cyclin-d1 and Rhabdomyosarcoma

Pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma (PRMS) is a rare but highly aggressive soft tissue tumor, accounting for 3% of soft tissue sarcomas. PRMS is the most frequent subtype of RMS in adulthood and it is mainly located in the large muscles of the extremities, particularly the lower limbs and the trunk, more rarely in other locations especially in the bladder. At our knowledge, only six cases of adult pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma of the bladder have been reported in the literature. In this study, we report a case of PRMS of bladder with a very poor prognosis. In fact, the patient died a month after surgery. The tumor was characterized by poorly differentiated, medium-sized sometimes rhabdoid cells, mixed with large-sized and pleomorphic elements with evident anisonucleosis, and with large areas of necrosis. We used an extensive immunohistochemical panel to exclude other tumors much more frequently reported at this site. The positivity for myogenic markers such as actin, desmin, myogenin and MyoD1 allowed the correct diagnosis. Furthermore, since preliminary studies highlighted a series of specific molecular alterations in PMRS cell lines, we analyzed a panel of specific mutations and gene rearrangements by RT-PCR and FISH methods. We showed a copy gains of CCND1 and MALT genes in our samples, suggesting an accurate molecular characterization of PRMS to establish a better management of patients and new therapeutic opportunities.

Topics: Biomarkers, Tumor; Cyclin D1; DNA Mutational Analysis; Fatal Outcome; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue Lymphoma Translocation 1 Protein; Rhabdomyosarcoma; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms

Small round blue cell tumors (SRBCTs) of children and adolescents are often diagnostically challenging lesions. With the increasing diagnostic approach based on small biopsies, there is the need of specific immunomarkers that can help in the differential diagnosis among the different tumor histotypes to assure the patient a correct diagnosis for proper treatment. Based on our recent studies showing cyclin D1 overexpression in both Ewing sarcoma/primitive peripheral neuroectodermal tumor (EWS/pPNET) and peripheral neuroblastic tumors (neuroblastoma and ganglioneuroblastoma), we immunohistochemically assessed cyclin D1 immunoreactivity in 128 cases of SRBCTs in children and adolescents to establish its potential utility in the differential diagnosis. All cases of EWS/pPNET and the undifferentiated/poorly differentiated neuroblastomatous component of all peripheral neuroblastic tumors exhibited strong and diffuse nuclear staining (>50% of neoplastic cells) for cyclin D1. In contrast, this marker was absent from rhabdomyosarcoma (regardless of subtype) and lymphoblastic lymphoma (either B- or T-cell precursors), whereas it was only focally detected (<5% of neoplastic cells) in some cases of Wilms tumor (blastemal component) and desmoplastic small round cell tumor. Our findings suggest that cyclin D1 can be exploitable as a diagnostic adjunct to conventional markers in confirming the diagnosis of EWS/pPNET or neuroblastoma/ganglioneuroblastoma. Its use in routine practice may also be helpful for those cases of SRBCT with undifferentiated morphology that are difficult to diagnose after application of the conventional markers.

Topics: Adolescent; Biomarkers, Tumor; Biopsy; Bone Neoplasms; Cell Differentiation; Child; Child, Preschool; Cyclin D1; Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Ganglioneuroblastoma; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Infant; Kidney Neoplasms; Male; Neuroblastoma; Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive, Peripheral; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma; Predictive Value of Tests; Retrospective Studies; Rhabdomyosarcoma; Sarcoma, Ewing; Wilms Tumor; Young Adult

Recent immunohistochemical analyses have showed that cyclin D1 is expressed in soft tissue Ewing's sarcoma/peripheral neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) of childhood and adolescents, while it is undetectable in both embryonal and alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. In the present paper, microarray analysis provided evidence of a significant upregulation of cyclin D1 in Ewing's sarcoma as compared to normal tissues. In addition, we confirmed our previous findings of a significant over-expression of cyclin D1 in Ewing sarcoma as compared to rhabdomyosarcoma. Bioinformatic analysis also allowed to identify some other genes, strongly correlated to cyclin D1, which, although not previously studied in pediatric tumors, could represent novel markers for the diagnosis and prognosis of Ewing's sarcoma/PNET. The data herein provided support not only the use of cyclin D1 as a diagnostic marker of Ewing sarcoma/PNET but also the possibility of using drugs targeting cyclin D1 as potential therapeutic strategies.

