Characterization of peripheral benzodiazepine receptors in rat prostatic adenocarcinoma

The Role οf Ion Channels in the Development and Progression of Prostate Cancer

Ion channels have major regulatory functions in living cells. Apart from their role in ion transport, they are responsible for cellular electrogenesis and excitability, and may also regulate tissue homeostasis. Although cancer is not officially classified as a channelopathy, it has been increasingly recognized that ion channel aberrations play an important role in virtually all cancer types. Ion channels can exert pro-tumorigenic activities due to genetic or epigenetic alterations, or as a response to molecular signals, such as growth factors, hormones, etc. Increasing evidence suggests that ion channels and pumps play a critical role in the regulation of prostate cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis evasion, migration, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and angiogenesis. There is also evidence suggesting that ion channels might play a role in treatment failure in patients with prostate cancer. Hence, they represent promising targets for diagnosis, staging, and treatment, and their effects may be of particular significance for specific patient populations, including those undergoing anesthesia and surgery. In this article, the role of major types of ion channels involved in the development and progression of prostate cancer are reviewed. Identifying the underlying molecular mechanisms of the pro-tumorigenic effects of ion channels may potentially inform the development of novel therapeutic strategies to counter this malignancy.

Translocator Protein PET Imaging in a Preclinical Prostate Cancer Model

PURPOSE

The identification and targeting of biomarkers specific to prostate cancer (PCa) could improve its detection. Given the high expression of translocator protein (TSPO) in PCa, we investigated the use of [¹⁸F]VUIIS1008 (a novel TSPO-targeting radioligand) coupled with positron emission tomography (PET) to identify PCa in mice and to characterize their TSPO uptake.

PROCEDURES

Pten^pc-/-, Trp53^pc-/- prostate cancer-bearing mice (n = 9, 4-6 months old) were imaged in a 7T MRI scanner for lesion localization. Within 24 h, the mice were imaged using a microPET scanner for 60 min in dynamic mode following a retro-orbital injection of ~ 18 MBq [¹⁸F]VUIIS1008. Following imaging, tumors were harvested and stained with a TSPO antibody. Regions of interest (ROIs) were drawn around the tumor and muscle (hind limb) in the PET images. Time-activity curves (TACs) were recorded over the duration of the scan for each ROI. The mean activity concentrations between 40 and 60 min post radiotracer administration between tumor and muscle were compared.

RESULTS

Tumor presence was confirmed by visual inspection of the MR images. The uptake of [¹⁸F]VUIIS1008 in the tumors was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that in the muscle, where the percent injected dose per unit volume for tumor was 7.1 ± 1.6 % ID/ml and that of muscle was < 1 % ID/ml. In addition, positive TSPO expression was observed in tumor tissue analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

The foregoing preliminary data suggest that TSPO may be a useful biomarker of PCa. Therefore, using TSPO-targeting PET ligands, such as [¹⁸F]VUIIS1008, may improve PCa detectability and characterization.

The translocator protein as a potential molecular target for improved treatment efficacy in photodynamic therapy

Since its serendipitous discovery over 30 years ago, the translocator protein (18 kDa) has been demonstrated to play an important role in a multitude of critical biological processes. Although implemented as a novel therapeutic and diagnostic tool for a variety of disease states, its most promising role is as a molecular target for anticancer treatments such as photodynamic therapy (PDT). This review gives an overview of the attempts made by researchers to design porphyrin-based photosensitizers for use as anticancer therapeutics in PDT as well as improved imaging agents for diagnostic purposes. With a better understanding of the structure and function of the translocator protein, the synthesis of porphyrins for use in PDT with optimum binding affinities will become ever more possible.

Mitochondrial cholesterol: mechanisms of import and effects on mitochondrial function

Mitochondria require cholesterol for biogenesis and membrane maintenance, and for the synthesis of steroids, oxysterols and hepatic bile acids. Multiple pathways mediate the transport of cholesterol from different subcellular pools to mitochondria. In steroidogenic cells, the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) interacts with a mitochondrial protein complex to mediate cholesterol delivery to the inner mitochondrial membrane for conversion to pregnenolone. In non-steroidogenic cells, several members of a protein family defined by the presence of a StAR-related lipid transfer (START) domain play key roles in the delivery of cholesterol to mitochondrial membranes. Subdomains of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), termed mitochondria-associated ER membranes (MAM), form membrane contact sites with mitochondria and may contribute to the transport of ER cholesterol to mitochondria, either independently or in conjunction with lipid-transfer proteins. Model systems of mitochondria enriched with cholesterol in vitro and mitochondria isolated from cells with (patho)physiological mitochondrial cholesterol accumulation clearly demonstrate that mitochondrial cholesterol levels affect mitochondrial function. Increased mitochondrial cholesterol levels have been observed in several diseases, including cancer, ischemia, steatohepatitis and neurodegenerative diseases, and influence disease pathology. Hence, a deeper understanding of the mechanisms maintaining mitochondrial cholesterol homeostasis may reveal additional targets for therapeutic intervention. Here we give a brief overview of mitochondrial cholesterol import in steroidogenic cells, and then focus on cholesterol trafficking pathways that deliver cholesterol to mitochondrial membranes in non-steroidogenic cells. We also briefly discuss the consequences of increased mitochondrial cholesterol levels on mitochondrial function and their potential role in disease pathology.

