Effects of caloric restriction and low glycemic index diets associated with metformin on glucose metabolism and cortisol response in overweight/obese subjects: a case series study.

BACKGROUND: To determine whether cortisol secretion and glucocorticoid receptors in lymphocytes and monocytes are altered in patients with impaired glucose tolerance, and whether treatment with a hypocaloric diet and metformin could interfere with these aspects. METHODS: This is an analytical, interventional, case series study. Patients with impaired glucose tolerance were included. They received 500 mg of metformin twice daily and followed a low glycemic index diet for 16 weeks. Cortisol levels were assessed at 8:00 A.M. before and after use of 0.25 mg of dexamethasone at 11:00 P.M. the day before. RESULTS: Sixteen subjects (9 men) were included. Normal basal levels of cortisol and adequate responses to the low dose of dexamethasone were observed before and after treatment. There was no significant correlation between the parameters evaluated and cortisol levels. Nevertheless, there was a strong correlation between the number of glucocorticoid receptors, BMI (r = 0.88; p = 0.02), and insulin AUC (r = 0.94; p = 0.005) before treatment; after treatment, all these associations ceased to exist. CONCLUSION: The cortisol secretion remained normal in the group of patients with impaired glucose tolerance. Treatment with metformin and diet did not change this condition. However, glucocorticoid receptor number had a strong correlation with insulin, due to insulin resistance, but this characteristic was lost after treatment.

Ozarelix, a fourth generation GnRH antagonist, induces apoptosis in hormone refractory androgen receptor negative prostate cancer cells modulating expression and activity of death receptors.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Antagonistic or agonistic analogues of gonadotropin-releasing hormone are extensively used for the treatment of advanced hormone-dependent prostate cancer. However, the majority of recurrent prostate tumors is androgen independent. This study explored the in vitro effects on DU145 and PC3 cell lines, two models of androgen-independent prostate cancer, of a fourth generation GnRH antagonist (Ozarelix). METHODS: Ozarelix was added to cultures and toxicity, cell cycle modifications, cell viability and caspase activity were investigated. RESULTS: Ozarelix showed antiproliferative effects and produced an accumulation of cells in G2/M cell cycle phase. Apoptosis was related with caspase-8-dependent caspase 3 activation with down-regulation of c-FLIP (L) and a sensitization to TRAIL-induced apoptosis linked also to increased expression and activity of death receptors DR4/5 and Fas. CONCLUSIONS: TRAIL-resistant cancer cells can be sensitized to TRAIL by Ozarelix. This effect may be achieved by the activation of apoptotic pathway improving the therapeutic effects in androgen independent tumor cell lines. However, a better understanding of molecular mechanisms by which GnRH antagonists may act in androgen independent models is necessary.

Estrogen receptor beta and the progression of prostate cancer: role of 5alpha-androstane-3beta,17beta-diol.

Prostate cancer (PC) develops in response to an abnormal activation of androgen receptor induced by circulating androgens and, in its initial stages, is pharmacologically controlled by androgen blockade. However, androgen ablation therapy often allows androgen-independent PC development, generally characterized by increased invasiveness. We previously reported that 5alpha-androstane-3beta,17beta-diol (3beta-Adiol) inhibits the migration of PC cell lines via the estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta) activation. Here, by combining in vitro assays and in vivo imaging approaches, we analyzed the effects of 3beta-Adiol on PC proliferation, migration, invasiveness, and metastasis in cultured cells and in xenografts using luciferase-labeled PC3 (PC3-Luc) cells. We found that 3beta-Adiol not only inhibits PC3-Luc cell migratory properties, but also induces a broader anti-tumor phenotype by decreasing the proliferation rate, increasing cell adhesion, and reducing invasive capabilities in vitro. All these 3beta-Adiol activities are mediated by ERbeta and cannot be reproduced by the physiological estrogen, 17beta-estradiol, suggesting the existence of different pathways activated by the two ERbeta ligands in PC3-Luc cells. In vivo, continuous administration of 3beta-Adiol reduces growth of established tumors and counteracts metastasis formation when PC3-Luc cells are engrafted s.c. in nude mice or are orthotopically injected into the prostate. Since 3beta-Adiol has no androgenic activity, and cannot be converted to androgenic compounds, the effects here described entail a novel potential application of this agent against human PC.

Biologia de neurônios hipotalâmicos produtores do hormônio liberador das gonadotrofinas: novas informações sobre o uso das células imortalizadas secretoras desse hormônio / Biology of hypothalamic neurons producing gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH): new information on the use of immortalized cells secreting GnRH

