Cancer research
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Ceramide has been implicated as an important component of radiation-induced apoptosis of human prostate cancer cells. We examined the role of the sphingolipid metabolites--ceramide, sphingosine, and sphingosine-1-phosphate--in susceptibility to radiation-induced apoptosis in prostate cancer cell lines with different sensitivities to gamma-irradiation. Exposure of radiation-sensitive TSU-Pr1 cells to 8-Gy irradiation led to a sustained increase in ceramide, beginning after 12 h of treatment and increasing to 2.5- to 3-fold within 48 h. ⋯ Moreover, we found that although irradiation alone did not increase sphingosine levels in LNCaP cells, tumor necrosis factor alpha plus irradiation induced significantly higher sphingosine levels and markedly reduced intracellular levels of sphingosine-1-phosphate. The elevation of sphingosine levels either by exogenous sphingosine or by treatment with the sphingosine kinase inhibitor N,N-dimethylsphingosine induced apoptosis and also sensitized LNCaP cells to gamma-irradiation-induced apoptosis. Our data suggest that the relative levels of sphingolipid metabolites may play a role in determining the radiosensitivity of prostate cancer cells, and that the enhancement of ceramide and sphingosine generation could be of therapeutic value.
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Recent evidence from our laboratory has demonstrated that alpha1-adrenoceptor antagonists doxazosin and terazosin induced apoptosis in prostate epithelial and smooth muscle cells in patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH; J. Urol., 159: 1810-1815, 1998; J. Urol., 161: 2002-2007, 1999). ⋯ Furthermore, an in vivo efficacy trial demonstrated that doxazosin administration (at tolerated pharmacologically relevant doses) in SCID mice bearing PC-3 prostate cancer xenografts resulted in a significant inhibition of tumor growth. These findings demonstrate the ability of doxazosin and terazosin (but not tamsulosin) to suppress prostate cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo by inducing apoptosis without affecting cell proliferation. This evidence provides the rationale for targeting both drugs, already in clinical use and with established adverse-effect profiles, against prostatic tumors for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer.
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Eicosanoids modulate the interaction of tumor cells with various host components in cancer metastasis. Their synthesis involves the release of arachidonic acid (AA) from cellular phospholipids by phospholipase A2 (PLA2), followed by metabolism by cyclooxygenases (COXs) and lipooxygenases (LOXs). This study aimed to identify the pathway(s) of AA metabolism that are required for the invasion of prostate tumor cells. ⋯ Cells that received 4-BPB, IB, or NS398, but not esculetin showed a significant reduction in the levels of proMMP-2, MMP-9, and proMMP-9 in the culture medium. DU-145 cells did not secrete TIMP-1, and the drugs did not alter the secretion of TIMP-2. This work highlights the role played by COX in disturbing the balance between MMPs and TIMPs in prostate cancer cells, and it points to the potential use of COX inibitors, especially COX-2 selective inhibitors, in the prevention and therapy of prostate cancer invasion.
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Most patients that present in the clinic with prostate cancer have either localized or recurrent postradiotherapy therapy tumors that may be amenable to injectable treatments using slow-release cytotoxic drugs. The objective of this preclinical study was to design an injectable polymeric paste formulation of paclitaxel for intratumoral injection into nonmetastatic human prostate tumors grown s.c. in mice. Paclitaxel was dissolved (10% w/w) in a blend of a biodegradable triblock copolymer of a random copolymer of D,L-lactide and epsilon-caprolactone (PLC) with poly(ethyleneglycol) [PEG; PLC-PEG-PLC] blended with methoxypoly(ethylene glycol) in a 40:60 ratio. ⋯ Observed side effects of the treatment were limited to minor ulceration at the needle injection site in paclitaxel-treated mice only. The controlled-release formulation can be injected via 22-gauge needles and is effective in inhibiting LNCaP tumor growth and PSA levels in mice bearing multiple nonmetastatic tumors. Paclitaxel may be an effective therapy for patients with localized tumors recurring after radiotherapy and for some patients with localized tumors who are not candidates for radical treatment.
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The incidence of cutaneous malignant melanoma is undergoing a dramatic increase in persons with light-color skin in all parts of the world. The prognosis for individuals with advanced disease is dismal due to the lack of effective treatment options. Thus, there is a need for new approaches to control tumor progression. ⋯ Although multiple factors influence pRb phosphorylation, it appears that both cyclin D1 and p21 expression do not change in the presence of DHA, although p27 was strikingly increased in SK-Mel-110 cells in the absence of FBS. The fact that pRb became hypophosphorylated after exposure to DHA suggests a cross-talk mechanism between fatty acid metabolism and the pRb pathway. Determining the mechanism by which PUFAs can inhibit melanoma growth will be an important first step in the rational use of PUFAs as antitumor agents.