Vitamin D analog EB1089 induces apoptosis in a subpopulation of SGC-7901 gastric cancer cells through a mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathway

The vitamin D receptor agonist EB1089 can exert its antiviral activity independently of the vitamin D receptor

Vitamin D has been shown to have antiviral activity in a number of different systems. However, few studies have investigated whether the antiviral activity is exerted through the vitamin D receptor (VDR). In this study, we investigated whether the antiviral activity of a vitamin D receptor agonist (EB1089) towards dengue virus (DENV) was modulated by VDR. To undertake this, VDR was successively overexpressed, knocked down and retargeted through mutation of the nuclear localization signal. In no case was an effect seen on the level of the antiviral activity induced by EB1089, strongly indicating that the antiviral activity of EB1089 is not exerted through VDR. To further explore the antiviral activity of EB1089 in a more biologically relevant system, human neural progenitor cells were differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells, and infected with Zika virus (ZIKV). EB1089 exerted a significant antiviral effect, reducing virus titers by some 2Log10. In support of the results seen with DENV, no expression of VDR at the protein level was observed. Collectively, these results show that the vitamin D receptor agonist EB1089 exerts its antiviral activity independently of VDR.

Vitamin D as a Potential Therapeutic Option in Cancer Treatment: Is There a Role for Chemoprevention?

BACKGROUND

Vitamin D (Vit D) serves as a precursor to the potent steroid hormone calcitriol, which regulates numerous genes that control homeostasis, epithelial cell differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis. Low level of Vit D is implicated in the development and progression of several diseases including bone fractures, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and cancers. The present review highlights the role of vitamin D in cancer with a particular emphasis on genetic variants related to Vit D metabolism as well as clinical trials of Vit D supplementation as a potential therapeutic option in the treatment of cancer patients.

METHODS

Data were collected following an electronic search in the Web of Science, Medline, PubMed, and Scopus databases by using some keywords such as "cancer", "tumor", "malignancy", "vitamin D", "cholecalciferol" and "calcitriol".

RESULTS

The collected evidence from the studies revealed a consistent and strong association between Vit D status and cancer risk and survival. The associations between Vit D-related genetic variants and cancer survival support the hypothesis that Vit D may affect cancer outcomes. The mechanisms whereby Vit D reduces cancer risk and increases survival are regulation of cellular differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis as well as decreased angiogenesis in tumor microenvironment and inhibition of metastasis.

CONCLUSION

There is a paucity of evidence-based recommendations for the optimal 25(OH)D levels in patients with cancer and the role of Vit D supplementation for primary or secondary prevention of cancer. Well-designed and sufficiently powered randomized clinical trials are necessary to assess the clinical application of Vit D in enhancing the clinical efficacy of standard and adjuvant chemotherapy regimens.

Progesterone induces apoptosis by activation of caspase-8 and calcitriol via activation of caspase-9 pathways in ovarian and endometrial cancer cells in vitro

Previously we have shown inhibition of endometrial cancer cell growth with progesterone and calcitriol. However, the mechanisms by which the two agents attenuate proliferation have not been well characterized yet. Herein, we investigated how progesterone and calcitriol induce apoptosis in cancer cells. DNA fragmentation was upregulated by progesterone and calcitriol in ovarian and endometrial cancer cells. Time-dependent treatment of ovarian cancer cells, ES-2, and TOV-21G with progesterone enhanced caspase -8 activity after 12 h, whereas OV-90, TOV-112D, HEC-1A, and HEC-59 cells showed increased activity after 24 h. Caspase 9 activity was increased in all cell lines after 24 h treatment with calcitriol. Pretreatment of cancer cells with a caspase-8 inhibitor (z-IETD-fmk) or caspase-9 inhibitor (Z-LEHD-fmk) significantly attenuated progesterone and calcitriol induced caspase-8 and caspase-9 expression, respectively. The expression of FasL, Fas, FAD, and pro-caspase-8, which constitute the death-inducing signaling complex (DISC), was upregulated in progesterone treated cancer cells. Knockdown of FAS or FADD with specific siRNAs significantly blocked progesterone-induced caspase-8. Cleavage of the BID was not affected by caspase-8 activation suggesting the absence of cross-talk between caspase-8 and caspase-9 pathways. Calcitriol treatment decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and increased the release of cancer cytochrome C. These findings indicate that progesterone induces apoptosis through activation of caspase-8 and calcitriol through caspase-9 activation in cancer cells. A combination of progesterone-calcitriol activates both extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways in cancer cells.

