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Ren L, Zhang T, Zhang J. Recent advances in dietary androgen receptor inhibitors. Med Res Rev 2024; 44:1446-1500. [PMID: 38279967 DOI: 10.1002/med.22019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
As a nuclear transcription factor, the androgen receptor (AR) plays a crucial role not only in normal male sexual differentiation and growth of the prostate, but also in benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatitis, and prostate cancer. Multiple population-based epidemiological studies demonstrated that prostate cancer risk was inversely associated with increased dietary intakes of green tea, soy products, tomato, and so forth. Therefore, this review aimed to summarize the structure and function of AR, and further illustrate the structural basis for antagonistic mechanisms of the currently clinically available antiandrogens. Due to the limitations of these antiandrogens, a series of natural AR inhibitors have been identified from edible plants such as fruits and vegetables, as well as folk medicines, health foods, and nutritional supplements. Hence, this review mainly focused on recent experimental, epidemiological, and clinical studies about natural AR inhibitors, particularly the association between dietary intake of natural antiandrogens and reduced risk of prostatic diseases. Since natural products offer multiple advantages over synthetic antiandrogens, this review may provide a comprehensive and updated overview of dietary-derived AR inhibitors, as well as their potential for the nutritional intervention against prostatic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Ren
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Tiehua Zhang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, China
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2
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Fan W, Fan L, Wang Z, Mei Y, Liu L, Li L, Yang L, Wang Z. Rare ginsenosides: A unique perspective of ginseng research. J Adv Res 2024:S2090-1232(24)00003-1. [PMID: 38195040 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2024.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rare ginsenosides (Rg3, Rh2, C-K, etc.) refer to a group of dammarane triterpenoids that exist in low natural abundance, mostly produced by deglycosylation or side chain modification via physicochemical processing or metabolic transformation in gut, and last but not least, exhibited potent biological activity comparing to the primary ginsenosides, which lead to a high concern in both the research and development of ginseng and ginsenoside-related nutraceutical and natural products. Nevertheless, a comprehensive review on these promising compounds is not available yet. AIM OF REVIEW In this review, recent advances of Rare ginsenosides (RGs) were summarized dealing with the structurally diverse characteristics, traditional usage, drug discovery situation, clinical application, pharmacological effects and the underlying mechanisms, structure-activity relationship, toxicity, the stereochemistry properties, and production strategies. KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS OF REVIEW A total of 144 RGs with diverse skeletons and bioactivities were isolated from Panax species. RGs acted as natural ligands on some specific receptors, such as bile acid receptors, steroid hormone receptors, and adenosine diphosphate (ADP) receptors. The RGs showed promising bioactivities including immunoregulatory and adaptogen-like effect, anti-aging effect, anti-tumor effect, as well as their effects on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular system, central nervous system, obesity and diabetes, and interaction with gut microbiota. Clinical trials indicated the potential of RGs, while high quality data remains inadequate, and no obvious side effects was found. The stereochemistry properties induced by deglycosylation at C (20) were also addressed including pharmacodynamics behaviors, together with the state-of-art analytical strategies for the identification of saponin stereoisomers. Finally, the batch preparation of targeted RGs by designated strategies including heating or acid/ alkaline-assisted processes, and enzymatic biotransformation and biosynthesis were discussed. Hopefully, the present review can provide more clues for the extensive understanding and future in-depth research and development of RGs, originated from the worldwide well recognized ginseng plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxiang Fan
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Standardization of Chinese Medicines, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Compound Chinese Medicines, and SATCM Key Laboratory of New Resources and Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Linhong Fan
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Standardization of Chinese Medicines, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Compound Chinese Medicines, and SATCM Key Laboratory of New Resources and Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Ziying Wang
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Standardization of Chinese Medicines, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Compound Chinese Medicines, and SATCM Key Laboratory of New Resources and Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yuqi Mei
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Standardization of Chinese Medicines, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Compound Chinese Medicines, and SATCM Key Laboratory of New Resources and Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Longchan Liu
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Standardization of Chinese Medicines, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Compound Chinese Medicines, and SATCM Key Laboratory of New Resources and Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Linnan Li
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Standardization of Chinese Medicines, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Compound Chinese Medicines, and SATCM Key Laboratory of New Resources and Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Li Yang
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Standardization of Chinese Medicines, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Compound Chinese Medicines, and SATCM Key Laboratory of New Resources and Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
| | - Zhengtao Wang
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Standardization of Chinese Medicines, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Compound Chinese Medicines, and SATCM Key Laboratory of New Resources and Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
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Ben-Eltriki M, Shankar G, Tomlinson Guns ES, Deb S. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of Rh2 and aPPD ginsenosides in prostate cancer: a drug interaction perspective. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 2023; 92:419-437. [PMID: 37709921 DOI: 10.1007/s00280-023-04583-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Ginsenoside Rh2 and its aglycon (aPPD) are one of the major metabolites from Panax ginseng. Preclinical studies suggest that Rh2 and aPPD have antitumor effects in prostate cancer (PCa). Our aims in this review are (1) to describe the pharmacokinetic (PK) properties of Rh2 and aPPD ginsenosides; 2) to provide an overview of the preclinical findings on the use of Rh2 and aPPD in the treatment of PCa; and (3) to highlight the mechanisms of its PK and pharmacodynamic (PD) drug interactions. Increasing evidence points to the potential efficacy of Rh2 or aPPD for PCa treatment. Based on the laboratory studies, Rh2 or aPPD combinations revealed an additive or synergistic interaction or enhanced sensitivity of anticancer drugs toward PCa. This review reveals that enhanced anticancer activities were demonstrated in preclinical studies through interactions of Rh2 and/or aPPD with the proteins related to PK (e.g., cytochrome P450 enzymes, transporters) or PD of the other anticancer drugs or PCa signaling pathways. In conclusion, combining Rh2 or aPPD with anti-prostate cancer drugs leads to PK or PD interactions which could facilitate either therapeutically beneficial or toxic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Ben-Eltriki
- The Vancouver Prostate Centre at Vancouver General Hospital, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC, V6H 3Z6, Canada.
- Cochrane Hypertension Review Group, Therapeutic Initiative, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
- Community Pharmacist, Vancouver Area, BC, Canada.
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
| | - Gehana Shankar
- The Vancouver Prostate Centre at Vancouver General Hospital, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC, V6H 3Z6, Canada
| | - Emma S Tomlinson Guns
- The Vancouver Prostate Centre at Vancouver General Hospital, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC, V6H 3Z6, Canada
| | - Subrata Deb
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Larkin University, Miami, FL, 33169, USA.
