alitretinoin and Stomach-Neoplasms

In order to investigate the inhibitory effects and mechanisms of troglitazone (TGZ), a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) agonist, and retinoid X receptor (RXR) agonist (9-cis-retinoic acid (RA)) on gastric carcinoma cells SGC7901, SGC7901 cells were treated with TGZ and 9-cis-RA, respectively, or in combination. Then, the cell growth, apoptosis, morphological changes, and the expression of PPARγ, RXRγ, Bcl-2, and Bax were detected by MTT assay, flow cytometry, HE staining, immunocytochemistry staining, and Western blot assay, respectively. Our results showed that the growth of SGC7901 cells was inhibited and the cells got sparser at the concentrations of 50 μmol/L TGZ, 20 μmol/L 9-cis-RA, or combination of TGZ (25 μmol/L) and 9-cis-RA (10 μmol/L). Immunocytochemistry and Western blot showed that after 72 h, the expression of PPARγ, RXRγ, and Bax were upregulated; Bcl-2 was downregulated compared with the negative control group. These data indicated that PPARγ agonist and RXR agonist could inhibit the proliferation of SGC7901 cells via inducing the apoptosis, which involved the increase in the level of Bax/Bcl-2. The combination of RXR agonist and PPARγ agonist could induce the maximal inhibitory effects on tumor growth and apoptosis via promoting the formation of RXR/PPARγ heterodimer.

Topics: Alitretinoin; Antineoplastic Agents; Apoptosis; bcl-2-Associated X Protein; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Chromans; Down-Regulation; Humans; Hypoglycemic Agents; Intercalating Agents; PPAR gamma; Propidium; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; Retinoid X Receptors; Stomach Neoplasms; Thiazolidinediones; Tretinoin; Troglitazone; Up-Regulation

Antitumor effect of 9-cis retinoic acid (9-cis RA) on gastric carcinoma is unclear yet. This study was to explore the inducement effect of 9-cis RA on cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of gastric carcinoma cell line MGC803 and its mechanism.. The expression of RXRalpha, Cyclin D1, and CDK4 in MGC803 cells was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Cell cycle was detected by flow cytometry. The growth inhibition was analyzed by MTT assay. The apoptosis was detected by agarose gel electrophoresis and Hoechst33342/PI staining. The expression of apoptosis-associated gene Bcl-2 was detected by SP immunocytochemistry.. When treated with 0.1-10 micromol/L 9-cis RA for 96 h, the proliferation of MGC803 cells was significantly inhibited. The proportion of MGC803 cells at G1 phase was significantly increased when treated with 10 micromol/L 9-cis RA for 48, 72, and 96 h, and showed an apparent G1 phase arrest. When treated with 9-cis RA for 72 h, typical apoptotic changes, such as chromatin condensation and DNA ladder, were observed in MGC803 cells. The expression of Bcl-2 was significantly decreased in MGC803 cells when treated with 10 micromol/L 9-cis RA for 48 h. RXRalpha expression was at a low level in MGC803 cells and up-regulated when treated with 10 micromol/L 9-cis RA for 48 h (P<0.01). The expression of Cyclin D1 and CDK4 in MGC803 cells was both significantly down-regulated when treated with 10 micromol/L 9-cis RA for 96 h (P<0.01).. 9-Cis RA could induce G1 phase arrest and apoptosis in MGC803 cells through down-regulating the expression of cell cycle factors Cyclin D1 and CDK4.

