Thymidine phosphorylase is regulated by tamoxifen in T47D breast cancer cell line.
BACKGROUND
Thymidine phosphorylase (TP) has diverse functions within cells, including increasing the sensitivity of cancer cells to cytotoxic drugs including 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and methotrexate. However, the regulators of TP still remains largely unknown.


METHODS
In this study, we examined whether tamoxifen has specific effects on TP expression in the T47D breast cancer cell line. We studied the TP expression in the T47D cell line before and after tamoxifen treatment using Western blot analysis and ELISA.


RESULTS
We found that TP expression is significantly up-regulated in tamoxifen-treated cells compared with control.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that tamoxifen may increase chemotherapy sensitivity through TP up-regulation for treatment regimens including doxifluridine, capecitabine, and/or methotrexate.
Utsunomiya
Hirotoshi
H
Hirotoshi Utsunomiya, Clinical and Basic Research Institute of Molecular Cellular Biology and Bioengineering, Wakayama Medical University School of Medicine, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama 641-0012, Japan. utsu@wakayama-med.ac.jp
Ueshima
Hirokazu
H
Kawashiro
Mari
M
Yang
Qifeng
Q
Nakamura
Misa
M
Nakamura
Yasushi
Y
Sakurai
Takeo
T
Mori
Ichiro
I
Kakudo
Kennichi
K
D015153:Blotting, Western; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011336:Probability; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013939:Thymidine Phosphorylase / Q000032:analysis* / Q000187:drug effects*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D013629:Tamoxifen; D013939:Thymidine Phosphorylase