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Ha S, Luo G, Xiang H. A Comprehensive Overview of Small-Molecule Androgen Receptor Degraders: Recent Progress and Future Perspectives. J Med Chem 2022; 65:16128-16154. [PMID: 36459083 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PC), the second most prevalent malignancy in men worldwide, has been proven to depend on the aberrant activation of androgen receptor (AR) signaling. Long-term androgen deprivation for the treatment of PC inevitably leads to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) in which AR remains a crucial oncogenic driver. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop new strategies to address this unmet medical need. Targeting AR for degradation has recently been in a vigorous development stage, and accumulating clinical studies have highlighted the benefits of AR degraders in CRPC patients. Herein, we provide a comprehensive summary of small-molecule AR degraders with diverse mechanisms of action including proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs), selective AR degraders (SARDs), hydrophobic tags (HyT), and other AR degraders with distinct mechanisms. Accordingly, their structure-activity relationships, biomedical applications, and therapeutic values are also dissected to provide insights into the future development of promising AR degradation-based therapeutics for CRPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si Ha
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, P. R. China
| | - Guoshun Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, P. R. China
| | - Hua Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, P. R. China
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Anti-Tumor Effects of Ginsenoside 20(S)-Protopanaxadiol and 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Combination in Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer. MEDICINES 2021; 8:medicines8060028. [PMID: 34199743 PMCID: PMC8227560 DOI: 10.3390/medicines8060028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In spite of possessing desirable anticancer properties, currently, limited clinical success has been achieved with 20(S)-protopanaxadiol (aPPD) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (calcitriol). This study is designed to evaluate if the combination of aPPD with calcitriol can inhibit human prostate cancer xenograft growth by using nuclear receptor signaling. Athymic male nude mice were utilized to establish an androgen-independent human prostate cancer C4-2 cell castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) xenograft model. Mice were treated orally for six weeks with 70 mg/kg aPPD administered once daily or three times per week with 4 µg/kg calcitriol or in combination or only with vehicle control. Contrary to our expectations, calcitriol treatment alone increased C4-2 tumor growth. However, the addition of calcitriol substantially increased aPPD-mediated tumor growth suppression (76% vs. 53%, combination vs. aPPD alone). The combination treatment significantly increased levels of cleaved caspase-3 apoptotic marker compared to vehicle-treated or aPPD-treated C4-2 tumors. The mechanistic elucidations indicate that tumor inhibition by the aPPD and calcitriol combination was accompanied by elevated vitamin D receptor (VDR) protein expression. In silico data suggest that aPPD weakly binds to the native LBD pocket of VDR. Interestingly, the combination of aPPD and calcitriol activated VDR at a significantly higher level than calcitriol alone and this indicates that aPPD may be an allosteric activator of VDR. Overall, aPPD and calcitriol combination significantly inhibited tumor growth in vivo with no acute or chronic toxic effects in the C4-2 xenograft CRPC nude mice. The involvement of VDR and downstream apoptotic pathways are potential mechanistic routes of antitumor effects of this combination.
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Ben-Eltriki M, Deb S, Guns EST. 1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D 3 synergistically enhances anticancer effects of ginsenoside Rh2 in human prostate cancer cells. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2021; 209:105828. [PMID: 33493594 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2021.105828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3, commonly known as calcitriol), the most active metabolite of vitamin D3, and ginsenoside Rh2 can regulate cellular differentiation and proliferation proteins. The purpose of the present study was to assess the effect of 1,25(OH)2D3 on the anticancer activities of Rh2 in human prostate cancer cells such as androgen-dependent LNCaP and androgen-independent C4-2 in vitro. The effects of treatment with 1,25(OH)2D3 or Rh2, either alone or in combination, on prostate cancer cells were evaluated through tetrazolium-based cell viability assay, BrdU cell proliferation rate estimation assay, and Western blot protein expression analyses of nuclear receptors (androgen receptor and vitamin D receptors) and apoptotic proteins (Bcl-2, Bax, and Caspase 3). The Combination Indices (CI) and Dose Reduction Indices (DRI) of 1,25(OH)2D3 and Rh2 were calculated to determine synergistic anticancer activity using Calcusyn software (Biosoft, Cambridge, UK). The cell viability assay data indicate that Rh2 treatment alone inhibited cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner and the addition of 10 nM 1,25(OH)2D3 to Rh2 significantly enhanced its ability to reduce cell viability up to 80 % in both the cell lines. Similarly, addition of 10 nM 1,25(OH)2D3 to Rh2 significantly lowered its IC50 values for cell proliferation from the range of 32-65 μM to 14-8 μM in LNCaP and C4-2 cells. In addition, protein expression analyses indicated that the combined treatment with Rh2 and 1,25(OH)2D3 led to greater downregulation of androgen receptor expression compared to single agent exposure. Similarly, the presence of 1,25(OH)2D3 synergistically increased the pro-apoptotic actions of Rh2 in both the cell lines. Overall, 1,25(OH)2D3 augments the Rh2-mediated anticancer effects through stimulating apoptosis and reduced cell proliferation which suggests that synergism of this combination may lead to potential lower need of the active vitamin D3 and limited toxicity from it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Ben-Eltriki
- Vancouver Prostate Centre at Vancouver General Hospital, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC, V6H 3Z6, Canada; Therapeutics Initiative, Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Subrata Deb
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Larkin University, 18301 N. Miami Avenue, Miami, FL, 33169, USA.
| | - Emma S Tomlinson Guns
- Vancouver Prostate Centre at Vancouver General Hospital, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC, V6H 3Z6, Canada.
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Wang M, Li H, Liu W, Cao H, Hu X, Gao X, Xu F, Li Z, Hua H, Li D. Dammarane-type leads panaxadiol and protopanaxadiol for drug discovery: Biological activity and structural modification. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 189:112087. [PMID: 32007667 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2019] [Revised: 12/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Based on the definite therapeutic benefits, such as neuroprotective, cardioprotective, anticancer, anti-diabetic and so on, the Panax genus which contains many valuable plants, including ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer), notoginseng (Panax notoginseng) and American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.), attracts research focus. Actually, the biological and pharmacological effects of the Panax genus are mainly attributed to the abundant ginsenosides. However, the low membrane permeability and the gastrointestinal tract influence seriously limit the absorption and bioavailability of ginsenosides. The acid or base hydrolysates of ginsenosides, 20 (R,S)-panaxadiol and 20 (R,S)-protopanaxadiol showed improved bioavailability and diverse pharmacological activities. Moreover, relative stable skeletons and active hydroxyl group at C-3 position and other reactive sites are suitable for structural modification to improve biological activities. In this review, the pharmacological activities of panaxadiol, protopanaxadiol and their structurally modified derivatives are comprehensively summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingying Wang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, And School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China
| | - Haonan Li
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, And School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China
| | - Weiwei Liu
- Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China
| | - Hao Cao
- School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China
| | - Xu Hu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, And School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China
| | - Xiang Gao
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, And School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China
| | - Fanxing Xu
- Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China
| | - Zhanlin Li
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, And School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China
| | - Huiming Hua
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, And School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China
| | - Dahong Li
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, And School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China.
