Thioredoxin-interacting protein: an oxidative stress-related gene is upregulated by glucose in human prostate carcinoma cells.

Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP), also known as vitamin-D(3) upregulated protein 1, interacts with reduced thioredoxin. This protein modulates the cellular redox state and plays a role in stress-induced cellular apoptosis. This study examined TXNIP gene expression in prostate cancer cells. In vitro studies by immunoblot assay have shown that elevated glucose levels (1-15 mM) upregulate TXNIP gene expression two- to fourfold in human prostate carcinoma cells (LNCaP) and hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2). Transient gene expression assays reveal that the promoter activity of the TXNIP gene is upregulated by glucose, 3-O-methylglucose, and maltose, but not by mannitol. These results suggest that glucose and 3-O-methylglucose induce TXNIP expression through both glucose metabolism-dependent and -independent pathways. Cotransfection of a plasmid expression carbohydrate response element-binding protein (ChREBP) with a TXNIP reporter vector into LNCaP cells dramatically enhances reporter activity in a low glucose (1 mM) condition. The effects of glucose are apparently mediated in a region located -341 to -324 bp upstream of the translational starting point of the TXNIP gene as indicated by 5'-deletion and site-directed mutagenesis reporter assays. Mutation of the putative carbohydrate response element (ChoRE) from CACGAGGGCAGCACGAG to TTTGAGGGCAGCACGAG abolishes glucose upregulation of TXNIP promoter activity. The present study demonstrates that TXNIP is transcription induced in both LNCaP and HepG2 cells in an increased glucose metabolism-dependent or -independent response, and a putative glucose regulatory system including ChREBP and ChoRE is needed for glucose-induced TXNIP gene in human prostate carcinoma cells.

Prostate specific antigen gene expression in androgen insensitive prostate carcinoma subculture cell line.

A novel prostate cancer cell line (PC-J) was isolated from an androgen independent non-prostate specific antigen (non-PSA) producing carcinoma cell line. The homologous correlation between PC-J and PC-3 was determined by short tandem repeat analysis. The PSA promoter activity was detected by transient expression assay in the PC-J and LNCaP cells but not in androgen insensitive PC-3 cells. When the PC-J cells were cotransfected with androgen receptor, androgen receptor coactivators and PSA reporter vector cells, the reporter assays indicated that nuclear receptor coactivator 4 (NCOA4) but not androgen receptor activator 24 (ARA24) increased the sensitivity and maximum stimulation of dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-inducing PSA promoter activity. The RT-PCR assays revealed that the expression of several tumor markers, including interleukin-6, prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA), prostate epithelium-specific Ets transcription factor (PDEF) and matriptase, was lower in the PC-J cells than in the PC-3 cells. This cell model elucidated the regulation of PSA expression and enabled comparison of the gene profile at different stages of metastasis in prostatic carcinoma.