Topics: Biomarkers, Tumor; Bone Neoplasms; Cyclin D1; Gene Expression; Humans; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; Rhabdomyosarcoma; Sarcoma, Ewing

Matrine has a broad-spectrum of anti-cancer effects and is efficient in the inhibition of proliferation of hepatoma cells, leukemia cells and neuroblastoma cell. However, its efficacy and tentative mechanisms in rhabdomyosarcoma have not been addressed before. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Matrine on cell cycle and expression of cyclin D1 in human rhabdomyosarcoma cells (RD cell line). RD cell line was treated with different concentrations (0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mg/mL) of Matrine, and cell proliferation and cell cycle were evaluated using, respectively, MTT assay and flow cytometry. The effect of Matrine on cyclin D1 mRNA levels was measured by RT-PCR. There was a dose-dependent inhibition of proliferation in the matrine-treated group (inhibition of proliferation rate in control cells 12.70 ± 0.35%; Matrine-treated cells [0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mg/mL]: 31.16 ± 0.11%, 42.96 ± 0.9%, and 57.26 ± 0.8%). The G0 / G1 ratio in study groups were, respectively, 58.44 ± 3.57%, 64.79 ± 2.03%, 69.97 ± 2.89% and 75.03 ± 1.23%.Cyclin D1 mRNA levels progressively diminished (control group ratio of cyclin D1 / β-actin: 0.59 ± 0.06; Matrine: 0.35 ± 0.05, 0.27 ± 0.02 and 0.04 ± 0.03). All aforementioned changes were significant (P<0.05). In conclusion, Matrine markedly suppresses cell proliferation in RD cells by decreasing expression of cyclin D1 mRNA and blocking the cell cycle at the G0 / G1 stage.

Topics: Alkaloids; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Cyclin D1; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Down-Regulation; G1 Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; Matrines; Quinolizines; Resting Phase, Cell Cycle; Rhabdomyosarcoma; RNA, Messenger

To investigate the effects of matrine on the proliferation and apoptosis of human rhabdomyosarcoma RD cells in vitro, and to explore the mechanism of matrine inducing apoptosis of RD cells.. MTT assay was used to measure the proliferation inhibition rates of RD cells that were treated with matrine (final concentrations= 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 mg/mL). Flow cytometry was used to evaluate the apoptosis of RD cells treated with the four concentrations of matrine. RT-PCR was used to measure the mRNA expression of cyclin D1 and survivin in RD cells treated with 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mg/mL of matrine.. The RD cells treated with various concentrations of matrine showed significantly higher proliferation inhibition rates and apoptotic rates than those that were not treated with matrine (P<0.01), and with increased matrine concentration, the proliferation inhibition rate of RD cells increased gradually, thus exhibiting a dose dependence. The mRNA expression of cyclin D1 and survivin was seen in all RD cells, but was significantly lower in RD cells treated with matrine than in those that were not treated with matrine (P<0.01). There were significant differences in cyclin D1 mRNA level among the RD cells treated with 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mg/mL of matrine (P<0.05), while there was significant difference in survivin mRNA level between the RD cells treated with 0.5 and 1.5 mg/mL of matrine (P<0.05).. Matrine can significantly inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of RD cells, which may be related to downregulating the mRNA expression of cyclin D1 and survivin.

Topics: Alkaloids; Apoptosis; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Cyclin D1; Humans; Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; Matrines; Quinolizines; Rhabdomyosarcoma; RNA, Messenger; Survivin

Activation of receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) by its ligand, HMGB1, stimulates myogenesis via a Cdc42-Rac1-MKK6-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. In addition, functional inactivation of RAGE in myoblasts results in reduced myogenesis, increased proliferation, and tumor formation in vivo. We show here that TE671 rhabdomyosarcoma cells, which do not express RAGE, can be induced to differentiate on transfection with RAGE (TE671/RAGE cells) but not a signaling-deficient RAGE mutant (RAGEDeltacyto) (TE671/RAGEDeltacyto cells) via activation of a Cdc42-Rac1-MKK6-p38 pathway and that TE671/RAGE cell differentiation depends on RAGE engagement by HMGB1. TE671/RAGE cells also show p38-dependent inactivation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 and c-Jun NH(2) terminal protein kinase and reduced proliferation, migration, and invasiveness and increased apoptosis, volume, and adhesiveness in vitro; they also grow smaller tumors and show a lower tumor incidence in vivo compared with wild-type cells. Two other rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines that express RAGE, CCA and RMZ-RC2, show an inverse relationship between the level of RAGE expression and invasiveness in vitro and exhibit reduced myogenic potential and enhanced invasive properties in vitro when transfected with RAGEDeltacyto. The rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines used here and C2C12 myoblasts express and release HMGB1, which activates RAGE in an autocrine manner. These data suggest that deregulation of RAGE expression in myoblasts might concur in rhabdomyosarcomagenesis and that increasing RAGE expression in rhabdomyosarcoma cells might reduce their tumor potential.

