title: Effects of all-trans-retinoic acid and 13-cis-retinoic acid on breast-cancer cell lines: growth inhibition and apoptosis induction.
abstract: Interest has been increasingly focused on all-trans-retinoic acid (tRA) and 13-cis-retinoic acid (13cRA) in cancer chemoprevention and treatment. We have examined the in vitro effects of these 2 retinoic acids (RAs) on human breast-cancer cell lines MCF-7 and ZR-75.1 (both estrogen-receptor-positive, ER+) and MDA-MB-231 (estrogen-receptor-negative, ER-), in terms of inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis. Both retinoic acids exerted an evident dose-dependent growth inhibition, although in the ER- cell line the anti-proliferative effect was obtained only with the highest concentration used; the anti-proliferative activity of tRA was more evident than 13cRA on all 3 tested cell lines. tRA and 13cRA induced apoptosis in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines, but not in ZR-75.1. The apoptotic phenomenon was clearly time-dependent, and in our experience it was not related to the arrest in a specific phase of cell cycle. After treatment with RAs the levels of bcl-2 were reduced in MCF-7, while in ZR-75.1 and in MDA-MB-231 no treatment-related modifications were observed. An analysis of estrogen-receptor status, used as a marker of differentiation, demonstrated that after treatment with RAs the levels of estrogen receptor (ER) decreased in ZR-75.1 only. Our study indicates that the anti-proliferative effects of RAs are sustained by induction of apoptosis in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, while in ZR-75.1 cells an induction of differentiation without apoptosis was the prevalent mechanism of growth inhibition. Our results encourage further studies on in vivo effects of these retinoids in breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Pre-clinical Oncology Laboratory, Advanced Biotechnology Center (ABC), Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Toma
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Isnardi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Raffo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dastoli
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Francisci
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Riccardi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Palumbo
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bollag
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D015474:Isotretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000032:analysis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D014212:Tretinoin; D015474:Isotretinoin