Topics: Alitretinoin; Antineoplastic Agents; Apoptosis; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Cyclin D1; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4; G1 Phase; Humans; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; Retinoid X Receptor alpha; RNA, Messenger; Stomach Neoplasms; Tretinoin

Retinoid X receptor (RXR) plays a crucial role in the cross talk between retinoid receptors and other hormone receptors including the orphan receptor TR3, forming different heterodimers that transduce diverse steroid/thyroid hormone signaling. Here we show that RXRalpha exhibits nucleocytoplasmic shuttling in MGC80-3 gastric cancer cells and that RXRalpha shuttling is energy-dependent through a nuclear pore complex (NPC)-mediated pathway for its import and an intact DNA binding domain-mediated pathway for its export. In the presence of its ligand 9-cis retinoic acid, RXRalpha was almost exclusively located in the cytoplasm. More importantly, we also show that RXRalpha acts as a carrier to assist translocation of TR3, which plays an important role in apoptosis. Both RXRalpha and TR3 colocalized in the nucleus; however, upon stimulation by 9-cis retinoic acid they cotranslocated to the cytoplasm and then localized in the mitochondria. TR3 export depends on RXRalpha, as in living cells GFP-TR3 alone did not result in export from the nucleus even in the presence of 9-cis retinoic acid, whereas GFP-TR3 cotransfected with RXRalpha was exported out of the nucleus in response to 9-cis retinoic acid. Moreover, specific reduction of RXRalpha levels caused by anti-sense RXRalpha abolished TR3 nuclear export. In contrast, specific knockdown of TR3 by antisense-TR3 or TR3-siRNA did not affect RXRalpha shuttling. These results indicate that RXRalpha is responsible for TR3 nucleocytoplasmic translocation, which is facilitated by the RXRalpha ligand 9-cis retinoic acid. In addition, mitochondrial TR3, but not RXRalpha, was critical for apoptosis, as TR3 mutants that were distributed in the mitochondria induced apoptosis in the presence or absence of 9-cis retinoic acid. These data reveal a novel aspect of RXRalpha function, in which it acts as a carrier for nucleocytoplasmic translocation of orphan receptors.

Topics: 3T3 Cells; Active Transport, Cell Nucleus; Alitretinoin; Animals; Apoptosis; Cell Nucleus; Cytoplasm; DNA-Binding Proteins; Down-Regulation; Green Fluorescent Proteins; HeLa Cells; Humans; Mice; Mitochondria; Nuclear Pore; Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4, Group A, Member 1; Oligonucleotides, Antisense; Protein Transport; Receptors, Steroid; Receptors, Thyroid Hormone; Retinoid X Receptor alpha; RNA Interference; Stomach Neoplasms; Tretinoin

The effect of 9-cis-retinoic acid (9-cis-RA) on the growth of eight gastric cancer cell lines was related to their transcription levels of mRNAs for retinoid receptors. Northern blot analysis showed that seven (TMK-1, MKN-1, -28, -45, -74, HSC-39, KATO-III) out of eight gastric cancer cell lines synthesized mRNAs for retinoic acid receptors (RARs) and retinoid X receptor-alpha (RXR-alpha). MKN-7 cells did not transcribe either RARs or RXR-alpha at the mRNA level although they appeared to have no alterations at the gene level. The growth of all of the cell lines except for MKN-7 cells was inhibited by 1 x 10(-6) M 9-cis-RA. Cell cycle distribution analysis revealed that G0-G1 arrest was not induced by exposure to 9-cis-RA in the sensitive TMK-1 and KATO-III cells or the resistant MKN-7 cells. Interestingly, 9-cis-RA temporarily increased the amount of the cyclin dependent kinase (cdk) inhibitor, Waf1/Cip1/Sdi1/p21 protein, and also reduced the amount of cdk-7, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and cyclin D1 proteins, followed by reduction in phosphorylation of the product of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor gene (Rb) in the sensitive TMK-1 cells, but not in the resistant MKN-7 cells. These results suggest that 9-cis-RA has a cytostatic effect on gastric cancer cells that synthesize the receptor molecules through cell cycle regulatory machinery.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Alitretinoin; Antineoplastic Agents; Cell Cycle; Cell Division; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; Cyclins; Humans; Receptors, Retinoic Acid; Retinoid X Receptors; RNA, Messenger; Signal Transduction; Stomach Neoplasms; Transcription Factors; Tretinoin; Tumor Cells, Cultured