Hepatoma Cell Growth (hepatoma + cell_growth)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Human inhibitor of growth 1 inhibits hepatoma cell growth and influences p53 stability in a variant-dependent manner,

HEPATOLOGY, Issue 2 2009
Zhi Zhu
Inhibitor of growth 1 (ING1) is a type II tumor suppressor that affects cell function by altering chromatin structure and regulating transcription. Recently, three ING1 splice variants have been cloned, but their roles in apoptosis and p53 regulation in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have not been fully elucidated. The present study found that ING1, in a variant-dependent manner, inhibited hepatoma cell proliferation and colony formation, induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase, and postponed tumor formation in nude mice. Expression of p33ING1b and p24ING1c variants, but not p47ING1a, was markedly reduced in HCC samples. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blotting analysis revealed that ectopic overexpression of p33ING1b or p24ING1c variant increased the expression of p53 downstream genes such as p21waf1 and bax, and repressed bcl-2 expression (P < 0.01), whereas p47ING1a inactivated p21waf1 promoter (P < 0.01). Furthermore, we found that p33ING1b and p24ING1c repressed Mdm2 expression (P < 0.01) and competed with Mdm2 for binding to p53. Interestingly, p33ING1band p24ING1c did not directly bind to Mdm2 protein but strongly increased p14arf expression (P < 0.01) and interacted with p14arf protein to stimulate p53. Moreover, we found that ectopic overexpression of p33ING1b or p24ING1c significantly induced p53 protein acetylation at Lys-373/Lys-382 residue, but did not alter the phosphorylation status of p53. Conclusion: ING1 variants p33ING1b and p24ING1c may modulate p53 activity and subsequently inhibit hepatoma cell growth by at least two possible mechanisms: interacting with Mdm2 and p14arf to stabilize and activate p53, or increasing p53 acetylation. (HEPATOLOGY 2009.) [source]


JS-K, a novel non-ionic diazeniumdiolate derivative, inhibits Hep 3B hepatoma cell growth and induces c-Jun phosphorylation via multiple MAP kinase pathways

JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 3 2003
Zhenggang Ren
JS-K, a non-ionic diazeniumdiolate derivative, is capable of arylating nucleophiles and spontaneously generating nitric oxide (NO) at physiological pH. This recently synthesized low molecular weight compound is shown here to be an inhibitor of cell growth with concomitant activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) members ERK, JNK, and p38 and their downstream effectors c-Jun and AP-1. Inhibitors of these MAPK pathways abrogated the growth inhibitory actions of JS-K. In addition to the well-described actions of JNK as a kinase for c-Jun, we show that c-Jun is also an ERK target. Furthermore, JS-K generated NO in culture and NO inhibitors antagonized both MAPK induction and the growth inhibitory effects of JS-K. These results suggest two possible mechanisms for the mediation of JS-K growth inhibitory actions, namely NO-induction of MAPK pathway constituents as well as possible arylation reactions. The data support the idea that prolonged MAPK activation by JS-K action is important in mediating its growth-inhibitory actions. JS-K thus represents a promising platform for novel growth inhibitory analog synthesis. J. Cell. Physiol. 197: 426,434, 2003© 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


K vitamins, PTP antagonism, and cell growth arrest

JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 3 2002
Brian I. Carr
The main function of K vitamins is to act as co-factors for ,-glutamyl carboxylase. However, they have also recently been shown to inhibit cell growth. We have chemically synthesized a series of K vitamin analogs with various side chains at the 2 or 3 position of the core naphthoquinone structure. The analogs with short thio-ethanol side chains are found to be more potent growth inhibitors in vitro of various tumor cell lines. Cpd 5 or [2-(2-mercaptoethanol)-3-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone] is one of the most potent. The anti-proliferation activity of these compounds is antagonized by exogenous thiols but not by non-thiol antioxidants. This suggests that the growth inhibition is mediated by sulfhydryl arylation of cellular glutathione and cysteine-containing proteins and not by oxidative stress. The protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTP) are an important group of proteins that contain cysteine at their catalytic site. PTPs regulate mitogenic signal transduction and cell cycle progression. PTP inhibition by Cpd 5 results in prolonged tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of several kinases and transcription factors including EGFR, ERK1/2, and Elk1. Cpd 5 could activate ERK1/2 either by signaling from an activated EGFR, which is upstream in the signaling cascade, or by direct inhibition of ERK1/2 phosphatase(s). Prolonged ERK1/2 phosphorylation strongly correlates with Cpd 5-mediated growth inhibition. Cpd 5 can also bind to and inhibit the Cdc25 family of dual specific phosphatases. As a result, several Cdc25 substrates (Cdk1, Cdk2, Cdk4) involved in cell cycle progression are tyrosine phosphorylated and thereby inhibited by its action. Cpd 5 could also inhibit both normal liver regeneration and hepatoma growth in vivo. DNA synthesis during rat liver regeneration following partial hepatectomy, transplantable rat hepatoma cell growth, and glutathione-S-transferase-pi expressing hepatocytes after administration of the chemical carcinogen diethylnitrosamine, are all inhibited by Cpd 5 administration. The growth inhibitory effect during liver regeneration and transplantable tumor growth is also correlated with ERK1/2 phosphorylation induced by Cpd 5. Thus, Cpd 5-mediated inhibition of PTPs, such as Cdc25 leads to cell growth arrest due to altered activity of key cellular kinases involved in signal transduction and cell cycle progression. This prototype K vitamin analog represents a novel class of growth inhibitor based upon its action as a selective PTP antagonist. It is clearly associated with prolonged ERK1/2 phosphorylation, which is in contrast with the transient ERK1/2 phosphorylation induced by growth stimulatory mitogens. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Antifibrogenic effects of tamoxifen in a rat model of periportal hepatic fibrosis

LIVER INTERNATIONAL, Issue 2 2009
Soo Hyung Ryu
Abstract Backgrounds/Aims: It has been reported that tamoxifen may affect hepatoma cell growth in vitro by suppressing transforming growth factor ,-1 (TGF-,1) expression, suggesting that tamoxifen might also retard fibrogenesis. Thus, we examined whether tamoxifen might suppress TGF-,1 expression and consequently inhibit the process of hepatic fibrosis in vivo. Methods: To induce periportal hepatic fibrosis, 50 male adult Sprague,Dawley rats were injected with 0.62 mmol/kg of allyl alcohol, intraperitoneally, twice a week for 8 weeks. Hepatic fibrosis scores, intrahepatic collagen levels and plasma TGF-,1 expression levels were evaluated in three groups of 10 rats orally administered tamoxifen at 1, 5 and 10 mg/kg, respectively, and in 20 controls. Messenger RNAs (mRNAs) encoding TGF-,1 and TGF-, receptors in liver tissue were semiquantified using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Results: Hepatic fibrosis scores decreased progressively as the dose of tamoxifen increased, resulting in a significant change in rats treated with tamoxifen at 10 mg/kg compared with controls (P=0.018). Intrahepatic collagen content was significantly less in the group treated with tamoxifen at 10 mg/kg compared with the control (P=0.045). Plasma TGF-,1 levels were also significantly lower in rats treated with tamoxifen at 10 mg/kg compared with controls (P=0.007). All three concentrations of tamoxifen tested decreased the expression levels of hepatic TGF-,1 mRNA and type I TGF-, receptor (TGF-, RI) mRNA to similar extents. Conclusions: Tamoxifen seems to inhibit the process of hepatic fibrosis dose-dependently by suppressing the transcription of TGF-,1 and TGF-, RI in an experimental model of periportal hepatic fibrosis. [source]