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Sharawi ZW, Khatrawi SM, Wang Q, Zhou H, Cyrus K, Yan G, Hoxter B, Haddad BR, Martin MB. Calcium Activation of the Androgen Receptor in Prostate Cells. Int J Endocrinol 2023; 2023:9907948. [PMID: 38131032 PMCID: PMC10733593 DOI: 10.1155/2023/9907948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Although prostate cancer patients initially respond to androgen deprivation therapy, most patients progress to a resistant phenotype. Castration resistance is due, in part, to intratumoral and/or adrenal synthesis of androgens, overexpression or mutation of the androgen receptor (AR), stabilization of AR by chaperones, and ligand-independent activation of AR. Increasing evidence also links disruption of calcium homeostasis to progression of prostate cancer. Our previous study shows that heavy metal cadmium activates the AR through a ligand-independent mechanism. Cadmium mimics calcium in biological systems due to their similar ionic charge and radius. This study determines whether calcium activates AR and whether first- and second-generation antiandrogens block the ability of calcium to activate the receptor. Methods The expression of androgen-responsive genes and calcium channels was measured in prostate cells using a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. Cell growth was measured. Results To ask whether calcium activates AR, prostate cells were treated with calcium in the absence and presence of the first-generation antiandrogens hydroxyflutamide and bicalutamide and the second-generation antiandrogen enzalutamide, and the expression of androgen-responsive genes and cell growth was measured. In the normal PWR-1E cells and HEK293T cells transiently expressing AR, treatment with calcium increased the expression of androgen-responsive genes by approximately 3-fold. The increase was blocked by enzalutamide but was not consistently blocked by the first-generation antiandrogens. In LNCaP cells which contain a mutant AR, treatment with calcium also increased the expression of androgen-responsive genes by approximately 3-fold, and the increase was more effectively blocked by enzalutamide than by hydroxyflutamide or bicalutamide. Treatment with calcium also increased cell growth that was blocked by enzalutamide. To ask whether dysregulation of calcium channels is associated with castration resistance, calcium channels were measured in the normal PWR-1E prostate cells, the hormone-responsive LNCaP cells, and the castration-resistant VCaP and 22RV1 cells. Compared to normal prostate cells, the hormone-responsive and hormone-resistant cells overexpressed several calcium channels. Conclusions The results of this study show that calcium activates AR and increases cell growth and that calcium channels are overexpressed in hormone-responsive and hormone-resistant prostate cancer cells. Taken together, the results suggest a novel role of calcium in the castration-resistant phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeina W. Sharawi
- Departments of Oncology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20007, USA
- Department of Genetics and Human Genetics, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059, USA
- Biological Sciences Department, Faculty of Sciences, King AbdulAziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sawsan M. Khatrawi
- Departments of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20007, USA
| | - Qiaochu Wang
- Departments of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20007, USA
| | - Hongzhao Zhou
- Departments of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20007, USA
| | - Kedra Cyrus
- Departments of Oncology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20007, USA
| | - Gai Yan
- Departments of Oncology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20007, USA
| | - Becky Hoxter
- Departments of Oncology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20007, USA
| | - Bassem R. Haddad
- Departments of Oncology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20007, USA
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Research Building, 3970 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007, USA
| | - Mary Beth Martin
- Departments of Oncology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20007, USA
- Departments of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20007, USA
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Research Building, 3970 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007, USA
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Martin-García D, Téllez T, Redondo M, García-Aranda M. Calcium Homeostasis in the Development of Resistant Breast Tumors. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15112872. [PMID: 37296835 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15112872] [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: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is one of the main health problems worldwide. Only in 2020, this disease caused more than 19 million new cases and almost 10 million deaths, with breast cancer being the most diagnosed worldwide. Today, despite recent advances in breast cancer treatment, a significant percentage of patients will either not respond to therapy or will eventually experience lethal progressive disease. Recent studies highlighted the involvement of calcium in the proliferation or evasion of apoptosis in breast carcinoma cells. In this review, we provide an overview of intracellular calcium signaling and breast cancer biology. We also discuss the existing knowledge on how altered calcium homeostasis is implicated in breast cancer development, highlighting the potential utility of Ca2+ as a predictive and prognostic biomarker, as well as its potential for the development of new pharmacological treatments to treat the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Desirée Martin-García
