ABSTRACT
Δ(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ(9)-THC) has been reported as possessing antiestrogenic activity, although the mechanisms underlying these effects are poorly delineated. In this study, we used the estrogen receptor α (ERα)-positive human breast cancer cell line, MCF-7, as an experimental model and showed that Δ(9)-THC exposures markedly suppresses 17ß-estradiol (E2)- induced MCF-7 cell proliferation. We demonstrate that these effects result from Δ(9)-THC's ability to inhibit E2-liganded ERα activation. Mechanistically, the data obtained from biochemical analyses revealed that (i) Δ(9)-THC up-regulates ERß, a repressor of ERα, inhibiting the expression of E2/ERα-regulated genes that promote cell growth and that (ii) Δ(9)-THC induction of ERß modulates E2/ERα signaling in the absence of direct interaction with the E2 ligand binding site. Therefore, the data presented support the concept that Δ(9)-THC's antiestrogenic activities are mediated by the ERß disruption of E2/ERα signaling.
Subject(s)
Dronabinol/pharmacology , Estrogen Receptor beta/metabolism , Estrogens/pharmacology , Signal Transduction/drug effects , Up-Regulation/drug effects , Cell Proliferation/drug effects , Cell Survival/drug effects , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Dronabinol/chemistry , Estrogen Receptor alpha/antagonists & inhibitors , Estrogen Receptor alpha/metabolism , Estrogen Receptor beta/biosynthesis , Humans , Ligands , MCF-7 Cells , Structure-Activity Relationship , Tumor Cells, CulturedABSTRACT
To investigate gene(s) being regulated by ∆(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (∆(9)-THC), we performed DNA microarray analysis of human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells, which are poorly differentiated breast cancer cells, treated with ∆(9)-THC for 48 hr at an IC50 concentration of approximately 25 µM. Among the highly up-regulated genes (> 10-fold) observed, fatty acid 2-hydroxylase (FA2H) was significantly induced (17.8-fold). Although the physiological role of FA2H has not yet been fully understood, FA2H has been shown to modulate cell differentiation. The results of Oil Red O staining after ∆(9)-THC exposure showed the distribution of lipid droplets (a sign of the differentiated phenotype) in cells. Taken together, the results obtained here indicate that FA2H is a novel ∆(9)-THC-regulated gene, and that ∆(9)-THC induces differentiation signal(s) in poorly differentiated MDA-MB-231 cells.
Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms/genetics , Dronabinol/pharmacology , Mixed Function Oxygenases/genetics , RNA, Messenger/metabolism , Transcriptional Activation/drug effects , Breast Neoplasms/pathology , Cell Differentiation/drug effects , Female , Humans , Mixed Function Oxygenases/physiology , Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis , PPAR alpha/physiology , Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction , Tumor Cells, Cultured , Up-RegulationABSTRACT
Cannabidiol (CBD), a major non-psychotropic constituent of fiber-type cannabis plant, has been reported to possess diverse biological activities, including anti-proliferative effect on cancer cells. Although CBD is obtained from non-enzymatic decarboxylation of its parent molecule, cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), few studies have investigated whether CBDA itself is biologically active. Results of the current investigation revealed that CBDA inhibits migration of the highly invasive MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells, apparently through a mechanism involving inhibition of cAMP-dependent protein kinase A, coupled with an activation of the small GTPase, RhoA. It is established that activation of the RhoA signaling pathway leads to inhibition of the mobility of various cancer cells, including MDA-MB-231 cells. The data presented in this report suggest for the first time that as an active component in the cannabis plant, CBDA offers potential therapeutic modality in the abrogation of cancer cell migration, including aggressive breast cancers.
