Dataset Information

Antitumor activity of phenethyl isothiocyanate in HER2-positive breast cancer models.

ABSTRACT:

Background

HER2 is an oncogene, expression of which leads to poor prognosis in 30% of breast cancer patients. Although trastuzumab is apparently an effective therapy against HER2-positive tumors, its systemic toxicity and resistance in the majority of patients restricts its applicability. In this study we evaluated the effects of phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) in HER2-positive breast cancer cells.

Methods

MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 breast cancer cells stably transfected with HER2 (high HER2 (HH)) were used in this study. The effect of PEITC was evaluated using cytotoxicity and apoptosis assay in these syngeneic cells. Western blotting was used to delineate HER2 signaling. SCID/NOD mice were implanted with MDA-MB-231 (HH) xenografts.

Results

Our results show that treatment of MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells with varying concentrations of PEITC for 24 h extensively reduced the survival of the cells with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 8 ?M in MDA-MB-231 and 14 ?M in MCF-7 cells. PEITC treatment substantially decreased the expression of HER2, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) at Tyr-705. The expression of BCL-2-associated × (BAX) and BIM proteins were increased, whereas the levels of B cell lymphoma-extra large (BCL-XL) and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) were significantly decreased in both the cell lines in response to PEITC treatment. Substantial cleavage of caspase 3 and poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) were associated with PEITC-mediated apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells. Notably, transient silencing of HER2 decreased and overexpressing HER2 increased the effects of PEITC. Furthermore, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, mitochondrial depolarization and apoptosis by PEITC treatment were much higher in breast cancer cells expressing higher levels of HER2 (HH) as compared to parent cell lines. The IC50 of PEITC following 24 h of treatment was reduced remarkably to 5 ?M in MDA-MB-231 (HH) and 4 ?M in MCF-7 (HH) cells, stably overexpressing HER2. Oral administration of 12 ?M PEITC significantly suppressed the growth of breast tumor xenografts in SCID/NOD mice. In agreement with our in vitro results, tumors from PEITC-treated mice demonstrated reduced HER2, EGFR and STAT3 expression and increased apoptosis as revealed by cleavage of caspase 3 and PARP. In addition our results show that PEITC can enhance the efficacy of doxorubicin.

Conclusions

Our results show a unique specificity of PEITC in inducing apoptosis in HER2-expressing tumor cells in vitro and in vivo and enhancing the effects of doxorubicin. This unique specificity of PEITC offers promise to a subset of breast cancer patients overexpressing HER2.

SUBMITTER: Gupta P

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3412708 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Antitumor activity of phenethyl isothiocyanate in HER2-positive breast cancer models.

Gupta Parul P Srivastava Sanjay K SK

BMC medicine 20120724

<h4>Background</h4>HER2 is an oncogene, expression of which leads to poor prognosis in 30% of breast cancer patients. Although trastuzumab is apparently an effective therapy against HER2-positive tumors, its systemic toxicity and resistance in the majority of patients restricts its applicability. In this study we evaluated the effects of phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) in HER2-positive breast cancer cells.<h4>Methods</h4>MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 breast cancer cells stably transfected with HER2 (hig ...[more]

PMID: 22824293

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Project description:Introduction: The flavonoid myricetin has been shown to induce cell cycle arrest and mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis in preclinical cancer models. We hypothesised that myricetin-derived flavonoids with redox properties and improved physicochemical attributes that enhance cell uptake and mitochondrial targeting might have increased potential as antitumour agents, since mitochondria are the main site of production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and redox status is known to regulate the development and advancement of certain cancers. In this study we assessed a small library of novel flavonoids, then focussed on the lead compound, second-generation analogue OncamexTM, its mechanism of action and structure-activity relationships as an anti-proliferative agent. Methods: With this aim, we studied the effect of OncamexTM in a panel of 7 breast cancer cell lines using proliferation, cytotoxicity and apoptosis assays. The redox properties and mitochondrial delivery of the drug were studied using cyclic voltammetry and fluorescence microscopy, respectively. The mechanism of action was further studied using western blotting, gene expression analysis and immunohistochemistry (IHC) of treated xenograft tissue from in vivo mice models. Results: Sulforhodamine B (SRB) proliferation assays demonstrated strong, anti-proliferative properties of OncamexTM, with IC50 values in the low micromolar range. Treatment for 8 h exerted concentration-dependent reduction in cell viability and induction of cytotoxicity and apoptosis, with increased caspase activation. Microarray analysis suggested that OncamexTM regulates changes in cell cycle and apoptosis at gene expression level. Fluorescence microscopy was used to investigate mitochondrial targeting and ROS regulation in treated cells. OncamexTM was found to induce production of superoxide at concentrations which exerted anti-proliferative effects. Initial in vivo studies in mice implanted with a MDA-MB-231 breast cancer xenograft showed that OncamexTM inhibited tumour growth, reducing tissue viability and Ki-67 proliferation, with no overall systemic toxicity. Conclusions: OncamexTM is a novel flavonoid capable of specific delivery to the mitochondria and induction of ROS production. We have shown its antitumor activity in preclinical models of breast cancer, both in vitro and in initial in vivo models, where tumour growth was arrested without inducing toxicity, support the potential of this novel drug for its continued development as an anticancer agent. Total RNA was obtained from 5 breast cancer cell lines subjected to 6 hours of 10µM OncamexTM and matched untreated controls (1% DMSO)

Dataset Information

Antitumor activity of phenethyl isothiocyanate in HER2-positive breast cancer models.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Antitumor activity of phenethyl isothiocyanate in HER2-positive breast cancer models.

Similar Datasets

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