1
|
Meng RY, Li CS, Hu D, Kwon SG, Jin H, Chai OH, Lee JS, Kim SM. Inhibition of the interaction between Hippo/YAP and Akt signaling with ursolic acid and 3'3-diindolylmethane suppresses esophageal cancer tumorigenesis. THE KOREAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY & PHARMACOLOGY : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN PHYSIOLOGICAL SOCIETY AND THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF PHARMACOLOGY 2023; 27:493-511. [PMID: 37641811 PMCID: PMC10466072 DOI: 10.4196/kjpp.2023.27.5.493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Hippo/YAP signaling hinders cancer progression. Inactivation of this pathway contributes to the development of esophageal cancer by activation of Akt. However, the possible interaction between Akt and Hippo/YAP pathways in esophageal cancer progression is unclear. In this study, we found that ursolic acid (UA) plus 3'3-diindolylmethane (DIM) efficiently suppressed the oncogenic Akt/Gsk-3β signaling pathway while activating the Hippo tumor suppressor pathway in esophageal cancer cells. Moreover, the addition of the Akt inhibitor LY294002 and the PI3K inhibitor 3-methyladenine enhanced the inhibitory effects of UA plus DIM on Akt pathway activation and further stimulated the Hippo pathway, including the suppression of YAP nuclear translocation in esophageal cancer cells. Silencing YAP under UA plus DIM conditions significantly increased the activation of the tumor suppressor PTEN in esophageal cancer cells, while decreasing p-Akt activation, indicating that the Akt signaling pathway could be down-regulated in esophageal cancer cells by targeting PTEN. Furthermore, in a xenograft nude mice model, UA plus DIM treatment effectively diminished esophageal tumors by inactivating the Akt pathway and stimulating the Hippo signaling pathway. Thus, our study highlights a feedback loop between the PI3K/Akt and Hippo signaling pathways in esophageal cancer cells, implying that a low dose of UA plus DIM could serve as a promising chemotherapeutic combination strategy in the treatment of esophageal cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruo Yu Meng
- Department of Physiology, Institute for Medical Sciences, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju 54907, Korea
| | - Cong Shan Li
- Department of Physiology, Institute for Medical Sciences, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju 54907, Korea
| | - Dan Hu
- Department of Physiology, Institute for Medical Sciences, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju 54907, Korea
| | - Soon-Gu Kwon
- Department of Oral Physiology, School of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea
| | - Hua Jin
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ok Hee Chai
- Department of Anatomy, Institute for Medical Sciences, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju 54907, Korea
| | - Ju-Seog Lee
- Department of Systems Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Soo Mi Kim
- Department of Physiology, Institute for Medical Sciences, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju 54907, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Matsuura N, Tanaka K, Yamasaki M, Yamashita K, Saito T, Makino T, Yamamoto K, Takahashi T, Kurokawa Y, Nakajima K, Eguchi H, Nakagawa H, Doki Y. NOTCH3 limits the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and predicts a favorable clinical outcome in esophageal cancer. Cancer Med 2021; 10:3986-3996. [PMID: 34042293 PMCID: PMC8209574 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.3933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the deadliest of all human squamous cell carcinomas and is characterized by chemotherapy resistance and poor prognosis associated with the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). A subset of ESCC displays loss-of-function mutations in genes encoding Notch receptor family members, including NOTCH3. Although Notch signaling regulates EMT in ESCC cells, the role of NOTCH3 in EMT and chemotherapy resistance remains elusive. This study aimed to examine the role of NOTCH3 in EMT and chemotherapy resistance, and determine whether NOTCH3 expression can be used to predict the response to chemotherapy. METHODS In vitro and in vivo assays were conducted to clarify the contribution of NOTCH3 to chemotherapy resistance. Using specimens from 120 ESCC patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, we compared the expression levels of NOTCH3 and genes involved in EMT according to the degree of chemotherapy sensitivity. RESULTS In ESCC cells, chemotherapy resistance was associated with NOTCH3 downregulation and concurrent activation of EMT. RNA interference to silence NOTCH3 resulted in induction of the EMT marker Vimentin (VIM), leading to chemotherapy resistance in ESCC cells. Conversely, ectopic expression of the activated form of NOTCH3 suppressed EMT and sensitized cells to chemotherapy. Results of chromatin immunoprecipitation assays suggested that NOTCH3 may repress transcription of the VIM. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that NOTCH3 may control chemotherapy sensitivity by regulating EMT. NOTCH3 may serve as a novel biomarker to predict better clinical outcomes in ESCC patients.