- Surgical Specialties, Biochemistry and Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga-Plataforma BIONAND (IBIMA-BIONAND), Severo Ochoa, 35, 29590 Málaga, Spain
| | - Teresa Téllez
- Surgical Specialties, Biochemistry and Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga-Plataforma BIONAND (IBIMA-BIONAND), Severo Ochoa, 35, 29590 Málaga, Spain
- Red de Investigación en Servicios de Salud en Enfermedades Crónicas (REDISSEC) and Red de Investigación en Cronicidad, Atención Primaria y Promoción de la Salud (RICAPPS), Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), 29590 Málaga, Spain
| | - Maximino Redondo
- Surgical Specialties, Biochemistry and Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga-Plataforma BIONAND (IBIMA-BIONAND), Severo Ochoa, 35, 29590 Málaga, Spain
- Red de Investigación en Servicios de Salud en Enfermedades Crónicas (REDISSEC) and Red de Investigación en Cronicidad, Atención Primaria y Promoción de la Salud (RICAPPS), Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), 29590 Málaga, Spain
- Research and Innovation Unit, Hospital Costa del Sol, Autovia A-7 km 187, 29602 Marbella, Spain
| | - Marilina García-Aranda
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga-Plataforma BIONAND (IBIMA-BIONAND), Severo Ochoa, 35, 29590 Málaga, Spain
- Red de Investigación en Servicios de Salud en Enfermedades Crónicas (REDISSEC) and Red de Investigación en Cronicidad, Atención Primaria y Promoción de la Salud (RICAPPS), Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), 29590 Málaga, Spain
- Research and Innovation Unit, Hospital Costa del Sol, Autovia A-7 km 187, 29602 Marbella, Spain
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Chen F, Huang Y, Luo L, Wang Q, Huang N, Zhang Z, Li Z. Comprehensive Comparisons between Grafted Kynam Agarwood and Normal Agarwood on Traits, Composition, and In Vitro Activation of AMPK. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28041667. [PMID: 36838655 PMCID: PMC9961698 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28041667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Agarwood, a highly valuable resin/wood combination with diverse pharmacological activities but scarce supply, has a long history of being used as a medicine in several medical systems. Grafted Kynam agarwood (GKA) has been cultivated successfully recently and has the qualities meeting the definition of premium Kynam agarwood. However, there are few comprehensive comparisons between GKA and normal agarwood in terms of traits, global composition, and activity, and some key issues for GKA to be adopted into the traditional Chinese medical (TCM) system have not been elaborated. The two types of agarwood samples were evaluated in terms of trait characteristics, physicochemical indicators, key component groups, and global compositional profile. Furthermore, a molecular docking was performed to investigate the active ingredients. In vitro activity assays were performed to evaluate the activation of adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) by GKA and normal agarwood. The results revealed that, overall, the traits, microscopic characteristics, chemical composition types, and bioactivity between GKA and normal agarwood were similar. The main differences were the content of resin (ethanolic extract content), the content of key component groups, and the composition of the different parent structural groups of 2-(2-phenethyl) chromones (PECs). The contents of total PEC and ethanol extract content of GKA were significantly higher than those of normal agarwood. The MS-based high-throughput analysis revealed that GKA has higher concentrations of sesquiterpenes and flindersia-type 2-(2-phenylethyl) chromones (FTPECs) (m/z 250-312) than normal agarwood. Molecular docking revealed that parent structural groups of FTPECs activated multiple signaling pathways, including the AMPK pathway, suggesting that FTPECs are major active components in GKA. The aim of this paper is to describe the intrinsic reasons for GKA as a high-quality agarwood and a potential source for novel drug development. We combined high-throughput mass spectrometry and multivariate statistical analysis to infer the different components of the two types of agarwood. Then we combined virtual screening and in vitro activity to construct a component/pharmacodynamic relationship to explore the causes of the activity differences between agarwood with different levels of quality and to identify potentially valuable lead compounds. This strategy can also be used for the comprehensive study of other TCMs with different qualities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengming Chen
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Yu Huang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Lu Luo
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
- Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Qiaochu Wang
- Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Nanxi Huang
- Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Zhijie Zhang
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
- Correspondence: (Z.Z.); (Z.L.)
| | - Zhen Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Correspondence: (Z.Z.); (Z.L.)