Topics: Animals; Apoptosis; cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein; Cell Differentiation; Cell Line; Cell Movement; Cell Proliferation; Cyclin D1; Enzyme Activation; Enzyme Inhibitors; Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; HMGB1 Protein; Humans; JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; MAP Kinase Signaling System; Mice; Muscle Development; Neoplasm Invasiveness; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; rac1 GTP-Binding Protein; Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products; Receptors, Immunologic; Retinoblastoma Protein; Rhabdomyosarcoma

The vast majority of deaths associated with cancer are a consequence of a complex phenotypic behavior, metastasis, by which tumor cells spread from their primary site of origin to regional and distant sites. This process requires the tumor cell to make numerous adjustments, both subtle and dramatic, to successfully reach, survive, and flourish at favorable secondary sites. It has been suggested that molecular mechanisms accounting for metastatic behavior can recapitulate those employed during embryogenesis. We have shown that the homeodomain transcription factor Six1, known to be required for normal development of migratory myogenic progenitor cells, is sufficient to promote metastatic spread in a mouse model of the pediatric skeletal muscle cancer rhabdomyosarcoma. Here, we report that Six1 is able to activate the expression of a set of protumorigenic genes (encoding cyclin D1, c-Myc, and Ezrin) that can control cell proliferation, survival, and motility. Although the role of Ezrin in cytoskeletal organization and adhesion has been well studied, the means by which its expression is regulated are poorly understood. We now show that the gene encoding Ezrin is a direct transcriptional target of Six1. Moreover, Ezrin is indispensable for Six1-induced metastasis and highly expressed in a panel of representative pediatric cancers. Our data indicate that Ezrin represents a promising therapeutic target for patients with advanced-stage rhabdomyosarcoma and perhaps other malignancies.

Topics: Animals; Cyclin D1; Cytoskeletal Proteins; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Homeodomain Proteins; Humans; Male; Mice; Mice, Nude; Neoplasm Metastasis; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Rhabdomyosarcoma; RNA Interference; RNA, Small Interfering; Transcriptional Activation; Transfection

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) tumors are the most common soft-tissue sarcomas in childhood. In this investigation, we show that myostatin, a skeletal muscle-specific inhibitor of growth and differentiation is expressed and translated in the cultured RMS cell line, RD. The addition of exogenous recombinant myostatin inhibits the proliferation of RD cells cultured in growth media, consistent with the role of myostatin in normal myoblast proliferation inhibition. However, unlike normal myoblasts, upregulation of p21 was not observed. Rather, myostatin signalling resulted in the specific downregulation of both Cdk2 and its cognate partner, cyclin-E. The analysis of Rb reveals that there was no change in its phosphorylation status with myostatin treatment, consistent with D-type-cyclin-Cdk4/6 complexes being active in the absence of p21. Moreover, the activity of Rb appeared to be unchanged between treated and nontreated RD cells, as determined by the ability of Rb to bind E2F1. The examination of NPAT, a substrate of cyclin-E-Cdk2 involved in the transcriptional activation of replication-dependent histone gene expression, revealed that it undergoes a loss of phosphorylation with myostatin treatment. Supporting this, a downregulation in H4-histone gene expression was observed. These results suggest that myostatin could potentially be used as an inhibitor of RMS proliferation and define a previously uncharacterized, Rb-independent mechanism for the inhibition of muscle precursor cell proliferation by myostatin.

