Modulation of protein expression levels and DNA methylation status of breast cancer metastasis genes by anthracycline-based chemotherapy and the demethylating agent decitabine

✍ Scribed by Ferda Ari; Rudolf Napieralski; Engin Ulukaya; Egemen Dere; Christoph Colling; Katja Honert; Achim Krüger; Marion Kiechle; Manfred Schmitt

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2011
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 436 KB
• Volume: 29
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0263-6484
• DOI: 10.1002/cbf.1801

✦ Synopsis

Epigenetic drugs are promising add-ons to cancer treatment; still, adverse effects concerning tumour promotion have been reported occasionally.

In this in vitro study, we investigated the effect of combination treatment of decitabine with anthracycline-based chemotherapy [5-fluorouracil plus epirubicine plus cyclophosphamide (FEC)] on viability and metastatic activity of breast cancer cell lines, MDA-MB-231 (estrogen receptornegative) and MCF-7 (estrogen receptor-positive). The effect of decitabine and its combined treatment with FEC on viability of both cancer cell lines was assessed using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazoliumbromide and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) cell survival assays. DNA methylation specific real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (Methylight W ) was employed to document the methylation status of the metastasis-relevant urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-I (PAI-1) genes. Additionally, protein expression levels of uPA and PAI-1 were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Invasion capacity of cells was assayed using Matrigel W invasion assay. Decitabine lowered the viability of MCF-7 cells, although MDA-MB-231 cells were not affected. Decitabine did not augment FEC-mediated cytotoxicity in both cell lines. In MCF-7 cells, methylation of the uPA and PAI-1 gene promoter was significantly reduced by decitabine or decitabine plus FEC. Protein levels of uPA and PAI-1 were induced by all treatments. Decitabine significantly induced the invasion capacity of MCF-7 cells, whereas all of the drugs resulted in decreased invasion capacity of MDA-MB-231. Our results suggest differential effects of single-dose decitabine and its combination with FEC on the metastatic capacity and survival of breast cancer cell lines endowed with different metastatic behaviour.