title: Susceptibility of thyroid cancer cells to 7-hydroxystaurosporine-induced apoptosis correlates with Bcl-2 protein level.
abstract: 7-Hydroxystaurosporine (UCN-01) is a selective protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor and is being developed as a novel anticancer agent. Because of reports that PKC may be involved in the pathogenesis of some forms of thyroid cancers, we examined four thyroid carcinoma lines (FRO, KAT5, NPA, and WRO). These cells were found to have different susceptibility to UCN-01 treatment, and there appeared to be a correlation between UCN-01-induced death and expression levels of endogenous Bcl-2. KAT5 cells, which normally express a low amount of Bcl-2, exhibited significantly higher sensitivity to UCN-01-induced death than the other cell lines. Of interest, susceptibility did not relate to PKC activity or its inhibition by UCN-01. In order to investigate the role of Bcl-2 in UCN-01-induced death, KAT5 cells were transfected to overexpress Bcl-2. KAT5/Bcl-2 cells were capable of conferring resistance to UCN-01-induced death. Furthermore, upregulating of Bcl-2 by 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (VD3) could protect primary thyroid cell from death induced by UCN-01. Both in situ TUNEL staining and the flow cytometric analysis of cytokeratin-18 (CK18) cleavage confirmed that UCN-01 was indeed inducing apoptosis, and that this effect was inhibited by increased expression of Bcl-2. These results suggest that the Bcl-2 can block the UCN-01-activated cell death pathway and that the expression of Bcl-2 is inversely related to thyroid carcinoma cell susceptibility to UCN-01. Therefore, the analysis of the expression of apoptosis suppressors provides a basis for the use of UCN-01 in the treatment of thyroid cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, USA.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Phelps
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Utsugi
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Baker
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004351:Drug Resistance; D006801:Humans; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D019311:Staurosporine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
chemical_list: C116441:2-methyl-1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3; D000470:Alkaloids; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D014807:Vitamin D; C054852:7-hydroxystaurosporine; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D019311:Staurosporine