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Naz I, Ramchandani S, Khan MR, Yang MH, Ahn KS. Anticancer Potential of Raddeanin A, a Natural Triterpenoid Isolated from Anemone raddeana Regel. Molecules 2020; 25:E1035. [PMID: 32106609 PMCID: PMC7179125 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25051035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural compounds extracted from plants have gained immense importance in the fight against cancer cells due to their lesser toxicity and potential therapeutic effects. Raddeanin A (RA), an oleanane type triterpenoid is a major compound isolated from Anemone raddeana Regel. As an anticancer agent, RA induces apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, inhibits invasion, migration and angiogenesis in malignant cell lines as well as in preclinical models. In this systemic review, the pharmacological effects of RA and its underlying molecular mechanisms were carefully analyzed and potential molecular targets have been highlighted. The apoptotic potential of RA can be mediated through the modulation of Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9, cytochrome c and poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage. PI3K/Akt signaling pathway serves as the major molecular target affected by RA. Furthermore, RA can block cell proliferation through inhibition of canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in colorectal cancer cells. RA can also alter the activation of NF-κB and STAT3 signaling pathways to suppress invasion and metastasis. RA has also exhibited promising anticancer potential against drug resistant cancer cells and can enhance the anticancer effects of several chemotherapeutic agents. Overall, RA may function as a promising compound in combating cancer, although further in-depth study is required under clinical settings to validate its efficacy in cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irum Naz
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan;
| | | | | | - Min Hee Yang
- KHU-KIST Department of Converging Science and Technology, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea;
| | - Kwang Seok Ahn
- KHU-KIST Department of Converging Science and Technology, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea;
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Fontana F, Raimondi M, Marzagalli M, Di Domizio A, Limonta P. Natural Compounds in Prostate Cancer Prevention and Treatment: Mechanisms of Action and Molecular Targets. Cells 2020; 9:cells9020460. [PMID: 32085497 PMCID: PMC7072821 DOI: 10.3390/cells9020460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2019] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PCa) represents a major cause of cancer mortality among men in developed countries. Patients with recurrent disease initially respond to androgen-deprivation therapy, but the tumor eventually progresses into castration-resistant PCa; in this condition, tumor cells acquire the ability to escape cell death and develop resistance to current therapies. Thus, new therapeutic approaches for PCa management are urgently needed. In this setting, natural products have been extensively studied for their anti-PCa activities, such as tumor growth suppression, cell death induction, and inhibition of metastasis and angiogenesis. Additionally, numerous studies have shown that phytochemicals can specifically target the androgen receptor (AR) signaling, as well as the PCa stem cells (PCSCs). Interestingly, many clinical trials have been conducted to test the efficacy of nutraceuticals in human subjects, and they have partially confirmed the promising results obtained in vitro and in preclinical models. This article summarizes the anti-cancer mechanisms and therapeutic potentials of different natural compounds in the context of PCa prevention and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Fontana
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy; (F.F.); (M.R.); (M.M.); (A.D.D.)
| | - Michela Raimondi
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy; (F.F.); (M.R.); (M.M.); (A.D.D.)
| | - Monica Marzagalli
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy; (F.F.); (M.R.); (M.M.); (A.D.D.)
| | - Alessandro Di Domizio
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy; (F.F.); (M.R.); (M.M.); (A.D.D.)
- SPILLOproject, 20037 Paderno Dugnano, Italy
| | - Patrizia Limonta
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy; (F.F.); (M.R.); (M.M.); (A.D.D.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0250318213
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Xia H, Hu C, Bai S, Lyu J, Zhang BY, Yu X, Zhan Y, Zhao L, Dong Y. Raddeanin A down-regulates androgen receptor and its splice variants in prostate cancer. J Cell Mol Med 2019; 23:3656-3664. [PMID: 30905075 PMCID: PMC6484324 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.14267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 02/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Castration-resistant progression of prostate cancer is a major cause of prostate cancer mortality, and increased expression and activity of the full-length and the splice variants of androgen receptor (AR) have been indicated to drive castration resistance. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop agents that can target both the full-length and the splice variants of AR for more effective treatment of prostate cancer. In the present study, we showed that raddeanin A (RA), an oleanane-type triterpenoid saponin, suppresses the transcriptional activities of both the full-length and the splice variants of AR. This is attributable to their decreased expression as a result of RA induction of proteasome-mediated degradation and inhibition of the transcription of the AR gene. We further showed the potential of using RA to enhance the growth inhibitory efficacy of docetaxel, the first-line chemotherapy for prostate cancer. This study identifies RA as a new agent to target both the full-length and the splice variants of AR and provides a rationale for further developing RA for prostate cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyan Xia
- National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS VaccineSchool of Life SciencesJilin UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Cheng Hu
- National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS VaccineSchool of Life SciencesJilin UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Shanshan Bai
- National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS VaccineSchool of Life SciencesJilin UniversityChangchunChina
- Department of Structural and Cellular BiologyTulane University School of MedicineTulane Cancer CenterNew OrleansLouisiana
| | - Jing Lyu
- National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS VaccineSchool of Life SciencesJilin UniversityChangchunChina
| | | | - Xianghui Yu
- National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS VaccineSchool of Life SciencesJilin UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Yang Zhan
- National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS VaccineSchool of Life SciencesJilin UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Lijing Zhao
- School of NursingJilin UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Yan Dong
- Department of Structural and Cellular BiologyTulane University School of MedicineTulane Cancer CenterNew OrleansLouisiana
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11
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A positive role of c-Myc in regulating androgen receptor and its splice variants in prostate cancer. Oncogene 2019; 38:4977-4989. [PMID: 30820039 PMCID: PMC6586509 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-019-0768-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2018] [Revised: 02/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Increased expression of the full-length androgen receptor (AR-FL) and AR splice variants (AR-Vs) drives the progression of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). The levels of AR-FL and AR-V transcripts are often tightly correlated in individual CRPC samples, yet our understanding of how their expression is co-regulated is limited. Here, we report a role of c-Myc in accounting for coordinated AR-FL and AR-V expression. Analysis of gene expression data from 159 metastatic CRPC samples and 2142 primary prostate tumors showed that the level of c-Myc is positively correlated with that of individual AR isoforms. A striking positive correlation also exists between the activity of the c-Myc pathway and the level of individual AR isoforms, between the level of c-Myc and the activity of the AR pathway, and between the activities of the two pathways. Moreover, the c-Myc signature is highly enriched in tumors expressing high levels of AR, as is the AR signature in c-Myc-high-expressing tumors. Using shRNA knockdown, we confirmed c-Myc regulation of expression and activity of AR-FL and AR-Vs in cell models and a patient-derived xenograft model. Mechanistically, c-Myc promotes the transcription of the AR gene and enhances the stability of the AR-FL and AR-V proteins without altering AR RNA splicing. Importantly, inhibiting c-Myc sensitizes enzalutamide-resistant cells to growth inhibition by enzalutamide. Overall, this study highlights a critical role of c-Myc in regulating the coordinated expression of AR-FL and AR-Vs that is commonly observed in CRPC and suggests the utility of targeting c-Myc as an adjuvant to AR-directed therapy.