Collapse
MESH Headings
- Adult
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Animals
- Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic/pharmacology
- Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use
- Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics
- Biomarkers, Tumor/physiology
- Down-Regulation
- Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/genetics
- Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition/drug effects
- Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition/genetics
- Esophageal Neoplasms/drug therapy
- Esophageal Neoplasms/genetics
- Esophageal Neoplasms/surgery
- Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma/drug therapy
- Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma/genetics
- Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma/surgery
- Esophagectomy
- Female
- Fluorouracil/pharmacology
- Gene Silencing
- Humans
- Loss of Function Mutation
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Mice, Nude
- Middle Aged
- Receptor, Notch3/drug effects
- Receptor, Notch3/genetics
- Receptor, Notch3/metabolism
- Vimentin/metabolism
- Mice
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Norihiro Matsuura
- Department of Gastroenterological SurgeryGraduate School of MedicineOsaka UniversitySuitaOsakaJapan
| | - Koji Tanaka
- Department of Gastroenterological SurgeryGraduate School of MedicineOsaka UniversitySuitaOsakaJapan
| | - Makoto Yamasaki
- Department of Gastroenterological SurgeryGraduate School of MedicineOsaka UniversitySuitaOsakaJapan
| | - Kotaro Yamashita
- Department of Gastroenterological SurgeryGraduate School of MedicineOsaka UniversitySuitaOsakaJapan
| | - Takuro Saito
- Department of Gastroenterological SurgeryGraduate School of MedicineOsaka UniversitySuitaOsakaJapan
| | - Tomoki Makino
- Department of Gastroenterological SurgeryGraduate School of MedicineOsaka UniversitySuitaOsakaJapan
| | - Kazuyoshi Yamamoto
- Department of Gastroenterological SurgeryGraduate School of MedicineOsaka UniversitySuitaOsakaJapan
| | - Tsuyoshi Takahashi
- Department of Gastroenterological SurgeryGraduate School of MedicineOsaka UniversitySuitaOsakaJapan
| | - Yukinori Kurokawa
- Department of Gastroenterological SurgeryGraduate School of MedicineOsaka UniversitySuitaOsakaJapan
| | - Kiyokazu Nakajima
- Department of Gastroenterological SurgeryGraduate School of MedicineOsaka UniversitySuitaOsakaJapan
| | - Hidetoshi Eguchi
- Department of Gastroenterological SurgeryGraduate School of MedicineOsaka UniversitySuitaOsakaJapan
| | - Hiroshi Nakagawa
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer CenterColumbia UniversityNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Yuichiro Doki
- Department of Gastroenterological SurgeryGraduate School of MedicineOsaka UniversitySuitaOsakaJapan
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Han L, Cui D, Li B, Xu WW, Lam AKY, Chan KT, Zhu Y, Lee NPY, Law SYK, Guan XY, Qin YR, Chan KW, Ma S, Tsao SW, Cheung ALM. MicroRNA-338-5p reverses chemoresistance and inhibits invasion of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells by targeting Id-1. Cancer Sci 2019; 110:3677-3688. [PMID: 31646712 PMCID: PMC6890449 DOI: 10.1111/cas.14220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 10/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
5‐Fluorouracil (5‐FU) is a chemotherapeutic agent commonly used to treat esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), but acquisition of chemoresistance frequently occurs and the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. We found that microRNA (miR)‐338‐5p was underexpressed in ESCC cells with acquired 5‐FU chemoresistance. Forced expression of miR‐338‐5p in these cells resulted in downregulation of Id‐1, and restoration of both in vitro and in vivo sensitivity to 5‐FU treatment. The effects were abolished by reexpression of Id‐1. In contrast, miR‐338‐5p knockdown induced 5‐FU resistance in chemosensitive esophageal cell lines, and knockdown of both miR‐338‐5p and Id‐1 resensitized the cells to 5‐FU. In addition, miR‐338‐5p had suppressive effects on migration and invasion of ESCC cells. Luciferase reporter assay confirmed a direct interaction between miR‐338‐5p and the 3′‐UTR of Id‐1. We also found that miR‐338‐5p was significantly downregulated in tumor tissue and serum samples of patients with ESCC. Notably, low serum miR‐338‐5p expression level was associated with poorer survival and poor response to 5‐FU/cisplatin‐based neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. In summary, we found that miR‐338‐5p can modulate 5‐FU chemoresistance and inhibit invasion‐related functions in ESCC by negatively regulating Id‐1, and that serum miR‐338‐5p could be a novel noninvasive prognostic and predictive biomarker in ESCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liang Han
- Li Ka Shing, Faculty of Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Di Cui
- Li Ka Shing, Faculty of Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Bin Li
- Li Ka Shing, Faculty of Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Wen Wen Xu
- Li Ka Shing, Faculty of Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Alfred King Y Lam
- Department of Pathology, Griffith Medical School and Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Kin Tak Chan
- Department of Surgery, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yun Zhu
- Li Ka Shing, Faculty of Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Nikki P Y Lee
- Department of Surgery, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Simon Y K Law
- Department of Surgery, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xin Yuan Guan
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yan Ru Qin
- Department of Clinical Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Kwok Wah Chan
- Department of Pathology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Stephanie Ma
- Li Ka Shing, Faculty of Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Sai Wah Tsao
- Li Ka Shing, Faculty of Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Annie L M Cheung
- Li Ka Shing, Faculty of Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| |
Collapse
|