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Zhang ZF, Huang TJ, Zhang XK, Xie YJ, Lin ST, Luo FF, Meng DF, Hu H, Wang J, Peng LX, Qian CN, Cheng C, Huang BJ. AKR1C2 acts as a targetable oncogene in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma via activating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. J Cell Mol Med 2020; 24:9999-10012. [PMID: 32678482 PMCID: PMC7520259 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.15604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The aldo-keto reductases family 1 member C2 (AKR1C2) has critical roles in the tumorigenesis and progression of malignant tumours. However, it was also discovered to have ambiguous functions in multiple cancers and till present, its clinical significance and molecular mechanism in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has been unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the role of AKR1C2 in the tumorigenesis of ESCC. Here, we showed that AKR1C2 expression was found to be up-regulated in ESCC tissues and was significantly associated with pathological stage, lymph node metastasis and worse outcomes. Functional assays demonstrated that an ectopic expression of AKR1C2 in ESCC cells resulted in increased proliferation, migration and cisplatin resistance, while knockdown led to inversing effects. Bioinformation analyses and mechanistic studies demonstrated that AKR1C2 activated the PI3K/AKT signalling pathway, furthermore, the inhibitor of PI3K or the selective inhibitor of AKR1C2 enzyme activity could reverse the aggressiveness and showed synergistic antitumour effect when combined with cisplatin, both in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, Our findings revealed that AKR1C2 could function as an oncogene by activating the PI3K/AKT pathway, as a novel prognostic biomarker and/or as a potential therapeutic target to ESCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhan-Fei Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tie-Jun Huang
- Department of Experimental Research, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xin-Ke Zhang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Second People's Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yu-Jie Xie
- Department of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Si-Ting Lin
- Department of Pathology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fei-Fei Luo
- Department of Pathology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dong-Fang Meng
- Department of Pathology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hao Hu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The People's Hospital of Gaozhou, Maoming, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Pathology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li-Xia Peng
- Department of Pathology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chao-Nan Qian
- Department of Experimental Research, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Radiation Oncology, Guangzhou Concord Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chao Cheng
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bi-Jun Huang
- Department of Pathology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
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Xia D, Lai DV, Wu W, Webb ZD, Yang Q, Zhao L, Yu Z, Thorpe JE, Disch BC, Ihnat MA, Jayaraman M, Dhanasekaran DN, Stratton KL, Cookson MS, Fung KM, Lin HK. Transition from androgenic to neurosteroidal action of 5α-androstane-3α, 17β-diol through the type A γ-aminobutyric acid receptor in prostate cancer progression. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2018; 178:89-98. [PMID: 29155210 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2017.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Revised: 11/10/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Androgen ablation is the standard of care prescribed to patients with advanced or metastatic prostate cancer (PCa) to slow down disease progression. Unfortunately, a majority of PCa patients under androgen ablation progress to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Several mechanisms including alternative intra-prostatic androgen production and androgen-independent androgen receptor (AR) activation have been proposed for CRPC progression. Aldo-keto reductase family 1 member C3 (AKR1C3), a multi-functional steroid metabolizing enzyme, is specifically expressed in the cytoplasm of PCa cells; and positive immunoreactivity of the type A γ-aminobutyric acid receptor (GABAAR), an ionotropic receptor and ligand-gated ion channel, is detected on the membrane of PCa cells. We studied a total of 72 radical prostatectomy cases by immunohistochemistry, and identified that 21 cases exhibited positive immunoreactivities for both AKR1C3 and GABAAR. In the dual positive cancer cases, AKR1C3 and GABAAR subunit α1 were either expressed in the same cells or in neighboring cells. Among several possible substrates, AKR1C3 reduces 5α-dihydrotesterone (DHT) to form 5α-androstane-3α, 17β-diol (3α-diol). 3α-diol is a neurosteroid that acts as a positive allosteric modulator of the GABAAR in the central nervous system (CNS). We examined the hypothesis that 3α-diol-regulated pathological effects in the prostate are GABAAR-dependent, but are independent of the AR. In GABAAR-positive, AR-negative human PCa PC-3 cells, 3α-diol significantly stimulated cell growth in culture and the in ovo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) xenograft model. 