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20(S)-protopanaxadiol regio-selectively targets androgen receptor: anticancer effects in castration-resistant prostate tumors. Oncotarget 2018; 9:20965-20978. [PMID: 29765513 PMCID: PMC5940378 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.24695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Accepted: 02/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
We have explored the effects of 20(S)-protopanaxadiol (aPPD), a naturally derived ginsenoside, against androgen receptor (AR) positive castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) xenograft tumors and have examined its interactions with AR. In silico docking studies for aPPD binding to AR, alongside transactivation bioassays and in vivo efficacy studies were carried out in the castration-resistant C4-2 xenograft model. Immunohistochemical (IHC) and Western blot analyses followed by evaluation of AR, apoptotic, cell cycle and proliferative markers in excised tumors was performed. The growth of established CRPC tumors was inhibited by 53% with aPPD and a corresponding decrease in serum PSA was seen compared to controls. The IHC data revealed that Ki-67 was significantly lower for aPPD treated tumors and was associated with elevated p21 and cleaved caspase-3 expression, compared to vehicle treatment. Furthermore, aPPD decreased AR protein expression in xenograft tumors, while significantly upregulating p27 and Bax protein levels. In vitro data supporting this suggests that aPPD binds to and significantly inhibits the N-terminal or the DNA binding domains of AR. The AR androgen binding site docking score for androgen (dihydrotestosterone) was −11.1, while that of aPPD was −7.1. The novel findings described herein indicate aPPD potently inhibits PCa in vivo partly via inhibition of a site on the AR N-terminal domain. This manifested as cell cycle arrest and concurrent induction of apoptosis via an increase in Bax, cleaved-caspase-3, p27 and p21 expression.
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Enhanced Production of Gypenoside LXXV Using a Novel Ginsenoside-Transforming β-Glucosidase from Ginseng-Cultivating Soil Bacteria and Its Anti-Cancer Property. Molecules 2017; 22:molecules22050844. [PMID: 28534845 PMCID: PMC6153937 DOI: 10.3390/molecules22050844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Revised: 05/07/2017] [Accepted: 05/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Minor ginsenosides, such as compound K, Rg3(S), which can be produced by deglycosylation of ginsenosides Rb1, showed strong anti-cancer effects. However, the anticancer effects of gypenoside LXXV, which is one of the deglycosylated shapes of ginsenoside Rb1, is still unknown due to the rarity of its content in plants. Here, we cloned and characterized a novel ginsenoside-transforming β-glucosidase (BglG167b) derived from Microbacterium sp. Gsoil 167 which can efficiently hydrolyze gypenoside XVII into gypenoside LXXV, and applied it to the production of gypenoside LXXV at the gram-scale with high specificity. In addition, the anti-cancer activity of gypenoside LXXV was investigated against three cancer cell lines (HeLa, B16, and MDA-MB231) in vitro. Gypenoside LXXV significantly reduced cell viability, displaying an enhanced anti-cancer effect compared to gypenoside XVII and Rb1. Taken together, this enzymatic method would be useful in the preparation of gypenoside LXXV for the functional food and pharmaceutical industries.
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Han Y, Huang W, Liu J, Liu D, Cui Y, Huang R, Yan J, Lei M. Triptolide Inhibits the AR Signaling Pathway to Suppress the Proliferation of Enzalutamide Resistant Prostate Cancer Cells. Theranostics 2017; 7:1914-1927. [PMID: 28638477 PMCID: PMC5479278 DOI: 10.7150/thno.17852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Enzalutamide is a second-generation androgen receptor (AR) antagonist for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Unfortunately, AR dysfunction means that resistance to enzalutamide will eventually develop. Thus, novel agents are urgently needed to treat this devastating disease. Triptolide (TPL), a key active compound extracted from the Chinese herb Thunder God Vine (Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F.), possesses anti-cancer activity in human prostate cancer cells. However, the effects of TPL against CRPC cells and the underlying mechanism of any such effect are unknown. In this study, we found that TPL at low dose inhibits the transactivation activity of both full-length and truncated AR without changing their protein levels. Interestingly, TPL inhibits phosphorylation of AR and its CRPC-associated variant AR-V7 at Ser515 through XPB/CDK7. As a result, TPL suppresses the binding of AR to promoter regions in AR target genes along with reduced TFIIH and RNA Pol II recruitment. Moreover, TPL at low dose reduces the viability of prostate cancer cells expressing AR or AR-Vs. Low-dose TPL also shows a synergistic effect with enzalutamide to inhibit CRPC cell survival in vitro, and enhances the anti-cancer effect of enzalutamide on CRPC xenografts with minimal side effects. Taken together, our data demonstrate that TPL targets the transactivation activity of both full-length and truncated ARs. Our results also suggest that TPL is a potential drug for CRPC, and can be used in combination with enzalutamide to treat CRPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangyang Han
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Weiwei Huang
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jiakuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and MOE Key Laboratory of Model Animals for Disease Study, Model Animal Research Center of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dandan Liu
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yangyan Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and MOE Key Laboratory of Model Animals for Disease Study, Model Animal Research Center of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ruimin Huang
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jun Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and MOE Key Laboratory of Model Animals for Disease Study, Model Animal Research Center of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ming Lei
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
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Cao S, Zhan Y, Dong Y. Emerging data on androgen receptor splice variants in prostate cancer. Endocr Relat Cancer 2016; 23:T199-T210. [PMID: 27702752 PMCID: PMC5107136 DOI: 10.1530/erc-16-0298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2016] [Accepted: 10/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Androgen receptor splice variants are alternatively spliced variants of androgen receptor, which are C-terminally truncated and lack the canonical ligand-binding domain. Accumulating evidence has indicated a significant role of androgen receptor splice variants in mediating resistance of castration-resistant prostate cancer to current therapies and in predicting therapeutic responses. As such, there is an urgent need to target androgen receptor splicing variants for more effective treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer. Identification of precise and critical targeting points to deactivate androgen receptor splicing variants relies on a deep understanding of how they are generated and the mechanisms of their action. In this review, we will focus on the emerging data on their generation, clinical significance and mechanisms of action as well as the therapeutic influence of these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subing Cao
- College of Life SciencesJilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Department of Structural and Cellular BiologyTulane University School of Medicine, Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Yang Zhan
- College of Life SciencesJilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Department of Structural and Cellular BiologyTulane University School of Medicine, Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Yan Dong
- College of Life SciencesJilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Department of Structural and Cellular BiologyTulane University School of Medicine, Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
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16