The role of glutamate decarboxylase 65 in gastric cancer development, progression, and prognosis

AIMS

Recent studies have revealed that glutamate decarboxylase 65 (GAD65) plays important roles in cancer progression. The role of GAD65 in gastric cancer development, progression and prognosis is currently unknown, and we aimed to investigate this.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Immunohistochemistry revealed that GAD65 expression in 313 gastric cancer tissues was significantly higher than in 60 adjacent non-tumour tissues. Moreover, the expression level of GAD65 significantly correlated with the depth of tumour invasion and TNM stage. GAD65 expression level was a significant prognostic factor in univariate survival analysis, but did not remain an independent prognostic factor following Cox multivariate analysis. For tumours with an intermediate type growth pattern, when those showing low expression of GAD65 were reclassified with expanding type tumours, and those showing high expression with infiltrative type tumours, there was a significant difference in prognosis between these two novel subgroups, and this remained a significant prognostic factor in multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate that GAD65 is involved in the development and progression of gastric cancer as a tumour oncoprotein. Further elucidation of the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of GAD65 is warranted.

Translocator protein blockade reduces prostate tumor growth

PURPOSE

The transmembrane molecule, translocator protein (TSPO), has been implicated in the progression of epithelial tumors. TSPO gene expression is high in tissues involved in steroid biosynthesis, neurodegenerative disease, and in cancer, and overexpression has been shown to contribute to pathologic conditions including cancer progression in several different models. The goal of our study was to examine the expression and biological relevance of TSPO in prostate cancer and show that the commonly prescribed benzodiazepine lorazepam, a ligand for TSPO, exhibits anticancer properties.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

Immunohistochemical analysis using tissue microarrays was used to determine the expression profile of TSPO in human prostate cancer tissues. To show the effect of TSPO ligands (lorazepam and PK11195) in prostate cancer, we used cell proliferation assays, apoptosis ELISA, prostate cancer xenograft study, and immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

TSPO expression is increased in prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, primary prostate cancer, and metastases compared with normal prostate tissue and benign prostatic hyperplasia. Furthermore, TSPO expression correlates with disease progression, as TSPO levels increased with increasing Gleason sum and stage with prostate cancer metastases demonstrating the highest level of expression among all tissues examined. Functionally, we have shown that lorazepam has antiproliferative and proapoptotic properties in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, we have shown that TSPO overexpression in nontumorigenic cells conferred susceptibility to lorazepam-induced growth inhibition.

CONCLUSION

These data suggest that blocking TSPO function in tumor cells induces cell death and denotes a survival role for TSPO in prostate cancer and provides the first evidence for the use of benzodiazepines in prostate cancer therapeutics.

Pharmacological evaluation of [123I]-CLINDE: a radioiodinated imidazopyridine-3-acetamide for the study of peripheral benzodiazepine binding sites (PBBS)

PURPOSE

The study aims to evaluate the iodinated imidazopyridine, N',N'-diethyl-6-Chloro-(4'-[(123)I]iodophenyl)imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine-3-acetamide ([(123)I]-CLINDE) as a tracer for the study of peripheral benzodiazepine binding sites (PBBS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In vitro studies were performed using membrane homogenates and sections from kidney, adrenals, and brain cortex of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and incubated with [(123)I]-CLINDE. For in vivo studies, the rats were injected with [(123)I]-CLINDE. In competition studies, PBBS-specific drugs PK11195 and Ro 5-4864 and the CBR specific drug Flumazenil were injected before the radiotracer.

