ABSTRACT
Previous studies documented the ability of quinazoline-based alpha1-adrenoceptor antagonists to induce apoptosis in prostate cancer cells via an alpha 1-adrenoceptor-independent mechanism. In this study we investigated the molecular events initiating this apoptotic effect. Since transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) mediates prostate epithelial cell apoptosis, we hypothesised that the activation of the TGF-beta 1 pathway underlies the quinazoline-based apoptotic effect in prostate cancer cells. Treatment of the androgen-independent human prostate cancer cells PC-3 with doxazosin resulted in a strong caspase-3 activation within 24 h, whereas tamsulosin, a sulphonamide-based alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonist, had no significant apoptotic effect against prostate cancer cells. To identify the molecular components involved in this quinazoline-mediated apoptosis, cDNA microarray analysis of PC-3 prostate cancer cells treated with doxazosin (3 h) was performed. Induced expression of several genes was observed including p21(WAF-1) and I kappa B alpha (inhibitor of NF-kappa B alpha). Relative quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed induction of several TGF-beta1 signalling effectors: Induction of mRNA for Smad4 and the TGF-beta1-regulated apoptosis-inducing transcription factor TGF-beta1-inducible early gene (TIEG1) was detected within the first 6 h of doxazosin treatment. Upregulation of I kappa B alpha at both the mRNA and protein level was also detected after 6 h of treatment. Furthermore, doxazosin resulted in a considerable elevation in Smad4 and TIEG protein expression (6 h). A 'latent' increase in TGF-beta mRNA expression was detected after 48 h of treatment. These findings suggest that the quinazoline-based doxazosin mediates prostate cancer apoptosis by initially inducing the expression of TGF-beta1 signalling effectors and subsequently I kappa B alpha. The present study provides an initial insight into the molecular targets of the apoptotic action of quinazolines against prostate cancer cells.
Subject(s)
Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists/pharmacology , Apoptosis/drug effects , Doxazosin/pharmacology , Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic , Prostatic Neoplasms/pathology , Quinazolines/pharmacology , Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-1/drug effects , Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-1/physiology , Transforming Growth Factor beta/pharmacology , AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases , Caspase 3 , Caspases/pharmacology , Humans , Male , Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis , Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/pharmacology , RNA, Messenger/biosynthesis , Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction , Signal TransductionABSTRACT
Removal of the synaptic targets of olfactory receptor neurons by olfactory bulb ablation results in apoptosis of olfactory receptor neurons and up-regulation of proliferation of their progenitors. This study focuses on the expression of the neuropoietic cytokines leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and its receptor (LIFR) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) and its receptor (IL-6R) in intercellular signaling pathways in the olfactory mucosa after target ablation. Olfactory bulbectomy (OBX) resulted in several transient, early-onset, temporally integrated events that were detected immunohistochemically. Macrophages infiltrated the olfactory epithelium (OE) by 16 hours post-OBX. LIF expression was up-regulated transiently at 2 days post-OBX, when up-regulated expression of LIFR also was detected on globose basal cells (GBCs), a subpopulation of which are immediate progenitors of olfactory receptor neurons. GBC proliferation peaked at 3--4 days post-OBX. In the olfactory nerve (ON), LIF-positive and IL-6-positive macrophage infiltration was followed by the transient up-regulation of expression of LIFR, IL-6, and IL-6R in ensheathing cells by 3 days post-OBX. The mRNAs for LIF/LIFR, IL-6/IL-6R, and their common signal-transduction molecule, gp130, in olfactory-nasal mucosa from control mice and from 3-day post-OBX mice were detected with reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Analysis of Northern blot and relative quantitative RT-PCR demonstrated similar temporal patterns of changes in relative mRNA levels for both LIF and IL-6, which were up-regulated by 16 hours post-OBX and peaked at 2--3 days post-OBX. These data indicate that LIF from infiltrating macrophages acts as a mitogen for GBCs and that LIF from infiltrating macrophages and IL-6 from infiltrating macrophages and ensheathing cells act as repair factors in the ON.
