title: Connective tissue growth factor induces apoptosis in human breast cancer cell line MCF-7.
abstract: Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is a member of an emerging CCN gene family that is implicated in various diseases associated with fibro-proliferative disorder including scleroderma and atherosclerosis. The function of CTGF in human cancer is largely unknown. We now show that CTGF induces apoptosis in the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7. CTGF mRNA was completely absent in MCF-7 but strongly induced by treatment with transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta). TGF-beta by itself induced apoptosis in MCF-7, and this effect was reversed by co-treatment with CTGF antisense oligonucleotide. Overexpression of CTGF gene in transiently transfected MCF-7 cells significantly augmented apoptosis. Moreover, recombinant CTGF protein significantly enhanced apoptosis in MCF-7 cells as evaluated by DNA fragmentation, Tdt-mediated dUTP biotin nick end-labeling staining, flow cytometry analysis, and nuclear staining using Hoechst 33258. Finally, recombinant CTGF showed no effect on Bax protein expression but significantly reduced Bcl2 protein expression. Taken together, these results suggest that CTGF is a major inducer of apoptosis in the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 and that TGF-beta-induced apoptosis in MCF-7 cells is mediated, in part, by CTGF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Tokyo 173-8605, Japan. hisikawa@med.teikyo-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hishikawa
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Oemar
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Tanner
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakaki
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Lüscher
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujii
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D002470:Cell Survival; D055513:Connective Tissue Growth Factor; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D005260:Female; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000494:pharmacology; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000032:analysis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000502:physiology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: C526317:CCN2 protein, human; D006133:Growth Substances; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D055513:Connective Tissue Growth Factor