RESULTS

In vitro binding studies in adrenal, kidney, and cortex mitochondrial membranes indicated that [(123)I]-CLINDE binds with high affinity to PBBS, K(d) = 12.6, 0.20, and 3.84 nM, respectively. The density of binding sites was 163, 5.3, and 0.34 pmol/mg protein, respectively. In vivo biodistribution indicated high uptake in adrenals (5.4), heart (1.5), lungs (1.5), kidney (1.5) %ID/g at 6 h p.i. In the central nervous system (CNS), the olfactory bulbs displayed the highest uptake; up to six times the activity in blood. Pre-administration of unlabeled CLINDE, PK11195 and Ro 5-4864 (1 mg/kg) reduced the uptake of [(123)I]-CLINDE by 70-55% in olfactory bulbs. In the kidney and heart, a reduction of 60-80% ID/g was observed, while an increase was observed in the adrenals requiring 10 mg/kg for significant displacement. Flumazenil had no effect on uptake in peripheral organs and brain. Metabolite analysis indicated >90% of the radioactivity in the above tissues was intact [(123)I]-CLINDE.

CONCLUSION

[(123)I]-CLINDE displays high and selective uptake for the PBBS and warrants further development as a probe for imaging PBBS using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).

Peripheral benzodiazepine receptor and its clinical targeting

Tumor cell targeted therapies, by induction or enhancement of apoptosis, constitute recent promising approaches achieving more specific anti-tumor efficacy. The peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR), which belongs to the permeability transition pore (PTP), the central regulatory complex of apoptosis, is a potential target. A number of findings argue in favor of the development of PBR targeting approaches: (i) overexpression of PBR has been described in a large range of human cancers, (ii) PTP-mediated regulation of programmed cell death is an apoptotic-inducing factor-independent check-point that could be modulated by various conventional cancer therapies, and (iii) PBR ligation enhances apoptosis induction in many types of tumors and reverses Bcl-2 cytoprotective effects. Altogether, these observations support the use of PBR-directed drugs, particularly PBR ligands such as Ro5-4864, in the treatment of human cancers.

The peripheral benzodiazepine receptor in photodynamic therapy with the phthalocyanine photosensitizer Pc 4

The peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) is an 18 kDa protein of the outer mitochondrial membrane that interacts with the voltage-dependent anion channel and may participate in formation of the permeability transition pore. The physiological role of PBR is reflected in the high-affinity binding of endogenous ligands that are metabolites of both cholesterol and heme. Certain porphyrin precursors of heme can be photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy (PDT), which depends on visible light activation of porphyrin-related macrocycles. Because the apparent binding affinity of a series of porphyrin analogs for PBR paralleled their ability to photoinactivate cells, PBR has been proposed as the molecular target for porphyrin-derived photocytotoxicity. The phthalocyanine (Pc) photosensitizer Pc 4 accumulates in mitochondria and structurally resembles porphyrins. Therefore, we tested the relevance of PBR binding on Pc 4-PDT. Binding affinity was measured by competition with 3H-PK11195, a high-affinity ligand of PBR, for binding to rat kidney mitochondria (RKM) or intact Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. To assess the binding of the Pc directly, we synthesized 14C-labeled Pc 4 and found that whereas Pc 4 was a competitive inhibitor of 3H-PK11195 binding to the PBR, PK11195 did not inhibit the binding of 14C-Pc 4 to RKM. Further, 14C-Pc 4 binding to RKM showed no evidence of saturation up to 10 microM. Finally, when Pc 4-loaded CHO cells were exposed to activating red light, apoptosis was induced; Pc 4-PDT was less effective in causing apoptosis in a companion cell line overexpressing the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2. For both cell lines, PK11195 inhibited PDT-induced apoptosis; however, the inhibition was transient and did not extend to overall cell death, as determined by clonogenic assay. The results demonstrate (1) the presence of low-affinity binding sites for Pc 4 on PBR; (2) the presence of multiple binding sites for Pc 4 in RKM and CHO cells other than those that influence PK11195 binding; and (3) the ability of high supersaturating levels of PK11195 to transiently inhibit apoptosis initiated by Pc 4-PDT, with less influence on overall cell killing. We conclude that the binding of Pc 4 to PBR is less relevant to the photocytotoxicity of Pc 4-PDT than are other mitochondrial events, such as photodamage to Bcl-2 and that the observed inhibition of Pc 4-PDT-induced apoptosis by PK11195 likely occurs through a mechanism independent of PBR.

Peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptors in the regulation of proliferation of MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cell line

Peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptors (PBR) have been implicated in cell proliferation. The aim of the present study was to test the effect of the PBR ligands PK 11195 and Ro 5-4864 and the central-type benzodiazepine receptor ligand clonazepam on breast carcinoma cell proliferation, using [3H] thymidine incorporation. We then carried out a study to identify where the PBR-specific ligands Ro 5-4864 and PK 11195 act in the cell cycle, using flow cytometric analysis. We found PBR expression in the malignant breast cancer tumors, representing various levels of estrogen and/or progesterone receptors, as well as in the MCF-7 breast carcinoma cell line. PK 11195 and Ro 5-4864 inhibited cell proliferation at concentrations of 10(-5) to 10(-4) M, while clonazepam (the central-type benzodiazepine receptor-specific ligand) had no effect. In this same concentration range, PK 11195 and Ro 5-4864, in contrast to clonazepam, induced an accumulation of MCF-7 cells in both the G0-G1 and G2-M phases of the cell cycle. The present study demonstrates that PBR ligands play a role in regulating cell proliferation in the human breast carcinoma cell line MCF-7.