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Luo L, Li C, Huang N, Wang Q, Zhang Z, Song C, Yang H, Yuan M, Xu Z, Sun J, Zhang Z. Traditional mineral medicine realgar and Realgar-Indigo naturalis formula potentially exerted therapeutic effects by altering the gut microbiota. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1143173. [PMID: 37143539 PMCID: PMC10151705 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1143173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Realgar has a long history ofuse in traditional medicines. However, the mechanism through which Realgar or Realgar-Indigo naturalis formula (RIF) exert therapeutic effects is only partially understood. Methods In this study, 60 feces and 60 ileum samples from rats administered with realgar or RIF were collected to examine the gut microbiota. Results The results showed that realgar and RIF influenced different microbiota in both feces and ileum. Compared with realgar, RIF at low dosage (0.1701 g/3 ml) significantly increased the microbiota diversity. LEfSe and random forest analyses showed that the bacterium Bacteroidales was significantly altered after RIF administration, and it was predicted that these microorganisms contribute to the inorganic arsenic metabolic process. Discussion Our results suggest that realgar and RIF may exert their therapeutic effects through influencing microbiota. The low dose of RIF had greater effects on increasing the diversity of microbiota, and Bacteroidales in feces might participate in the inorganic arsenic metabolic process to exert therapeutic effects for realgar.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Luo
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Chaofeng Li
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Nanxi Huang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Qiaochu Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Zihao Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Chen Song
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hui Yang
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Maowen Yuan
- School of Earth Science and Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ziwen Xu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Jialei Sun
- Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhijie Zhang
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Zhijie Zhang,
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Clemenceau A, Chang SL, Hanna M, Durocher F, Diorio C. Association between vitamin D and calcium intakes, breast microcalcifications, breast tissue age-related lobular involution and breast density. Menopause 2022; 29:1404-1415. [PMID: 36219808 DOI: 10.1097/gme.0000000000002070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To demystify the potential role of vitamin D and calcium intakes in breast carcinogenesis, we explored the association between these two nutrients and three biomarkers of breast cancer risk: the presence of microcalcifications, age-related lobular involution and breast density. METHODS A total of 82 premenopausal and 79 postmenopausal women diagnosed with breast cancer completed a food frequency questionnaire to assess their total vitamin D and calcium intakes. Presence of microcalcifications was determined by reviewing pathology reports. Age-related lobular involution was assessed in nontumoral breast tissue on hematoxylin-eosin-stained slides and percent breast density was assessed by a computer-assisted method. Multivariate generalized linear models were used to evaluate associations between quartiles of vitamin D and calcium intakes and the biomarkers of breast cancer risk. RESULTS Increasing quartiles of vitamin D intake were inversely associated with the presence of microcalcifications (fourth quartile [Q4] prevalence ratio [PR] = 0.55; Ptrend = 0.021) and breast density (Q4-Q1 = -7.7%; Ptrend = 0.023) in postmenopausal women, and positively associated with age-related lobular involution in women with microcalcifications (Q4 PR = 1.62; Ptrend = 0.036). Increasing quartiles of calcium intake were inversely associated with microcalcifications among all (Q4 PR = 0.44), premenopausal (Q4 PR = 0.37) and postmenopausal women (Q4 PR = 0.38; Ptrend < 0.014 for all). It was also inversely associated with breast density in women without microcalcification (Q4-Q1 = -8.3%; Ptrend = 0.047), but positively associated with breast density in women with microcalcifications (Q4-Q1 = 10.0%; Ptrend = 0.032). CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that the association between vitamin D and calcium intakes and breast cancer risk factors could be influenced by the presence of microcalcifications.
