) and mouse thyroid cancers. Remarkably, analysis of human and murine BRAFV600E-mutated thyroid tumors highlights that the level of NOX4 expression is inversely correlated to thyroid differentiation suggesting that other genes involved in thyroid differentiation in addition to NIS might be silenced by a mechanism controlled by NOX4-derived ROS. This study opens a new opportunity to optimize thyroid cancer therapy. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 26, 864-877.

5'-AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Regulates Papillary (TPC-1 and BCPAP) Thyroid Cancer Cell Survival, Migration, Invasion, and Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition.

BACKGROUND: Differentiated thyroid carcinomas (DTC) are associated with a good prognosis and a high survival rate. However, tumor recurrence occurs in approximately 20-30% of DTC patients, reinforcing the importance of identifying new molecular targets for cancer management. It has been shown that the 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is over-activated in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). This study aimed to investigate the effects of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-ribonucleoside (AICAR), an AMPK activator, on various aspects of thyroid cancer cell behavior, including cell survival, apoptosis, migration, invasion, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), in the human thyroid cancer cell lines BCPAP and TPC-1. METHODS: BCPAP and TPC-1 cells were cultivated in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium, and the non-tumor-derived cell line Nthy-ORI was grown in RPMI. Cells were treated or not with AICAR for different periods of time. The cell growth rate, cell cycle phase, apoptosis, cell migration, and invasion were analyzed using transwell inserts, and EMT was quantified by the expression of mesenchymal and epithelial markers. RESULTS: AMPK is activated in thyroid cancer cell lines, and AICAR treatment further increased AMPK phosphorylation. After 48 hours of AICAR treatment, the percentage of cells in the G2/M phase decreased, and a G0/G1-phase arrest was induced in both cell lines. AMPK activation effectively induced apoptosis in the BCPAP and TPC-1 cancer cell lines, while no apoptosis induction was observed in Nthy-ORI cells. AICAR also reduced the migration of Nthy-ORI and BCPAP cells by 30% and approximately 60% in TPC-1 cells. AICAR had no effect on cell invasion in Nthy-ORI and TPC-1 cells, but a significant reduction of cell invasion was observed in BCPAP cells. AICAR induced a significant reduction of N-cadherin and no changes in the expression of vimentin or TCF/Zeb1 protein in BCPAP cells. No differences in the expression of EMT markers were found in the AICAR-treated Nthy-ORI cells. A remarkable reduction of vimentin, TCF/Zeb1, and N-cadherin protein expression was detected in the TPC-1 cells. CONCLUSIONS: Increased activation of AMPK in PTC cell lines leads to a strong antitumor response, as measured by the inhibition of cell proliferation, cell migration, and induction of cell death. AMPK activation also reverses EMT in TPC-1 cells.

Differential glycolytic profile and Warburg effect in papillary thyroid carcinoma cell lines.

Acceleration of glycolysis is a characteristic of neoplasia. Previous studies have shown that a metabolic shift occurs in many tumors and correlates with a negative prognosis. The present study aimed to investigate the glycolytic profile of thyroid carcinoma cell lines. We investigated glycolytic and oxidative parameters of two thyroid carcinoma papillary cell lines (BCPAP and TPC1) and the non-tumor cell line NTHY-ori. All carcinoma cell lines showed higher rates of glycolysis efficiency, when compared to NTHY-ori, as assessed by a higher rate of glucose consumption and lactate production. The BCPAP cell line presented higher rates of growth, as well as elevated intracellular ATP levels, compared to the TPC1 and NTHY-ori cells. We found that glycolysis and activities of pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) regulatory enzymes were significantly different among the carcinoma cell lines, particularly in the mitochondrial hexokinase (HK) activity which was higher in the BCPAP cells than that in the TPC1 cell line which showed a balanced distribution of HK activity between cytoplasmic and mitochondrial subcellular localizations. However, TPC1 had higher levels of glucose­6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity, suggesting that the PPP is elevated in this cell type. Using high resolution respirometry, we observed that the Warburg effect was present in the BCPAP and TPC1 cells, characterized by low oxygen consumption and high reactive oxygen species production. Overall, these results indicate that both thyroid papillary carcinoma cell lines showed a glycolytic profile. Of note, BCPAP cells presented some relevant differences in cell metabolism compared to TPC1 cells, mainly related to higher mitochondrial-associated HK activity.

Redox homeostasis of breast cancer lineages contributes to differential cell death response to exogenous hydrogen peroxide.