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Cao B, Wang K, Liao JM, Zhou X, Liao P, Zeng SX, He M, Chen L, He Y, Li W, Lu H. Inactivation of oncogenic cAMP-specific phosphodiesterase 4D by miR-139-5p in response to p53 activation. eLife 2016; 5. [PMID: 27383270 PMCID: PMC4959878 DOI: 10.7554/elife.15978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2016] [Accepted: 06/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing evidence highlights the important roles of microRNAs in mediating p53’s tumor suppression functions. Here, we report miR-139-5p as another new p53 microRNA target. p53 induced the transcription of miR-139-5p, which in turn suppressed the protein levels of phosphodiesterase 4D (PDE4D), an oncogenic protein involved in multiple tumor promoting processes. Knockdown of p53 reversed these effects. Also, overexpression of miR-139-5p decreased PDE4D levels and increased cellular cAMP levels, leading to BIM-mediated cell growth arrest. Furthermore, our analysis of human colorectal tumor specimens revealed significant inverse correlation between the expression of miR-139-5p and that of PDE4D. Finally, overexpression of miR-139-5p suppressed the growth of xenograft tumors, accompanied by decrease in PDE4D and increase in BIM. These results demonstrate that p53 inactivates oncogenic PDE4D by inducing the expression of miR-139-5p. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.15978.001 The human body is kept mostly free from tumors by the actions of so-called tumor suppressor genes. One such gene encodes a protein called p53, which prevents tumors from growing by regulating the activity of many other genes that either inhibit cell growth or cause cells to die. For example, p53 regulates genes that encode short molecules called microRNAs, which in turn suppress the activity of other target genes. Although a number of microRNAs have been reported as p53-regulated genes, there are still more to find. Discovering these genes would in turn help researchers to better understand exactly how p53 acts to suppress the growth of tumors, and to treat cancers caused by mutations in this tumor suppressor gene. Cao, Wang et al. now discover a new microRNA – called miR-139-5p – as one that is activated by p53 in human cells. Colon tumors produce much lower levels of this microRNA than normal tissues, while the cancer cells with a higher level of miR-139-5p grow slower than do the cancer cells with less miR-139-5p. Further experiments showed that this is because miR-139-5p can suppress the production of a protein called PDE4D, which is often highly expressed in human cancers. The suppression of PDE4D by this microRNA results in an increase in the levels of a protein that can cause cancer cells to die. Cao, Wang et al. suggest that miR-139-5p and PDE4D form part of a signaling pathway that plays an important role in suppressing the growth of colon cancer cells. Since microRNAs often have more than one target, future studies could explore if miR-139-5p regulates the production of other cancer-related proteins as well. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.15978.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Cao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane Cancer Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, United States
| | - Kebing Wang
- Laboratory of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jun-Ming Liao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane Cancer Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, United States
| | - Xiang Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane Cancer Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, United States
| | - Peng Liao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane Cancer Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, United States
| | - Shelya X Zeng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane Cancer Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, United States
| | - Meifang He
- Laboratory of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lianzhou Chen
- Laboratory of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yulong He
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wen Li
- Laboratory of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hua Lu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane Cancer Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, United States
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Ben-Eltriki M, Deb S, Adomat H, Tomlinson Guns ES. Calcitriol and 20(S)-protopanaxadiol synergistically inhibit growth and induce apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2016; 158:207-219. [PMID: 26709138 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2015.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2015] [Revised: 11/27/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The potential cancer preventive roles of calcitriol, the dihydroxylated metabolite of Vitamin D3, as well as 20(S)-protopanaxadiol (aPPD), the aglycone of the protopanaxadiol family of ginsenosides, have gained much attention in recent years for the prevention/treatment of prostate cancer (PCa). In the present study, we evaluated the anticancer and chemosensitization effects of calcitriol at clinically relevant concentrations and aPPD, either alone or in combination, in two well-characterized human PCa cell lines: androgen-sensitive non-metastatic LNCaP cells and androgen-independent metastatic C4-2 cells. The effects of the treatments on PCa cell viability and proliferation rates were evaluated by MTS and Brdu assays, respectively. Combination Indices (CI) and Dose Reduction Indices (DRI) were estimated to assess synergistic anticancer activity using Calcusyn software (Biosoft, Cambridge, UK). Then, we determined the potential Pharmacodynamic interaction mechanisms as follows: The protein expression levels of the genes those are known to control cell cycle (cyclin D1 and cdk2); apoptosis (Bcl-2, Bax, and Capspases 3), androgen receptor and Vitamin D receptors were examined upon combinational treatment. The cell viability assay data show that addition of 10nM calcitriol to aPPD significantly lowered its IC50 values from the range of 41-53μM to 13-23μM, in LNCaP and C4-2 prostate cancer cells. The cell proliferation rate was significantly lower for combination treatments compared to the cells treated with aPPD alone. Similarly, Western blot results indicate that aPPD significantly upregulated Vitamin D receptor (VDR) expression, while calcitriol further enhanced the ability of aPPD to induce pro-apoptotic BAX, increased cleaved caspase-3 and downregulate cdk2 protein levels. Thus, the pharmacodynamic interaction between aPPD and calcitriol in impacting growth inhibition and apoptosis appears to be synergistic in nature. In conclusion, calcitriol sensitizes PCa cells to aPPD-mediated anticancer effects by enhancing its ability to induce apoptosis and reduce cell proliferation, and this synergism may limit calcitriol toxicity by facilitating the use of lower calcitriol doses. The associated increase in VDR expression and calcitriol half-life may be mechanistically associated with this sensitization effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Ben-Eltriki
- The Vancouver Prostate Centre at Vancouver General Hospital, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada; Department of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Subrata Deb
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy at Roosevelt University, Schaumburg, IL, USA
| | - Hans Adomat
- The Vancouver Prostate Centre at Vancouver General Hospital, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada
| | - Emma S Tomlinson Guns
- The Vancouver Prostate Centre at Vancouver General Hospital, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada; Department of Urologic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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Kwegyir-Afful AK, Ramalingam S, Purushottamachar P, Ramamurthy VP, Njar VC. Galeterone and VNPT55 induce proteasomal degradation of AR/AR-V7, induce significant apoptosis via cytochrome c release and suppress growth of castration resistant prostate cancer xenografts in vivo. Oncotarget 2015; 6:27440-60. [PMID: 26196320 PMCID: PMC4695001 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.4578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2015] [Accepted: 07/03/2015] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Galeterone (Gal) is a first-in-class multi-target oral small molecule that will soon enter pivotal phase III clinical trials in castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients. Gal disrupts androgen receptor (AR) signaling via inhibition of CYP17, AR antagonism and AR degradation. Resistance to current therapy is attributed to up-regulation of full-length AR (fAR), splice variants AR (AR-Vs) and AR mutations. The effects of gal and VNPT55 were analyzed on f-AR and AR-Vs (AR-V7/ARv567es) in LNCaP, CWR22Rv1 and DU145 (transfected with AR-Vs) human PC cells in vitro and CRPC tumor xenografts. Galeterone/VNPT55 decreased fAR/AR-V7 mRNA levels and implicates Mdm2/CHIP enhanced ubiquitination of posttranslational modified receptors, targeting them for proteasomal degradation. Gal and VNPT55 also induced significant apoptosis in PC cells via increased Bax/Bcl2 ratio, cytochrome-c release with concomitant cleavage of caspase 3 and PARP. More importantly, gal and VNPT55 exhibited strong in vivo anti-CRPC activities, with no apparent host toxicities. This study demonstrate that gal and VNPT55 utilize cell-based mechanisms to deplete both fAR and AR-Vs. Importantly, the preclinical activity profiles, including profound apoptotic induction and inhibition of CRPC xenografts suggest that these agents offer considerable promise as new therapeutics for patients with CRPC and those resistant to current therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew K. Kwegyir-Afful
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201-1559, USA
- Center for Biomolecular Therapeutics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201-1559, USA
| | - Senthilmurugan Ramalingam
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201-1559, USA
- Center for Biomolecular Therapeutics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201-1559, USA
| | - Puranik Purushottamachar