O estudo dos neurônios que produzem o hormônio liberador das gonadotrofinas (GnRH), hormônio hipotalámico que estimula a secreção, das gonadotrofinas hipofisárias, tem recebido vigoroso impulso com a disponibilidade das células imortalizadas, que especificamente sintetizam e secretam o hormônio em questão. Duas são as linhas celulares obtidas por tumorigênese induzida em camundongos transgênicos: 1) as células GT1 (com os seus subclones GT1-1, GT1-3, GT1-7) e 2) as células GN (com os seus subclones GN10, GN11, NLT). As células GT1 foram derivadas de um tumor hipotalâmico. Pode-se constatar que elas são dotadas de propriedades dos neurônios maduros secretores de GnRH, que completaram o seu trajeto da sua sede de origem, o placóide olfatório, até a sua sede definitiva, o hipotálamo, e já perderam a capacidade de mover-se. Por essas características, as células GT1 são utilizadas sobretudo para o estudo das propriedades secretórias dos neurônios que produzem o GnRH e para identificar os sinais que ali chegam. Pode-se assim evidenciar uma série de receptores, que, ativados pelos seus ligantes (neurotransmissores, hormônios, fatores de crescimento), modulam a síntese e a secreção do GnRH. As células GN foram retiradas de um tumor do bulbo olfatório, portanto, elas são consideradas mais semelhantes aos neurônios imaturos secretores de GnRH que ainda estão desenvolvendo o processo de migração do placóide olfatório até o hipotálamo. Desse modo, tais células são utilizadas sobretudo para identificar e caracterizar os fatores que possam influenciar os processos de migração dos neurônios que produzem o GnRH. Em particular, pode-se constatar que a motilidade dos neurônios secretores desse hormônio é estimulada pela anosmina, a proteína codificada pelo gene KAL1, que, nas suas formas mutantes, ocasiona o hipogonadismo hipogonadotrófico conhecido como a síndrome de Kallmann, por alguns fatores de crescimento (fator de crescimento de fibroblasto, fator de crescimento...

The study of the neurons secreting the gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH), the hypothalamic hormone stimulating the release of pituitary gonadotropins, has been potentiated by the development of immortalized cells that specifically synthetize and secrete GnRH. Two cell lines have been obtained by targeted tumorigenesis in transgenic mice: 1) the GT1 cells (with GT1-1, GT1-3 and GT1-7 subclones), and 2) the GN cells (with the GN10, GN11 and NLT subclones). GT1 cells have been obtained from a hypothalamic tumor and exhibit the properties of fully mature GnRH secreting neurons after they reached their final destination in the hypothalamus starting from the olfactory placode. Because of their characteristics GT1 cells have been mainly utilized to investigate the secretory properties of GnRH neurons and to identify the inputs modulating their activity. By this way a consistent number of receptors responding to specific ligands (neurotransmitters, hormones, growth factors) controlling GnRH synthesis and secretion has been identified. GN cells have been derived from a tumor of the olfactory bulb and are considered to replicate the properties of immature GnRH secreting neurons still retaining the capacity of moving. Consequently these cells are used to identify and characterize the factors influencing the migratory process of GnRH neurons from the olfactory placode to the hypothalamus. It has been found that factors stimulating GnRH neuron motility include anosmin, the protein encoded by the KAL1 gene, whose mutations lead to the form of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism known as Kallmann’s syndrome, growth factors such as fibroblast growth factor, hepatocyte growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor, and cytoskeleton associated proteins (stathmin). On the contrary GABA agonists and glucocorticoids depress GN cells motility. As a whole the findings reported in this review seem particularly important to provide further information on the central...

Expression and differential effects of the activation of glucocorticoid receptors in mouse gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons.

Prenatal exposure of rodents to glucocorticoids (Gc) affects the sexual development of the offspring, possibly interfering with the differentiation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Glucocorticoid receptors (GR) are present on gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons in the rat hypothalamus, suggesting a direct effect of Gc in the control of the synthesis and/or release of the hormone. In this study, we demonstrate the colocalization of immunoreactive GR with GnRH in a subpopulation of mouse hypothalamic GnRH neurons, confirming the possible involvement of Gc in mouse GnRH neuronal physiology. Receptor-binding assay, RT-PCR, immunocytochemistry, and immunoblotting experiments carried out in GN11 immortalized GnRH neurons show the presence of GR even in the more immature mouse GnRH neurons and confirm the expression of GR in GT1-7 mature GnRH cells. In GN11 cells, the activation of GR with dexamethasone produces nuclear translocation, but does not lead to the inhibition of GnRH gene expression already reported in GT1-7 cells. Long-term exposure of GN11 cells to dexamethasone induces an epithelial-like phenotype with a reorganization of F-actin in stress fibers. Finally, we found that Gc treatment significantly decreases the migratory activity in vitro and the levels of phosphorylated focal adhesion kinase of GN11 immature neurons. In conclusion, these data indicate that GR are expressed in mouse hypothalamic GnRH neurons in vivo as well as in the immature GN11 GnRH neurons in vitro. Moreover, the effects of the GR activation in GN11 and in GT1-7 cells may be related to the neuronal maturational stage of the two cell lines, suggesting a differential role of Gc in neuronal development.

Characterization of prostate cancer DU145 cells expressing the recombinant androgen receptor.

Prostate cancer (PC) develops as a consequence of abnormal androgenic stimulation. Unfortunately, most of the PC cell lines are androgen independent (like DU145), or express mutated forms of androgen receptor (AR). We have produced and characterized a new stably transfected PC line expressing the AR (DU145-AR). Untreated DU145-AR cells showed a lower proliferation rate than mock transfected cells, but responded to testosterone treatment. PSA mRNA, undetectable in mock DU145 cells, was present and upregulated by testosterone in DU145-AR. About 5% of DU 145-AR cells showed modification of morphology and enriched of f-actin after testosterone treatment. Moreover, in DU145-AR plasminogen activator (PA) activity and secreted urokinase type plasminogen activator (uPA) protein were lower than in AR negative cells; again testosterone induced PA activity and uPA protein only in DU145-AR. These results indicate that, in general, the effects of unactivated AR is to suppress function(s) in DU145 cells and the addition of testosterone restores the normal properties associated with the untransfected cells. Some of the effects described may thus be mediated by a ligand-independent activation of AR in DU145 cells.