Topics: CDC2-CDC28 Kinases; Cell Cycle; Cell Cycle Proteins; Cell Division; Cell Line, Tumor; Cyclin D1; Cyclin E; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4; Cyclin-Dependent Kinases; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Histones; Humans; Myostatin; Nuclear Proteins; Phosphorylation; Proto-Oncogene Proteins; Retinoblastoma Protein; Rhabdomyosarcoma; Transforming Growth Factor beta

Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most commonly occurring soft-tissue sarcoma in children. Some reports have discussed the altered expression and molecular abnormalities of cell-cycle-regulatory proteins in rhabdomyosarcoma; however, variable frequencies of occurrence have been noted. In the current study, among 72 cases of rhabdomyosarcoma, the authors evaluated for the expression of p53, MDM2, p16, p21/WAF1, p27, cyclin D1, cyclin E, pRb and E2F-1 protein immunohistochemically and assessed for proliferative activities using MIB-1. We also analyzed the mutation of the p53 gene in 45 cases, the amplification of the MDM2 gene in 18 cases and the mutation of the H-ras gene in 29 cases, using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded materials. Furthermore, we assessed the correlation between clinicopathologic factors and the results of both immunohistochemical and molecular analyses. Alveolar type affected older patients, and it had a significantly higher mitotic rate compared with the embryonal type (P=0.0226). p53 overexpression was detected in 22 (30.6%) of 72 cases, and 10 (22.2%) of 45 cases had p53 gene abnormalities. As for MDM2, its overexpression was found in nine (12.5%) of 72 cases, and three (16.7%) of 18 cases showed MDM2 amplification. A statistically significant association was observed between immunoreaction for MDM2 and p53 overexpression (P=0.0002), and p53 and MDM2 overexpression was significantly correlated with high MIB-1 labeling indices. E2F-1 labeling indices showed a significantly higher score in alveolar type compared with that seen in embryonal type (P=0.0334), but MIB-1 did not. In conclusion, our study suggests that p53 overexpression may be related to tumor progression because tumors with p53 overexpression have a high proliferative activity in the current study. Alveolar type had a significantly higher both mitotic rate and E2F-1 labeling indices when compared with the embryonal type. The current study is the first report of the correlation of E2F-1 with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma.

Topics: Adolescent; Base Sequence; Cell Cycle Proteins; Child; Cyclin D1; Cyclin E; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27; DNA Mutational Analysis; DNA-Binding Proteins; DNA, Neoplasm; E2F Transcription Factors; E2F1 Transcription Factor; Exons; Female; Gene Amplification; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Ki-67 Antigen; Male; Mutation; Nuclear Proteins; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; Proto-Oncogene Proteins; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2; Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); Retinoblastoma Protein; Rhabdomyosarcoma; Rhabdomyosarcoma, Alveolar; Rhabdomyosarcoma, Embryonal; Transcription Factors; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; Tumor Suppressor Proteins

Using Affymetrix oligonucleotide microarrays, we analyzed mRNA gene expression patterns of 12 primary pediatric rhabdomyosarcomas (RMS) and 11 Ewing's sarcomas (EWS), which belong to the small round blue cell tumors (SRBCTs). Diagnostic classification of these cancers is frequently complicated by the highly similar appearance in routine histology, and additional molecular markers could significantly improve tumor classification. A combination of three independent statistical approaches (t-test, SAM, k-nearest neighborhood analysis) resulted in 101 highly significant probe sets that clearly discriminate between EWS and RMS. We identified novel marker transcripts that have not been previously associated with either RMS or EWS yet, including CITED2, glypican 3 (GPC3), and cyclin D1 (CCND1). Expression levels for selected candidate genes were validated by quantitative real-time reverse-transcription PCR. Furthermore, to identify biologically meaningful trends, functional annotations were assigned to 946 genes differentially expressed between EWS and RMS (t-test). Genes involved in protein biosynthesis (n = 28) and complex assembly (n = 9), lipid metabolism (n = 23), energy generation (n = 22), and mRNA processing (n = 11) were expressed significantly higher in EWS. Thus, functional annotation of tumor-specific genes reveals detailed insights into tumor biology and differentiation-specific expression patterns and gives important clues related to the possible cellular origin of these pediatric tumors. Supplementary material for this article is available at the International Journal of Cancer website at http://www.interscience.wiley.com/jpages/0020-7136/suppmat/index.html.

Topics: Biomarkers, Tumor; Cell Differentiation; Cell Line, Tumor; Child; Cyclin D1; Disease Progression; DNA Primers; DNA-Binding Proteins; Fibroblasts; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Genetic Markers; Glypicans; Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans; Humans; Lipid Metabolism; Models, Statistical; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; Repressor Proteins; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Rhabdomyosarcoma; RNA, Complementary; RNA, Messenger; Sarcoma, Ewing; Trans-Activators