Pathogenic roles of alterations in vitamin D and vitamin D receptor in gastric tumorigenesis

Gastric cancer is currently the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, especially in Japan, Korea and China, and the 5-year survival rate of gastric cancer is less than 30%. Thus, it is important to shed more lights on novel agents to prevent gastric cancer or to improve survival rate of the patients. Vitamin D not only maintains calcium and bone homeostasis, but also mostly inhibits tumor genesis, invasion, and metastasis through activation of vitamin D receptor. Although epidemiological results are not consistent, accumulating evidence from gastric cancer cells, animal models, and clinical trials suggest that vitamin D deficiency may increase the risk and mortality of gastric cancer, but vitamin D supplement might be a safe and economical way to prevent or treat gastric cancer. Here, we reviewed the current studies on vitamin D and its receptor and focused on the pathogenic roles of their alterations in gastric tumorigenesis.

Epithelial–mesenchymal transition and gastric cancer stem cell

Gastric cancer remains a big health problem in China. Gastric cancer cells contain a small subpopulation of cells that exhibit capabilities of differentiation and tumorigenicity. A putative explanation for ineffective therapy is the presence of cancer stem-like cells. Side population cells, which have cancer stem-like cells’ property, are characterized by the high efflux ability of Hoechst 33342 dye. Side population cells have been isolated from gastric cancer cell lines in previous studies. The epithelial–mesenchymal transition is very important in the invasion and metastasis of epithelial-derived cancers. More and more studies showed that gastric cancer stem-like cells possess high invasive ability and epithelial–mesenchymal transition property. A brief overview of the recent advancements in gastric cancer stem-like cells and epithelial–mesenchymal transition will be helpful for providing novel insight into gastric cancer treatment.

Association between serum vitamin D levels and gastric cancer: A retrospective chart analysis

AIM

To determine whether there is an increased risk of gastric adenocarcinoma associated with vitamin D deficiency (VDd).

METHODS

A retrospective case control study was performed of all patients diagnosed with gastric adenocarcinoma between 2005 and 2015. After we excluded the patients without a documented vitamin D level, 49 patients were included in our study.

RESULTS

The average age of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma and documented vitamin D level was 64 years old (95%CI: 27-86) and average vitamin D level was 20.8 mg/dL (95%CI: 4-44). Compared to a matched control group, the prevalence of VDd/insufficiency in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma was significantly higher than normal vitamin D levels (83.7% vs 16.3%). Forty-one patients (83.7%) with adenocarcinoma showed VDd/insufficiency compared to 18 (37%) patients with normal vitamin D level without gastric cancer (OR: 8.8, 95%CI: 5-22, P value < 0.0001). The average age of males with gastric adenocarcinoma diagnosis was 60 years old vs 68 years old for females (P = 0.01). Stage II gastric adenocarcinoma was the most prevalent in our study (37%).

CONCLUSION

We reported a positive relationship between VDd and gastric adenocarcinoma, that is to say, patients with decreased VDd levels have an increased propensity for gastric adenocarcinoma.

Polymorphic variants in the vitamin D pathway genes and the risk of ovarian cancer among non-carriers of BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations

Previous studies have produced inconsistent results regarding the contribution of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene to ovarian cancer (OC) in various ethnicities. Additionally, little has been established with regard to the role of SNPs located in the retinoid X receptor α (RXRA), vitamin D-binding protein [also know as group-specific component (GC)] and VDR genes in non-carriers of the breast cancer 1/2 early onset (BRCA1/BRCA2) gene mutations. All participating individuals in the present study were evaluated for BRCA1 mutations (5382incC, C61G and 4153delA) with HybProbe assays, and for BRCA2 mutation (5946delT) using high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis. The associations of 8 SNPs located in RXRA, GC and VDR were investigated in OC patients without the BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations (n=245) and healthy controls (n=465). Genotyping of RXRA rs10881578 and rs10776909, and GC rs1155563 and rs2298849 SNPs was conducted by HRM analysis, while RXRA rs749759, GC rs7041, VDR BsmI rs1544410 and FokI rs2228570 genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. In addition, the gene-gene interactions among all tested SNPs were studied using the epistasis option in PLINK software. The lowest P-values of the trend test were identified for VDR rs1544410 and GC rs2298849 as P_trend=0.012 and P_trend=0.029, respectively. It was also found that, in the dominant inheritance model, VDR BsmI contributed to an increased risk of OC [odds ratio (OR), 1.570; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.136-2.171; P=0.006; P_corr=0.048]. The gene-gene interaction analysis indicated a significant interaction between RXRA rs749759 and VDR FokI rs2228570 (OR for interaction, 1.687; χ²=8.278; asymptotic P-value=0.004; P_corr=0.032). In conclusion, this study demonstrated that certain VDR and RXRA SNPs may be risk factors for OC in non-carriers of BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations in the Polish population.

Gallic acid as a selective anticancer agent that induces apoptosis in SMMC-7721 human hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Gallic acid (3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid; GA) is a naturally occurring plant polyphenol, isolated from water caltrop, which has been reported to exert anticancer effects. The present study investigated the antiproliferative effects of GA on the HepG2 and SMMC-7721 human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines using MTT and colony formation assays. In particular, the underlying mechanism of GA-induced apoptosis in SMMC-7721 cells was studied in vitro by flow cytometry and western blotting. The results of the present study indicated that GA was capable of inhibiting the proliferation of HepG2 and SMMC-7721 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner, as well as inducing the apoptosis of SMMC-7721 cells. GA induced caspase-3, caspase-9 and reactive oxygen species activity, elevated the expression of apoptosis regulator Bcl-2-like protein 4 and reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential in SMMC-7721 cells. When compared with HL-7702 normal human hepatocytes, GA demonstrated selective toxicity for HCC cells. In conclusion, GA is able to induce apoptosis in SMMC-7721 cells in vitro via mitochondrial-mediated pathways, and may possess the potential to be a novel therapeutic compound for use in the treatment of HCC.

The proapoptotic protein Bim is up regulated by 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and its receptor agonist in endothelial cells and transformed by viral GPCR associated to Kaposi sarcoma

We have previously shown that 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1α,25(OH)2D3] and its less calcemic analog TX 527 induce apoptosis via caspase-3 activation in endothelial cells (SVEC) and endothelial cells transformed by the viral G protein-coupled receptor associated to Kaposi sarcoma (vGPCR). In this work, we studied whether intrinsic apoptotic pathway could be activated by changing the balance between anti and pro-apoptotic proteins. Time response qRT-PCR analysis demonstrated that the mRNA level of anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-2 decreased after 12h and increased after 48h treatment with 1α,25(OH)2D3 or TX 527 in SVEC and vGPCR cells, whereas its protein level remained unchanged through time. mRNA levels of pro-apoptotic gene Bax significantly increased only in SVEC after 24 and 48h treatment with 1α,25(OH)2D3 and TX 527 although its protein levels remained unchanged in both cell lines. Bim mRNA and protein levels increased in SVEC and vGPCR cells. Bim protein increase by 1α,25(OH)2D3 and TX 527 was abolished when the expression of vitamin D receptor (VDR) was suppressed. On the other hand, Bortezomib (0.25-1nM), an inhibitor of NF-κB pathway highly activated in vGPCR cells, increased Bim protein levels and induced caspase-3 cleavage. Altogether, these results indicate that 1α,25(OH)2D3 and TX 527 trigger apoptosis by Bim protein increase which turns into the activation of caspase-3 in SVEC and vGPCR cells. Moreover, this effect is mediated by VDR and involves NF-κB pathway inhibition in vGPCR.

