Kurebayashi Junichi, Koike Yoshikazu, Ohta Yusuke, Saitoh Wataru, Yamashita Tetsumasa, Kanomata Naoki, Moriya Takuya
Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan.
Department of Pathology 2, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan.
Cancer Sci. 2017 May;108(5):918-930. doi: 10.1111/cas.13205. Epub 2017 Apr 27.
Estradiol (E2) increases not only the cell growth but also the cancer stem cell (CSC) proportion in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer cells. It has been suggested that the non-canonical hedgehog (Hh) pathway activated by E2 plays an important role in the regulation of CSC proportion in ER-positive breast cancer cells. We studied anti-CSC activity of a non-canonical Hh inhibitor GANT61 in ER-positive breast cancer cells. Effects of GANT61 on the cell growth, cell cycle progression, apoptosis and CSC proportion were investigated in four ER-positive breast cancer cell lines. CSC proportion was measured using either the mammosphere assay or CD44/CD24 assay. Expression levels of pivotal molecules in the Hh pathway were measured. Combined effects of GANT61 with antiestrogens on the anti-cell growth and anti-CSC activities were investigated. E2 significantly increased the cell growth and CSC proportion in all ER-positive cell lines. E2 increased the expression levels of glioma-associated oncogene (GLI) 1 and/or GLI2. GANT61 decreased the cell growth in association with a G1-S cell cycle retardation and increased apoptosis. GANT61 decreased the E2-induced CSC proportion measured by the mammosphere assay in all cell lines. Antiestrogens also decreased the E2-induced cell growth and CSC proportion. Combined treatments of GANT61 with antiestrogens additively enhanced anti-cell growth and/or anti-CSC activities in some ER-positive cell lines. In conclusion, the non-canonical Hh inhibitor GANT61 inhibited not only the cell growth but also the CSC proportion increased by E2 in ER-positive breast cancer cells. GANT61 enhanced anti-cell growth and/or anti-CSC activities of antiestrogens in ER-positive cell lines.
雌二醇(E2)不仅能促进雌激素受体(ER)阳性乳腺癌细胞的生长,还能增加其癌症干细胞(CSC)比例。有研究表明,E2激活的非经典刺猬(Hh)信号通路在调节ER阳性乳腺癌细胞的CSC比例中起重要作用。我们研究了非经典Hh抑制剂GANT61对ER阳性乳腺癌细胞的抗CSC活性。在四种ER阳性乳腺癌细胞系中研究了GANT61对细胞生长、细胞周期进程、凋亡和CSC比例的影响。使用乳腺球形成试验或CD44/CD24试验测量CSC比例。检测Hh信号通路中关键分子的表达水平。研究了GANT61与抗雌激素联合使用对细胞生长抑制和抗CSC活性的影响。E2显著促进了所有ER阳性细胞系的细胞生长和CSC比例。E2增加了胶质瘤相关癌基因(GLI)1和/或GLI2的表达水平。GANT61通过使细胞周期阻滞在G1-S期而抑制细胞生长,并增加凋亡。GANT61降低了通过乳腺球形成试验测得的所有细胞系中E2诱导的CSC比例。抗雌激素也降低了E2诱导的细胞生长和CSC比例。在一些ER阳性细胞系中,GANT61与抗雌激素联合治疗可累加增强细胞生长抑制和/或抗CSC活性。总之,非经典Hh抑制剂GANT61不仅抑制了ER阳性乳腺癌细胞的生长,还降低了由E2增加的CSC比例。GANT61增强了ER阳性细胞系中抗雌激素的细胞生长抑制和/或抗CSC活性。