fatostatin and Endometrial-Neoplasms

Progesterone resistance can significantly restrict the efficacy of conservative treatment for patients with endometrial cancer who wish to preserve their fertility or those who suffer from advanced and recurrent cancer. SREBP1 is known to be involved in the occurrence and progression of endometrial cancer, although the precise mechanism involved remains unclear. In the present study, we carried out microarray analysis in progesterone-sensitive and progesterone-resistant cell lines and demonstrated that SREBP1 is related to progesterone resistance. Furthermore, we verified that SREBP1 is over-expressed in both drug-resistant tissues and cells. Functional studies further demonstrated that the inhibition of SREBP1 restored the sensitivity of endometrial cancer to progesterone both in vitro and in vivo, and that the over-expression of SREBP1 promoted resistance to progesterone. With regards to the mechanism involved, we found that SREBP1 promoted the proliferation of endometrial cancer cells and inhibited their apoptosis by activating the NF-κB pathway. To solve the problem of clinical application, we found that Fatostatin, an inhibitor of SREBP1, could increase the sensitivity of endometrial cancer to progesterone and reverse progesterone resistance by inhibiting SREBP1 both in vitro and in vivo. Our results highlight the important role of SREBP1 in progesterone resistance and suggest that the use of Fatostatin to target SREBP1 may represent a new method to solve progesterone resistance in patients with endometrial cancer.

Topics: Endometrial Neoplasms; Endometrium; Female; Humans; NF-kappa B; Pyridines; Regulatory Elements, Transcriptional; Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 1; Thiazoles; Transfection; Uterine Diseases

Endometrial carcinoma is a type of gynecological cancer that originates in the endometrial epithelial tissue. Due to its high proliferation and ability to invade muscle tissue, it is one of the most common malignant tumors in the female reproductive system. Fatostatin is a small molecule non-sterol diarylthiazole derivative that acts as a chemical inhibitor of the sterol regulatory-element binding protein (SREBP) pathway. Previous studies have shown that fatostatin has an anti-tumor effect in some cancers. In this study, we investigated the effect of fatostatin on the growth, proliferation, apoptosis, migration and cell cycle of human endometrial carcinoma cells (HEC-1A and AN3 CA cells) using cholecystokinin (CCK) -8 method, clonogenicity assay, wound closure assay, Transwell migration assay and flow cytometer. We also examined its effect on the expression of apoptosis-associated protein (Caspase-3, Caspase-8 and Caspase-9) and level of lipid metabolism-related proteins, free fatty acid, and total cholesterol in cells. The growth of endometrial carcinoma xenografts was measured to confirm the effect of fatostatin in vivo. Our results showed that fatostatin inhibited the growth and proliferation of human endometrial carcinoma cells, changed their cell cycle and induced apoptosis. Based on the preliminary animal experiments, fatostatin also exhibited antitumor activity. The present study adds a new dimension to our understanding of the antitumor effects of fatostatin and provides an experimental basis for its use, and supports its potential value for clinical application.

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Apoptosis; Caspase 3; Caspase 8; Caspase 9; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Movement; Cell Survival; Cholesterol; Endometrial Neoplasms; Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; Female; Humans; Lipid Metabolism; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Pyridines; Thiazoles; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Fatostatin, a chemical inhibitor of the sterol regulatory element‑binding protein (SREBP) pathway, has been reported to possess high antitumor activity against prostate and pancreatic cancer. The main aim of the present study was to investigate the effects and mechanism of fatostatin in endometrial carcinoma (EC). In the present study, we determined that fatostatin inhibited EC cell viability and colony formation capacity, decreased the invasive and migratory capacities of EC cells, induced EC cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and stimulated caspase‑mediated apoptosis of EC cells. In addition, fatostatin significantly decreased the protein expression levels of nuclear SREBPs and their downstream genes and increased the protein expression levels of cleaved caspase‑9, caspase‑3 and PARP in EC cells. In addition, the mRNA expression levels of SREBP‑controlled downstream genes were also significantly downregulated. The quantification assays of fatty acids and total cholesterol revealed that the levels of free fatty acids and total cholesterol in EC cells were decreased. The present study indicated that fatostatin exhibited antitumor effects by blocking SREBP‑regulated metabolic pathways and inducing caspase‑mediated apoptosis in EC and may be a potent therapeutic strategy for the treatment of EC.

Topics: Apoptosis; Caspases; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Cell Survival; Endometrial Neoplasms; Female; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; Metabolic Networks and Pathways; Pyridines; Stem Cells; Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Proteins; Thiazoles