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201-1559, USA
- Center for Biomolecular Therapeutics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201-1559, USA
| | - Vidya P. Ramamurthy
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201-1559, USA
- Center for Biomolecular Therapeutics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201-1559, USA
| | - Vincent C.O. Njar
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201-1559, USA
- Center for Biomolecular Therapeutics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201-1559, USA
- Marlene Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201-1559, USA
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19
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Liu Y, Liu X, Guo Y, Liang Z, Tian Y, Lu L, Zhao X, Sun Y, Zhao X, Zhang H, Dong Y. Methylselenocysteine preventing castration-resistant progression of prostate cancer. Prostate 2015; 75:1001-8. [PMID: 25754033 PMCID: PMC4424181 DOI: 10.1002/pros.22987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2014] [Accepted: 01/27/2015] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Castration-resistant progression of prostate cancer after androgen deprivation therapy remains a critical challenge in the clinical management of prostate cancer. Resurgent androgen receptor activity is an established driver of castration-resistant progression, and upregulation of androgen receptor expression has been implicated to contribute to the resurgent androgen receptor activity. We reported previously that methylselenocysteine can decrease the expression and activity of androgen receptor. Here we investigated the ability of methylselenocysteine to inhibit castration-resistant progression of prostate cancer. METHODS The regrowth of LNCaP prostate cancer xenografts after castration was monitored. The levels of prostate-specific antigen in mouse serum were measured by ELISA. Tumor cell proliferation and apoptosis were analyzed via Ki-67 immunohistochemistry and TUNEL assay, respectively. Intratumoral angiogenesis was assessed by immunohistochemistry staining of vascular endothelial growth factor and CD31. RESULTS We showed that methylselenocysteine delayed castration-resistant regrowth of LNCaP xenograft tumors after androgen deprivation. This was accompanied by decreased serum levels of prostate-specific antigen, inhibition of prostate cancer cell proliferation and tumor angiogenesis, as well as downregulation of androgen receptor and induction of apoptosis in the relapsed tumors. CONCLUSIONS The present study represents the first to show the preclinical efficacy of methylselenocysteine in delaying castration-resistant progression of prostate cancer. The findings provide a rationale for evaluating the clinical application of combining methylselenocysteine with androgen deprivation therapy for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanbo Liu
- Basic Medical College, Beihua University, Jilin, China
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xichun Liu
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Yaxiong Guo
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Zuowen Liang
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yong Tian
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Lili Lu
- Basic Medical College, Beihua University, Jilin, China
| | - Xiaohui Zhao
- Basic Medical College, Beihua University, Jilin, China
| | - Ying Sun
- Basic Medical College, Beihua University, Jilin, China
| | - Xuejian Zhao
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Haitao Zhang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, LA, USA
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yan Dong
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, LA, USA
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20
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Li Y, Zhou T, Ma C, Song W, Zhang J, Yu Z. Ginsenoside metabolite compound K enhances the efficacy of cisplatin in lung cancer cells. J Thorac Dis 2015; 7:400-6. [PMID: 25922718 DOI: 10.3978/j.issn.2072-1439.2015.01.03] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2014] [Accepted: 11/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the potential of ginsenoside metabolite compound K (CK) in enhancing the anti-tumor effects of cisplatin against lung cancer cells, including cell proliferation and apoptosis, and the underlying mechanism. METHODS Western blotting and p53 reporter assay were used to assess p53 expression and activity. MTT assay and TUNEL staining were employed to investigate the drug effects on cell growth and apoptosis, respectively. Combination index (CI) was calculated to determine synergism. RESULTS We found that CK could significantly enhance cisplatin-induced p53 expression and activity in two lung cancer cell lines, H460 and A549. Consequently, synergistic inhibition of cell growth was observed when the cells were co-treated with CK and cisplatin compared to single treatment. In addition, the ability of cisplatin in apoptosis induction was similarly synergized by CK. Furthermore, by using p53-null lung cancer cells, we demonstrate that the synergy was p53 dependent. CONCLUSIONS Conventional chemotherapies are often accompanied by development of drug resistance and severe side effects. Novel discoveries of low toxicity compounds to improve the outcome or enhance the efficacy of chemotherapies are of great interest. In the present study, our data provide the first evidence that CK could be potentially used as an agent to synergize the efficacy of cisplatin in lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Li
- 1 Department of Respiration, 2 Department of Endocrinology, 3 Department of Neurosurgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China ; 4 Center of Diagnosis and Treatment of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases, The General Hospital of Shenyang Military Command, Shenyang 110015, China ; 5 Department of Pleurisy, Changchun Infectious Disease Hospital, Changchun 130031, China
| | - Tong Zhou
- 1 Department of Respiration, 2 Department of Endocrinology, 3 Department of Neurosurgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China ; 4 Center of Diagnosis and Treatment of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases, The General Hospital of Shenyang Military Command, Shenyang 110015, China ; 5 Department of Pleurisy, Changchun Infectious Disease Hospital, Changchun 130031, China
| | - Chengyuan Ma
- 1 Department of Respiration, 2 Department of Endocrinology, 3 Department of Neurosurgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China ; 4 Center of Diagnosis and Treatment of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases, The General Hospital of Shenyang Military Command, Shenyang 110015, China ; 5 Department of Pleurisy, Changchun Infectious Disease Hospital, Changchun 130031, China
| | - Weiwei Song
- 1 Department of Respiration, 2 Department of Endocrinology, 3 Department of Neurosurgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China ; 4 Center of Diagnosis and Treatment of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases, The General Hospital of Shenyang Military Command, Shenyang 110015, China ; 5 Department of Pleurisy, Changchun Infectious Disease Hospital, Changchun 130031, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- 1 Department of Respiration, 2 Department of Endocrinology, 3 Department of Neurosurgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China ; 4 Center of Diagnosis and Treatment of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases, The General Hospital of Shenyang Military Command, Shenyang 110015, China ; 5 Department of Pleurisy, Changchun Infectious Disease Hospital, Changchun 130031, China
| | - Zhenxiang Yu
- 1 Department of Respiration, 2 Department of Endocrinology, 3 Department of Neurosurgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China ; 4 Center of Diagnosis and Treatment of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases, The General Hospital of Shenyang Military Command, Shenyang 110015, China ; 5 Department of Pleurisy, Changchun Infectious Disease Hospital, Changchun 130031, China
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21
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Cao B, Qi Y, Yang Y, Liu X, Xu D, Guo W, Zhan Y, Xiong Z, Zhang A, Wang AR, Fu X, Zhang H, Zhao L, Gu J, Dong Y. 20(S)-protopanaxadiol inhibition of progression and growth of castration-resistant prostate cancer. PLoS One 2014; 9:e111201. [PMID: 25375370 PMCID: PMC4222907 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2014] [Accepted: 09/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Castration-resistant progression of prostate cancer after androgen deprivation therapies remains the most critical challenge in the clinical management of prostate cancer. Resurgent androgen receptor (AR) activity is an established driver of castration-resistant progression, and upregulation of the full-length AR (AR-FL) and constitutively-active AR splice variants (AR-Vs) has been implicated to contribute to the resurgent AR activity. We reported previously that ginsenoside 20(S)-protopanaxadiol-aglycone (PPD) can reduce the abundance of both AR-FL and AR-Vs. In the present study, we further showed that the effect of PPD on AR expression and target genes was independent of androgen. PPD treatment resulted in a suppression of ligand-independent AR transactivation. Moreover, PPD delayed castration-resistant regrowth of LNCaP xenograft tumors after androgen deprivation and inhibited the growth of castration-resistant 22Rv1 xenograft tumors with endogenous expression of AR-FL and AR-Vs. This was accompanied by a decline in serum prostate-specific antigen levels as well as a decrease in AR levels and mitoses in the tumors. Notably, the 22Rv1 xenograft tumors were resistant to growth inhibition by the next-generation anti-androgen enzalutamide. The present study represents the first to show the preclinical efficacy of PPD in inhibiting castration-resistant progression and growth of prostate cancer. The findings provide a rationale for further developing PPD or its analogues for prostate cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Cao