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Identification of Calcium Channel-Related Gene P2RX2 for Prognosis and Immune Infiltration in Prostate Cancer. DISEASE MARKERS 2022; 2022:8058160. [PMID: 36246559 PMCID: PMC9553555 DOI: 10.1155/2022/8058160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignancies in men. Calcium signaling is implicated in the progression of prostate cancer and plays a critical role in immune cell function. However, whether specific calcium channel-related genes play a crucial role in the immune cell infiltration levels of prostate cancer requires further research. In this study, we performed an integrated analysis of transcriptional, clinical, and somatic mutation data from The Cancer Genome Atlas database and identified the hub calcium channel-related gene P2RX2 to be associated with the prognosis and immune infiltration of prostate cancer. P2RX2 expression was positively correlated with immune cell infiltration levels and the expression of immune checkpoint genes, and downregulation of P2RX2 led to poor survival in patients with prostate cancer. Furthermore, we validated the molecular and clinical characteristics of P2RX2 by using multiple databases and conducting in-vitro experiments. Additionally, drug sensitivity analysis revealed that patients with low P2RX2 expression were sensitive to docetaxel and Bicalutamide. In conclusion, we revealed an association between calcium channel-related genes and prostate cancer, and identified P2RX2 as a biomarker for early diagnosis, prognosis prediction, and aiding treatment decisions for patients with prostate cancer.
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Combinatorial Therapy of Cancer: Possible Advantages of Involving Modulators of Ionic Mechanisms. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14112703. [PMID: 35681682 PMCID: PMC9179511 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14112703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 05/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Cancer, which is a major health problem, is a complex disease. Currently, the main treatment methods are surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and biological therapies. The latter include hormonal therapies, inhibitors of growth-promoting tyrosine kinase enzymes, and immunotherapy which aims to activate the immune system to destroy tumors. Whilst all these methods work, efficacy is often limited in time (with tumors gradually becoming resistant to treatment). Furthermore, undesirable side effects, which can seriously curtail quality of life, are common. Consequently, in addition to new treatment modalities constantly being developed, it is even more expedient to make existing therapies more effective by combining them with each other or with other agents. Here, we evaluate the evidence for the effectiveness of combining conventional cancer treatments with modulators of ionic mechanisms, mainly channels that permeate sodium, calcium and potassium. We conclude, in every case, that such combinations can produce improved outcome by making given treatments more effective and reducing the undesirable side effects. In addition, ionic modulators by themselves can exert anti-cancer effects. Abstract Cancer is a global health problem that 1 in 2–3 people can expect to experience during their lifetime. Several different modalities exist for cancer management, but all of these suffer from significant shortcomings in both diagnosis and therapy. Apart from developing completely new therapies, a viable way forward is to improve the efficacy of the existing modalities. One way is to combine these with each other or with other complementary approaches. An emerging latter approach is derived from ionic mechanisms, mainly ion channels and exchangers. We evaluate the evidence for this systematically for the main treatment methods: surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and targeted therapies (including monoclonal antibodies, steroid hormones, tyrosine kinase inhibitors and immunotherapy). In surgery, the possible systemic use of local anesthetics to suppress subsequent relapse is still being discussed. For all the other methods, there is significant positive evidence for several cancers and a range of modulators of ionic mechanisms. This applies also to some of the undesirable side effects of the treatments. In chemotherapy, for example, there is evidence for co-treatment with modulators of the potassium channel (Kv11.1), pH regulation (sodium–hydrogen exchanger) and Na+-K+-ATPase (digoxin). Voltage-gated sodium channels, shown previously to promote metastasis, appear to be particularly useful for co-targeting with inhibitors of tyrosine kinases, especially epidermal growth factor. It is concluded that combining current orthodox treatment modalities with modulators of ionic mechanisms can produce beneficial effects including (i) making the treatment more effective, e.g., by lowering doses; (ii) avoiding the onset of resistance to therapy; (iii) reducing undesirable side effects. However, in many cases, prospective clinical trials are needed to put the findings firmly into clinical context.
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