title: Mechanisms for 2-methoxyestradiol-induced apoptosis of prostate cancer cells.
abstract: Prostate and breast carcinomas are sex hormone-related carcinomas, which are known to be associated with an over-expression of the proto-oncogene Bcl-2. Here, we report that 2-methoxyestradiol (2-ME), an endogenous metabolite of estrogen that does not bind to nuclear estrogen receptors, effectively induces apoptosis in Bcl-2-expressing human prostate and breast carcinoma cells in vitro and in a rat prostate tumor model in vivo. In several cell lines derived from prostate, breast, liver and colorectal carcinomas, 2-ME treatment led to an activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and phosphorylation of Bcl-2, which preceded the induction of apoptosis. In summary, our data suggest that 2-ME induces apoptosis in epithelial carcinomas by causing phosphorylation of JNK, which appears to be correlated with phosphorylation of Bcl-2.
authors.affiliation: Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Biomedical Center, Box 595, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Shizhong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bu
authors.forename: Andree
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blaukat
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Nils Erik
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Heldin
authors.forename: Maréne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Landström
mesh_terms: D000077584:2-Methoxyestradiol; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis; D001940:Breast / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D020169:Caspases / Q000502:physiology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D004727:Endothelium / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D004958:Estradiol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D037342:Pertussis Toxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D004958:Estradiol; D000077584:2-Methoxyestradiol; D037342:Pertussis Toxin; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020169:Caspases