3α-diol also up-regulated expression of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) family of growth factors and activation of EGF receptor (EGFR) and Src as measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunoblotting, respectively. Inclusion of GABAAR antagonists reversed 3α-diol-stimulated tumor cell growth, expression of EGF family members, and activation of EGFR and Src to the level observed in untreated cells. Results from the present study suggest that 3α-diol may act as an alternative intra-prostatic neurosteroid that activates AR-independent PCa progression. The involvement of AKR1C3-mediated steroid metabolisms in modulating GABAAR activation and promoting PCa progression requires continued studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ding Xia
- Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, People's Republic of China; Department of Urology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Doan V Lai
- Department of Pathology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Weijuan Wu
- Department of Urology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA; Department of Physiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Zachary D Webb
- Department of Pathology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Qing Yang
- Department of Urology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Lichao Zhao
- Department of Pathology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Zhongxin Yu
- Department of Pathology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Jessica E Thorpe
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy, OKC, OK 73117, USA
| | - Bryan C Disch
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy, OKC, OK 73117, USA
| | - Michael A Ihnat
- Department of Physiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy, OKC, OK 73117, USA
| | | | - Danny N Dhanasekaran
- Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA; Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Kelly L Stratton
- Department of Urology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Michael S Cookson
- Department of Urology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Kar-Ming Fung
- Department of Urology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA; Department of Pathology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA; Department of Pathology, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, OK 73104, USA
| | - Hsueh-Kung Lin
- Department of Urology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA; Department of Physiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA.
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Huffman J, Hoffmann C, Taylor GT. Integrating insulin-like growth factor 1 and sex hormones into neuroprotection: Implications for diabetes. World J Diabetes 2017; 8:45-55. [PMID: 28265342 PMCID: PMC5320748 DOI: 10.4239/wjd.v8.i2.45] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Revised: 09/24/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain integrity and cognitive aptitude are often impaired in patients with diabetes mellitus, presumably a result of the metabolic complications inherent to the disease. However, an increasing body of evidence has demonstrated the central role of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) and its relation to sex hormones in many neuroprotective processes. Both male and female patients with diabetes display abnormal IGF1 and sex-hormone levels but the comparison of these fluctuations is seldom a topic of interest. It is interesting to note that both IGF1 and sex hormones have the ability to regulate phosphoinositide 3-kinase-Akt and mitogen-activated protein kinases-extracellular signal-related kinase signaling cascades in animal and cell culture models of neuroprotection. Additionally, there is considerable evidence demonstrating the neuroprotective coupling of IGF1 and estrogen. Androgens have also been implicated in many neuroprotective processes that operate on similar signaling cascades as the estrogen-IGF1 relation. Yet, androgens have not been directly linked to the brain IGF1 system and neuroprotection. Despite the sex-specific variations in brain integrity and hormone levels observed in diabetic patients, the IGF1-sex hormone relation in neuroprotection has yet to be fully substantiated in experimental models of diabetes. Taken together, there is a clear need for the comprehensive analysis of sex differences on brain integrity of diabetic patients and the relationship between IGF1 and sex hormones that may influence brain-health outcomes. As such, this review will briefly outline the basic relation of diabetes and IGF1 and its role in neuroprotection. We will also consider the findings on sex hormones and diabetes as a basis for separately analyzing males and females to identify possible hormone-induced brain abnormalities. Finally, we will introduce the neuroprotective interplay of IGF1 and estrogen and how androgen-derived neuroprotection operates through similar signaling cascades. Future research on both neuroprotection and diabetes should include androgens into the interplay of IGF1 and sex hormones.
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