AIMS: Cancer cells produce higher amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) than their normal counterparts. It has been suggested that a further increase in ROS concentration in these cells would lead to oxidative damage-driven death. Thus, we aimed to understand how the intra- and extracellular redox homeostasis differences set cell death response to ROS in breast cancer cell lines. MAIN METHODS: Intra- and extracellular ROS generation was evaluated in tumoral (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) and non-tumoral (MCF10A) breast epithelial cells, as well as H2O2 concentration in the culture medium, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), total superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activities, extracellular H2O2 scavenging capacity and total thiol content. Cell viability was determined after H2O2 exposure using the MTT assay. KEY FINDINGS: We have found an increased extracellular ROS production in tumor cells when compared to the non-tumoral lineage. MCF10A cells had higher H2O2 concentration in the extracellular medium. Moreover, extracellular H2O2-scavenging activity was higher in MDA-MB-231 when compared to MCF10A and MCF-7. Regarding intracellular antioxidant activity, a lower GPx activity in tumor cell lines and a higher catalase activity in MDA-MB-231 were observed. Thiol content was lower in MDA-MB-231. Additionally, tumor cell lines were more sensitive to H2O2 exposure than the non-tumoral cells. SIGNIFICANCE: The present report shows that the capability to generate and metabolize ROS differ greatly among the breast cancer cell lines, thus suggesting that redox balance is finely regulated during carcinogenesis. Therefore, our data suggest that therapeutic approaches targeting the redox status might be useful in the treatment of breast tumors.

AMP-activated protein kinase signaling is upregulated in papillary thyroid cancer.

UNLABELLED: AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is activated by the depletion in cellular energy levels and allows adaptive changes in cell metabolism and cell survival. Recently, our group described that AMPK plays an important role in the regulation of iodide and glucose uptake in thyroid cells. However, AMPK signaling pathway in human thyroid carcinomas has not been investigated so far. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the expression and activity of AMPK in papillary thyroid carcinomas. METHODS: We examined total and phosphorylated AMPK (tAMPK and pAMPK) and phosphorylated acetyl-CoA-carboxylase (pACC) expressions through imunohistochemistry, using a tissue microarray block composed of 73 papillary thyroid carcinomas (PAP CA) or microcarcinomas (PAP MCA) and six adenoma (AD) samples from patients followed at the Federal University Hospital. The expression levels were compared with the non-neoplastic tissues from the same patient. Two different pathologists analyzed the samples and attributed scores of staining intensity and the proportion of stained cells. A total index was obtained by multiplying the values of intensity and the proportion of stained cells (INTxPROP). RESULTS: tAMPK, pAMPK, and pACC showed a predominant cytoplasmic staining in papillary carcinomas, adenomas, and non-neoplastic thyroid tissues. However, the intensity and the proportion of stained cells were higher in carcinomas, so that a significant increase was found in the INTxPROP score both in PAP CA and PAP MCA, when compared with their respective controls. CONCLUSION: Our results show unequivocally that AMPK pathway is highly activated in papillary thyroid carcinomas; however, more studies are necessary to understand the pathophysiological significance of AMPK activation in thyroid carcinogenesis.

AMP-activated protein kinase upregulates glucose uptake in thyroid PCCL3 cells independent of thyrotropin.

BACKGROUND: Glucose is transported into cells by specific glucose transporter proteins (GLUTs) that are widely expressed in a tissue-specific manner. The mechanisms that regulate glucose uptake and metabolism in thyroid cells are poorly defined. Recently, our group showed that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) plays a pivotal role in the rat thyroid gland, downregulating iodide uptake by thyroid cells even in the presence of its main stimulator thyrotropin (TSH). Since AMPK increases glucose uptake in different tissues, and taken into consideration that in pathophysiological conditions such as thyroid cancer a negative correlation between iodide and glucose uptake occurs, we hypothesized that AMPK might modulate glucose uptake in thyroid cells. METHODS: Rat follicular thyroid PCCL3 cells cultivated in Ham's F-12 supplemented with 5% calf serum and hormones were exposed to the AMPK pharmacological activator 5-aminoimidazole-4 carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAR) or AMPK antagonist compound C for 24 hours either in the presence or absence of TSH. Glucose uptake was assessed in vitro using 2-deoxy-D-[(3)H]glucose. RESULTS: AMPK activation by AICAR induced a significant increase in glucose uptake by PCCL3 cells, an effect that was completely reversed by the AMPK inhibitor compound C. Also, the AICAR mediated increase in glucose uptake was detected either in the presence or absence of TSH. The mechanism by which AICAR increases glucose uptake is related to higher levels of GLUT 1 protein content and hexokinase (HK) activity in thyroid cells. CONCLUSION: Our results show that AMPK activation significantly upregulates GLUT 1 content and glucose uptake, and it also stimulates hexokinase activity, the first step of glycolysis.