Pitavastatin Induces Apoptosis of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells through Geranylgeranyl Pyrophosphate-Dependent c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase Activation.
Ann Dermatol
; 35(2): 116-123, 2023 Apr.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37041705
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Pitavastatin is a cholesterol-lowering drug and is widely used clinically. In addition to this effect, pitavastatin has shown the potential to induce apoptosis in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cells.OBJECTIVE:
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects and possible action mechanisms of pitavastatin.METHODS:
SCC cells (SCC12 and SCC13 cells) were treated with pitavastatin, and induction of apoptosis was confirmed by Western blot. To examine whether pitavastatin-induced apoptosis is related to a decrease in the amount of intermediate mediators in the cholesterol synthesis pathway, the changes in pitavastatin-induced apoptosis after supplementation with mevalonate, squalene, geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP) and dolichol were investigated.RESULTS:
Pitavastatin dose-dependently induced apoptosis of cutaneous SCC cells, but the viability of normal keratinocytes was not affected by pitavastatin at the same concentrations. In supplementation experiments, pitavastatin-induced apoptosis was inhibited by the addition of mevalonate or downstream metabolite GGPP. As a result of examining the effect on intracellular signaling, pitavastatin decreased Yes1 associated transcriptional regulator and Ras homolog family member A and increased Rac family small GTPase 1 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activity. All these effects of pitavastatin on signaling molecules were restored when supplemented with either mevalonate or GGPP. Furthermore, pitavastatin-induced apoptosis of cutaneous SCC cells was inhibited by a JNK inhibitor.CONCLUSION:
These results suggest that pitavastatin induces apoptosis of cutaneous SCC cells through GGPP-dependent JNK activation.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Language:
En
Journal:
Ann Dermatol
Year:
2023
Document type:
Article