Progesterone Enhances Calcitriol Antitumor Activity by Upregulating Vitamin D Receptor Expression and Promoting Apoptosis in Endometrial Cancer Cells
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Published OnlineFirst May 16, 2013; DOI: 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-12-0493 Cancer Prevention Research Article Research Progesterone Enhances Calcitriol Antitumor Activity by Upregulating Vitamin D Receptor Expression and Promoting Apoptosis in Endometrial Cancer Cells Laura R. Lee1, Pang-Ning Teng4, Huyen Nguyen1, Brian L. Hood4, Leyla Kavandi1, Guisong Wang4, Jane M. Turbov6, Larry G. Thaete6, Chad A. Hamilton3, George L. Maxwell5, Gustavo C. Rodriguez6, Thomas P. Conrads4, and Viqar Syed1,2 Abstract Human studies suggest that progesterone and calcitriol may prove beneficial in preventing or inhibiting oncogenesis, but the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. The current study investigates the effects of progesterone, calcitriol, and their combination on immortalized human endometrial epithelial cells and endometrial cancer cells and identifies their targets of action. Combination treatment with both agents enhanced vitamin D receptor expression and inhibited cell proliferation through caspase-3 activation and induction of G0–G1 cell-cycle arrest with associated downregulation of cyclins D1 and D3 and p27 induction. We used mass spectrometry–based proteomics to measure protein abundance differences between calcitriol-, progesterone-, or combination-exposed endometrial cells. A total of 117 proteins showed differential expression among these three treatments. Four proteins were then selected for validation studies: histone H1.4 (HIST1H1E), histidine triad nucleotide-binding protein 2 (HINT2), IFN-induced, double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase (EIF2AK2), and Bcl-2–associated X protein (BAX). Abun- dance levels of selected candidates were low in endometrial cancer cell lines versus the immortalized endometrial epithelial cell line. All four proteins displayed elevated expression in cancer cells upon exposure to calcitriol, progesterone, or the combination. Further BAX analysis through gain- or loss-of-function experiments revealed that upregulation of BAX decreased cell proliferation by changing the BAX:BCL-2 ratio. Knockdown of BAX attenuated progesterone- and calcitriol-induced cell growth inhibition. Our results showed that progesterone and calcitriol upregulate the expression of BAX along with other apoptosis-related proteins, which induce inhibition of endometrial cancer cell growth by apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest. Cancer Prev Res; 6(7); 731–43. Ó2013 AACR. Introduction and adjuvant therapy is administered in selected cases based Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic on surgico-pathologic factors predictive of recurrence risk. malignancy in the United States. In 2012, 47,130 new cases For early-stage disease, outcomes are quite favorable with 5- are anticipated, resulting in 8,010 deaths (1). Endometrial year survival rates more than 90% (2). However, the num- cancer is usually treated with surgical removal of the uterus ber of women presenting with endometrial cancer in an advanced-stage or a high histologic grade, which is indic- ative of a poor prognosis, is increasing and mortality rates are rising (3, 4). Discovery of novel molecular targets for the Authors' Affiliations: Departments of 1Obstetrics and Gynecology and 2Molecular and Cell Biology, Uniformed Services University of the Health diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of endometrial cancer Sciences; 3Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Walter Reed National Mil- is imperative to improve the management and outcome of 4 itary Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland; Women's Health Integrated this disease. Research Center at Inova Health System, Department of Defense Gyne- cologic Cancer Center of Excellence, Annandale; 5Department of Obstet- A strong body of clinical and epidemiologic evidence rics and Gynecology, Inova Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, Virginia; and suggests that progestins are highly effective endometrial 6Division of Gynecologic Oncology, North Shore University Health System, University of Chicago, Evanston, Illinois cancer preventive agents. Routine use of progestins lowers endometrial cancer risk and the protective effect increases Note: Supplementary data for this article are available at Cancer Prevention Research Online (http://cancerprevres.aacrjournals.org/). with increasing progestin potency. In premenopausal women, use of progestin containing oral contraceptives Corresponding Author: Viqar Syed, Department of Obstetrics and Gyne- cology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Room# confers a significant reduction in endometrial cancer risk A-3080, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814. Phone: 301-295- (5–7). In addition, progestin-potent