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Yanfeng Qi
- Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Yan Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xichun Liu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Duo Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Wei Guo
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yang Zhan
- Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Zhenggang Xiong
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Allen Zhang
- Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Alun R. Wang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Xueqi Fu
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Haitao Zhang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Lijing Zhao
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
- * E-mail: (LZ); (JG); (YD)
| | - Jingkai Gu
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
- * E-mail: (LZ); (JG); (YD)
| | - Yan Dong
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
- National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
- * E-mail: (LZ); (JG); (YD)
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22
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Cao B, Qi Y, Zhang G, Xu D, Zhan Y, Alvarez X, Guo Z, Fu X, Plymate SR, Sartor O, Zhang H, Dong Y. Androgen receptor splice variants activating the full-length receptor in mediating resistance to androgen-directed therapy. Oncotarget 2014; 5:1646-56. [PMID: 24722067 PMCID: PMC4039237 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.1802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2014] [Accepted: 03/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Upregulation of constitutively-active androgen receptor splice variants (AR-Vs) has been implicated in AR-driven tumor progression in castration-resistant prostate cancer. To date, functional studies of AR-Vs have been focused mainly on their ability to regulate gene expression independent of the full-length AR (AR-FL). Here, we showed that AR-V7 and ARv567es, two major AR-Vs, both facilitated AR-FL nuclear localization in the absence of androgen and mitigated the ability of the antiandrogen enzalutamide to inhibit AR-FL nuclear trafficking. AR-V bound to the promoter of its specific target without AR-FL, but co-occupied the promoter of canonical AR target with AR-FL in a mutually-dependent manner. AR-V expression attenuated both androgen and enzalutamide modulation of AR-FL activity/cell growth, and mitigated the in vivo antitumor efficacy of enzalutamide. Furthermore, ARv567es levels were upregulated in xenograft tumors that had acquired enzalutamide resistance. Collectively, this study highlights a dual function of AR-Vs in mediating castration resistance. In addition to trans-activating target genes independent of AR-FL, AR-Vs can serve as a "rheostat" to control the degree of response of AR-FL to androgen-directed therapy via activating AR-FL in an androgen-independent manner. The findings shed new insights into the mechanisms of AR-V-mediated castration resistance and have significant therapeutic implications.
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MESH Headings
- Androgens/pharmacology
- Animals
- Apoptosis/drug effects
- Benzamides
- Cell Nucleus/metabolism
- Cell Proliferation/drug effects
- Chromatin Immunoprecipitation
- Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/genetics
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/drug effects
- Humans
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Nude
- Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent/drug therapy
- Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent/genetics
- Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent/pathology
- Nitriles
- Phenylthiohydantoin/analogs & derivatives
- Phenylthiohydantoin/pharmacology
- Promoter Regions, Genetic/genetics
- Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant/drug therapy
- Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant/genetics
- Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant/pathology
- Protein Isoforms
- Protein Transport/drug effects
- RNA Splicing/genetics
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Receptors, Androgen/genetics
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Subcellular Fractions
- Transcriptional Activation
- Tumor Cells, Cultured
- Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Cao
- Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, LA
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, China
| | - Yanfeng Qi
- Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, LA
| | - Guanyi Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, China
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, LA
| | - Duo Xu
- Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, LA
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, China
| | - Yang Zhan
- Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, LA
| | | | - Zhiyong Guo
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Xueqi Fu
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, China
| | - Stephen R. Plymate
- Departments of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA
- Department of Urology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA
| | - Oliver Sartor
- Department of Urology, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, LA
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, LA
| | - Haitao Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, China
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, LA
| | - Yan Dong
- Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, LA
- National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine, College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, China
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23
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Zhang H, Zhan Y, Liu X, Qi Y, Zhang G, Sartor O, Dong Y. Splicing variants of androgen receptor in prostate cancer. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL UROLOGY 2013; 1:18-24. [PMID: 25374896 PMCID: PMC4219285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2013] [Accepted: 12/22/2013] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Significant advances in our understanding of continued androgen receptor (AR) signaling in castration-resistant prostate cancer have led to the development and FDA approval of two next-generation androgen-directed therapies, abiraterone and enzalutamide. These new therapies heralded a new era of prostate cancer therapy. However, disease progression during androgen-directed therapies remains the most critical challenge in the clinical management of prostate cancer. Accumulating evidence points to an important contribution of constitutively-active AR splice variants to AR-driven tumor progression during androgen-directed therapies. In this review, we will focus on the structure, activity, detection, clinical relevance, and mechanisms of production of AR splice variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haitao Zhang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of MedicineNew Orleans, LA
- Department of Tulane Cancer CenterNew Orleans, LA
| | - Yang Zhan
- Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of MedicineNew Orleans, LA
| | - Xichun Liu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of MedicineNew Orleans, LA
| | - Yanfeng Qi
- Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of MedicineNew Orleans, LA
| | - Guanyi Zhang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of MedicineNew Orleans, LA
| | - Oliver Sartor
- Department of Urology, Tulane University School of MedicineNew Orleans, LA
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of MedicineNew Orleans, LA
- Department of Tulane Cancer CenterNew Orleans, LA
| | - Yan Dong
- Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of MedicineNew Orleans, LA
- Department of Tulane Cancer CenterNew Orleans, LA
- National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine, College of Life Sciences, Jilin UniversityChina
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24