Role of vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms in pancreatic cancer: a case-control study in China

The study was conducted to investigate the relationship between vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene rs2228570 and rs1544410 polymorphisms and pancreatic cancer (PC). Two hundred fifty-eight PC patients and 385 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. The genotypes of rs2228570 and rs1544410 were assayed using the polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were applied to determine the association between PC-onset risk and VDR gene polymorphisms. Contingency table analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between the gene polymorphisms and clinicopathological tumor features such as location, pathological differentiation, and the TNM classification of PC. In rs2228570, the T loci and genotypes with T allele could increase the risk of PC; in rs1544410, the G loci and genotypes AG + GG could decrease the onset risk of PC significantly. The contingency table analysis indicated that the rs2228570 polymorphisms were correlated with the pathological differentiation of PC significantly, and the rs1544410 polymorphisms were correlated with the TNM classification of PC significantly. In conclusion, the VDR gene polymorphisms were correlated with incidence, pathological differentiation, and the TNM classification of PC significantly in our study population. So, the VDR polymorphisms have important implications in the incident rate and survival rate of PC.

Cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induced by 1α,25(OH)2D3 and TX 527 in Kaposi sarcoma is VDR dependent

We have previously shown that 1α,25(OH)2-Vitamin D3 [1α,25(OH)2D3] and its less calcemic analog TX 527 inhibit the proliferation of endothelial cells transformed by the viral G protein-coupled receptor associated to Kaposi sarcoma (vGPCR) and this could be partially explained by the inhibition of the NF-κB pathway. In this work, we further explored the mechanism of action of both vitamin D compounds in Kaposi sarcoma. We investigated whether the cell cycle arrest and subsequent apoptosis of endothelial cells (SVEC) and SVEC transformed by vGPCR (SVEC-vGPCR) elicited by 1α,25(OH)2D3 and TX 527 were mediated by the vitamin D receptor (VDR). Cell cycle analysis of SVEC and SVEC-vGPCR treated with 1α,25(OH)2D3 (10nM, 48h) revealed that 1α,25(OH)2D3 increased the percentage of cells in the G0/G1 phase and diminished the percentage of cells in the S phase of the cell cycle. Moreover, the number of cells in the S phase was higher in SVEC-vGPCR than in SVEC due to vGPCR expression. TX 527 exerted similar effects on growth arrest in SVEC-vGPCR cells. The cell cycle changes were suppressed when the expression of the VDR was blocked by a stable transfection of shRNA against VDR. Annexin V-PI staining demonstrated apoptosis in both SVEC and SVEC-vGPCR after 1α,25(OH)2D3 and TX 527 treatment (10nM, 24h). Cleavage of caspase-3 detected by Western blot analysis was increased to a greater extent in SVEC than in SVEC-vGPCR cells, and this effect was also blocked in VDR knockdown cells. Altogether, these results suggest that 1α,25(OH)2D3 and TX 527 inhibit the proliferation of SVEC and SVEC-vGPCR and induce apoptosis by a mechanism that involves the VDR.

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D₃ and cisplatin synergistically induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in gastric cancer cells

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] plays an anticancer role in multiple types of cancer and potentiates the cytotoxic effects of several common chemotherapeutic agents. The hypercalcemia caused by 1,25(OH)2D3 alone or resistance to cisplatin weaken the anticancer effects of vitamin D. Thus, in this study, we aimed to investigate the synergistic effects of 1,25(OH)2D3 and cisplatin on the apoptosis and cell cycle progression of gastric cancer cells. BGC-823 human gastric cancer cells were treated with 1,25(OH)2D3 or cisplatin alone, or a combination of both agents. Cell apoptosis was assessed by TUNEL assay and flow cytometry. The expression of the apoptosis-related proteins, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-3 and caspase-8, was examined using immunoblot analysis. ERK and AKT phosphorylation were examined by immunoblot analysis. The cell cycle distribution was determined by propidium iodide staining and flow cytometric analysis. p21 and p27 protein expression was also examined using immunoblot analysis. Our results revealed that co-treatment with 1,25(OH)2D3 enhanced cisplatin-induced apoptosis and upregulated the expression of Bax, and promoted the cleavage of PARP and caspase-3. The phosphorylation levels of ERK and AKT were reduced following combined treatment with 1,25(OH)2D3 and cisplatin. The percentage of cells in the G0/G1 phase was greater in the cells treated with the combined treatment than in those treated with either 1,25(OH)2D3 or cisplatin alone. p21 and p27 expression was upregulated following co-treatment with both agents. The results of this study suggest that 1,25(OH)2D3 potentiates cisplatin-mediated cell growth inhibition and cell apoptosis, which involves the upregulation of Bax, a decrease in ERK and AKT phosphorylation levels, and increased p21 and p27 levels.