oral contraceptives 3128; Fax: 301-295-6774; E-mail: [email protected] have enhanced endometrial cancer protective effects doi: 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-12-0493 compared with oral contraceptives containing weak pro- Ó2013 American Association for Cancer Research. gestins (8, 9). In menopausal women, the addition of a www.aacrjournals.org 731 Downloaded from cancerpreventionresearch.aacrjournals.org on September 27, 2021. © 2013 American Association for Cancer Research. Published OnlineFirst May 16, 2013; DOI: 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-12-0493 Lee et al. progestin to estrogen replacement therapy decreases the rationale for chemoprevention or treatment trials using this risk of precancerous endometrial hyperplasias, suggesting combination. chemopreventive effects of progestins on the endometri- um (10, 11). Currently, progestins are often used as Materials and Methods salvage therapy in patients with recurrent endometrial Cell lines and culture conditions cancer and in young patients to preserve childbearing The immortalized human endometrial epithelial cell capacity (12). Progesterone mediates its inhibitory effects line, EM-E6/E7-TERT, established and characterized by on the endometrium and endometrial cancer via the Dr. Satoru Kyo, (Kanazawa University, School of Medi- progesterone receptor (PR), an intracellular steroid cine, Kanazawa, Japan) was kindly provided to us in receptor with A and B isoforms. An increase in the 2008. This line was not authenticated by us once received response rates to progestin therapy and improved survival in our laboratory. Human endometrial cancer cell lines outcomes have been reported in tumors with a higher HEC-1B and RL-95 were obtained from the American percentage of PR (12, 13). Progestin potency can be Type Culture Collection (ATCC) and Ishikawa cell line enhanced by either increasing the dosage of progestin or was obtained from Sigma. These human-derived cell lines by selecting a pharmacologically potent progestin. How- were authenticated by DNA short-tandem repeat analysis ever, both of these approaches are likely to be associated by ATCC and Sigma. All 4 cell lines were initially expand- with an increase in side effects that would be undesirable ed and cryopreserved within 1 month of receipt. Cells for long-term chemoprevention in women. An alternative were typically used for 3 months, at which time a fresh strategy would be to combine a shorter course or lower vial of cryopreserved cells was used. The cells were rou- dose of progestin with a second preventive agent that has tinely tested for Mycoplasma. an excellent safety profile and enhances the potency of the Immortalized epithelial endometrial (EM-E6/E7-TERT) progestin. cells were established and characterized by Kyo and collea- There is a growing body of epidemiologic and laboratory gues (23). Primary endometrial epithelial cells were trans- evidence in support of vitamin D for the prevention of formed by the combination of human papillomavirus-16 a number of malignancies including endometrial cancer E6/E7 expression and telomerase activation by the intro- (14, 15). Vitamin D3, produced in the epidermis or duction of human telomerase reverse transcriptase obtained from the diet, is metabolized to the dihydroxy- (hTERT). The immortalized cells contained no chromo- lated form [calcitriol, 1,25-(OH)2D3] to be biologically somal abnormalities, retained responsiveness to sex-steroid active. Calcitriol is well known for its antiproliferative roles hormones, exhibited glandular structure on 3-dimensional through multiple mechanisms including the induction of culture, and lacked transformed phenotypes on soft agar or cell-cycle arrest, apoptosis, and differentiation in a variety of in nude mice. The cells were grown in Dulbecco’s modified cancer types, including prostate, breast cancer, colon, skin, Eagle medium (DMEM). Ishikawa cells were derived from a and leukemic cells (16–18). The inhibitory role of calcitriol well-differentiated adenocarcinoma of the human endome- in cellular growth and proliferation potentially provides trial epithelium from a 39-year-old woman, and express protection from various types of cancers, as indicated by functional steroid receptors for estrogen, progesterone, and several epidemiologic studies (19, 20). However, as calci- androgen. Cells were grown in DMEM:F12 supplemented triol has been found to be efficacious in several preclinical with insulin (Invitrogen). HEC-1-B cells derived from a and clinical studies, dose-limiting calcemic effects have moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma of endometrial proved a major obstacle for the use of this compound as epithelium from a 71-year-old patient were cultured in a chemotherapeutic or chemopreventive agent (14, 15). Eagle minimum essential medium (Invitrogen). RL95-2 One approach to limit the toxicity is to use lower concen- was derived from a grade 2 moderately differentiated ade- trations of calcitriol