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Egan A, Dong Y, Zhang H, Qi Y, Balk SP, Sartor O. Castration-resistant prostate cancer: adaptive responses in the androgen axis. Cancer Treat Rev 2013; 40:426-33. [PMID: 24139549 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2013.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2013] [Accepted: 09/06/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The androgen signaling axis in prostate cancer is associated with multiple adaptive mechanisms in response to castration. Herein we review these adaptations with an emphasis on recent molecular insights into the growth and development of castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Alterations include both conventional and novel intracrine androgen synthesis pathways and androgen transport as well as androgen receptor (AR) overexpression, mutation, and splice variation. Each of these underlying mechanisms are potentially linked to post-castration growth, especially after treatment with newer hormonal agents such as abiraterone and enzalutamide. Post-translational AR modifications are well documented and these can affect receptor activity, stability, localization, and interaction with other proteins. Changes in recruitment of androgen receptor associated co-activators/repressors and a distinct AR-induced transcriptional program can dramatically alter proliferation, invasion, and metastasis in a ligand and context-dependent manner. Numerous previously uncharacterized non-coding RNAs, some of which are androgen regulated, may also have important biological function in this disease. Taken together, the view of CRPC has changed dramatically in the last several years. This has occurred not only within the setting of multiple treatment paradigm changes, but also as a multiplicity of potential molecular mechanisms underlying this disease state have been explored and discovered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison Egan
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Yan Dong
- Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; Department of Tulane Cancer Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Haitao Zhang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; Department of Tulane Cancer Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Yanfeng Qi
- Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; Department of Tulane Cancer Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Steven P Balk
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, China and Hematology-Oncology Division, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Oliver Sartor
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; Department of Urology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; Department of Tulane Cancer Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
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25
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Lallous N, Dalal K, Cherkasov A, Rennie PS. Targeting alternative sites on the androgen receptor to treat castration-resistant prostate cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2013; 14:12496-519. [PMID: 23771019 PMCID: PMC3709796 DOI: 10.3390/ijms140612496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2013] [Revised: 05/29/2013] [Accepted: 06/03/2013] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Recurrent, metastatic prostate cancer continues to be a leading cause of cancer-death in men. The androgen receptor (AR) is a modular, ligand-inducible transcription factor that regulates the expression of genes that can drive the progression of this disease, and as a consequence, this receptor is a key therapeutic target for controlling prostate cancer. The current drugs designed to directly inhibit the AR are called anti-androgens, and all act by competing with androgens for binding to the androgen/ligand binding site. Unfortunately, with the inevitable progression of the cancer to castration resistance, many of these drugs become ineffective. However, there are numerous other regulatory sites on this protein that have not been exploited therapeutically. The regulation of AR activity involves a cascade of complex interactions with numerous chaperones, co-factors and co-regulatory proteins, leading ultimately to direct binding of AR dimers to specific DNA androgen response elements within the promoter and enhancers of androgen-regulated genes. As part of the family of nuclear receptors, the AR is organized into modular structural and functional domains with specialized roles in facilitating their inter-molecular interactions. These regions of the AR present attractive, yet largely unexploited, drug target sites for reducing or eliminating androgen signaling in prostate cancers. The design of small molecule inhibitors targeting these specific AR domains is only now being realized and is the culmination of decades of work, including crystallographic and biochemistry approaches to map the shape and accessibility of the AR surfaces and cavities. Here, we review the structure of the AR protein and describe recent advancements in inhibiting its activity with small molecules specifically designed to target areas distinct from the receptor’s androgen binding site. It is anticipated that these new classes of anti-AR drugs will provide an additional arsenal to treat castration-resistant prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nada Lallous
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada.
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26
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Purushottamachar P, Godbole AM, Gediya LK, Martin MS, Vasaitis TS, Kwegyir-Afful AK, Ramalingam S, Ates-Alagoz Z, Njar VCO. Systematic structure modifications of multitarget prostate cancer drug candidate galeterone to produce novel androgen receptor down-regulating agents as an approach to treatment of advanced prostate cancer. J Med Chem 2013; 56:4880-98. [PMID: 23713567 DOI: 10.1021/jm400048v] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
As part of our program to explore the influence of small structural modifications of our drug candidate 3β-(hydroxy)-17-(1H-benzimidazol-1-yl)androsta-5,16-diene (galeterone, 5) on the modulation of the androgen receptor (AR), we have prepared and evaluated a series of novel C-3, C-16, and C-17 analogues. Using structure activity analysis, we established that the benzimidazole moiety at C-17 is essential and optimal and also that hydrophilic and heteroaromatic groups at C-3 enhance both antiproliferative (AP) and AR degrading (ARD) activities. The most potent antiproliferative compounds were 3β-(1H-imidazole-1-carboxylate)-17-(1H-benzimidazol-1-yl)androsta-5,16-diene (47), 3-((EZ)-hydroximino)-17-(1H-benzimidazol-1-yl)androsta-4,16-diene (36), and 3β-(pyridine-4-carboxylate)-17-(1H-benzimidazol-1-yl)androsta-5,16-diene (43), with GI50 values of 0.87, 1.91, and 2.57 μM, respectively. Compared to 5, compound 47 was 4- and 8-fold more potent with respect to AP and ARD activities, respectively. Importantly, we also discovered that our compounds, including 5, 36, 43, and 47, could degrade both full-length and truncated ARs in CWR22rv1 human prostate cancer cells. With these activities, they have potential for development as new drugs for the treatment of all forms of prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Puranik Purushottamachar
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 685 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21201-1559, USA
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27
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Zhan Y, Cao B, Qi Y, Liu S, Zhang Q, Zhou W, Xu D, Lu H, Sartor O, Kong W, Zhang H, Dong Y. Methylselenol prodrug enhances MDV3100 efficacy for treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer. Int J Cancer 2013; 133:2225-33. [PMID: 23575870 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.28202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2013] [Accepted: 03/28/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The next-generation antiandrogen MDV3100 prolongs overall survival of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). However, patient responses are variable, and survival benefit remains relatively small. Developing effective modality to improve MDV3100 efficacy is urgently needed. Recent evidence suggests that constitutively active androgen receptor splice variants (AR-Vs) drive resistance to MDV3100. In our study, we show that methylselenol prodrug downregulates the expression and activity of both the full-length AR (AR-FL) and AR-Vs. The downregulation is independent of androgen and could be attributable to repressed transcription of the AR gene. Cotreatment with methylselenol prodrug and MDV3100 suppresses AR signaling more dramatically than either agent alone, and synergistically inhibits the growth of CRPC cells in vitro. The combinatorial efficacy is observed in not only AR-V-expressing cells but also cells expressing predominantly AR-FL, likely owing to the ability of the two drugs to block the AR signaling cascade at distinct steps. Ectopic expression of AR-FL or AR-V7 attenuates the combinatorial efficacy, indicating that downregulating AR-FL and AR-V7 is importantly involved in mediating the combinatorial efficacy. Significantly, methylselenol prodrug also downregulates AR-FL and AR-Vs in vivo and substantially improves the antitumor efficacy of MDV3100. These findings support a potential combination therapy for improving MDV3100 efficacy, and provide a rationale for evaluating the clinical application of combining methylselenol prodrug with MDV3100 for the treatment of CRPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhan
- National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine, College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
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