Telomerase expression and cell proliferation in ovarian cancer cells induced by histone deacetylase inhibitors.

OBJECTIVE

Telomerase is composed primarily of catalytic subunit (hTERT) and RNA template (hTERC). Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors are known to modulate transcription and change the expression of hTERT and hTERC mRNA and telomerase activity in several types of cancer cells, but it is unclear if there is a similar effect in ovarian cancer cells.

METHOD

The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of HDAC inhibitors on hTERT and hTERC mRNA expression in ovarian cancer cells. SK-V-3 cells were treated with the HDAC inhibitors, trichostatinA (TSA) and sodium butyrate (NaB); the expression of hTERC and hTERT mRNA and telomerase activity were evaluated by RT-PCR and TRAP assay, respectively.

RESULTS

In SK-OV-3 cells, TSA and NaB inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis. The expression of hTERT and hTERT mRNA was not suppressed even after treatment with 1.0 microM TSA and 6 mM NaB, respectively. The telomerase activity was not changed by either TSA or NaB.

CONCLUSION

Histone deacetylase inhibitors inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis, but had no effect on the expression of hTERC and hTERT mRNA and on telomerase activity.