Cytotoxic effects of 125I-labeled PBZr ligand PK 11195 in prostatic tumor cells: therapeutic implications

The effect of [125I]PK 11195 was examined in human prostatic tumor cells (DU 145) in culture and compared with Na[125I] and non-radioactive PK 11195. [125I]PK 11195 was clearly cytocidal. The data for dose-related cell survival with [125I]PK 11195 showed a linear relationship. Na[125I] or non-labeled PK 11195 at similar concentrations did not lead to any cell killing. The uptake of [125I]PK 11195 and [3H]PK 11195 in cells was very similar. Fragmentation of DNA measured by agarose gel electrophoresis showed that exposure of DU 145 cells to [1251]PK 11195 for 1, 4 or 24 h caused no fragmentation. These results indicate that nuclear DNA is not the prime binding site for [125I]PK 11195, which is consistent with the presence of specific peripheral benzodiazepine receptors (PBZr) in the mitochondria. The cell killing effect of [125I]PK 11195 suggests the use of PBZr ligand for radiotherapy.

Photoaffinity labeling of peripheral benzodiazepine receptors in R-3327 Dunning prostatic tumors

Photoaffinity labeling of peripheral benzodiazepine receptors (PBZr) in mitochondrial and microsomal fractions from AT-1, H, and G Dunning R-3327 tumor sublines was performed using the photoaffinity ligand 3H-PK 14105. Subsequent sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) revealed specific labeling of a 17 kDa protein in the microsomal fractions from these tumors. In the mitochondrial fractions, however, two bands with the apparent molecular mass of 17 and 18 kDa in AT-1 and H tumors were identified, whereas only the 17 kDa band was present in G tumors. Using another ligand, 3H-flunitrazepam, to photoaffinity label PBZr, proteins with molecular masses of 17, 30, 42, and 48 kDa were identified. These data suggest the possibility of different subclasses of PBZrs in Dunning prostatic tumors.

Androgen regulation of the messenger RNA encoding diazepam-binding inhibitor/acyl-CoA-binding protein in the rat

Our recent finding that diazepam-binding inhibitor/acyl-CoA-binding protein (DBI/ACBP) expression is regulated by androgens in the human prostatic adenocarcinoma cell line LNCaP, prompted us to study whether androgen regulation of DBI/ACBP also occurs in vivo in the prostate and in other organs of the rat. Northern blot analysis demonstrated that DBI/ACBP transcripts were expressed in male accessory sex organs such as ventral prostate, dorsolateral prostate, seminal vesicles and coagulating glands. Castration caused a 1.7- to 2.7-fold reduction in the levels of DBI/ACBP transcripts over a period of 6 days. Readministration of androgens during the last 3 days led to 4.2- to 7.5- fold higher levels of DBI/ACBP transcripts than in untreated castrates. In situ hybridization revealed that in the ventral prostate, DBI/ACBP transcripts were expressed predominantly in epithelial cells and that the observed effects of androgens were due both to modulation of gene expression per cell and to changes in cell composition. Androgen regulation of DBI/ACBP mRNA expression was also observed in the lacrimal glands, the adrenals, and the submandibular glands, but not in the liver and the kidney. These findings demonstrate that DBI/ACBP is androgen-regulated in vivo in various organs of the rat. In view of the proposed role of DBI/ACBP in the control of multiple biological processes, DBI/ACBP may be one of the target genes by which androgens affect a variety of physiological processes.

Modulation of peripheral benzodiazepine receptor density by testosterone in Dunning G prostatic adenocarcinoma

Effect of orchiectomy on peripheral benzodiazepine receptors (PBZr) density in hormone sensitive, poorly differentiated Dunning G rat prostatic tumors were studied. A significant increase in PBZr density (1.4-fold) was observed in both mitochondrial fractions (m-fractions) and microsomal fractions (p-fractions) of tumors from orchiectomized rats as compared to tumors from sham operated controls. Substitution with testosterone in orchiectomized rats repressed the PBZr density in both m- and p-fractions to that of the control animals. The data strongly suggest a regulatory role of testosterone on the PBZr density in these hormone sensitive prostatic tumors.