title: Doxorubicin pretreatment sensitizes prostate cancer cell lines to TRAIL induced apoptosis which correlates with the loss of c-FLIP expression.
abstract: Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL/Apo2L) can induce receptor-mediated apoptosis in prostate cancer cell lines that have been co-treated with the chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin (Voelkel-Johnson C, et al. Cancer Gene Therapy 2002; 9:164-172). In this study, we report that pretreatment with doxorubicin is sufficient to sensitize cells to TRAIL. To identify possible targets of doxorubicin, we analyzed levels of several Bcl-2 family members, TRAIL receptors and the anti-apoptotic protein c-FLIP. Doxorubicin did not affect steady state levels of Bax, Bcl-2 and Bcl-X(L) in the majority of the prostate cancer cell lines. TRAIL receptor mRNAs (DR4, DR5, and DcR2) were induced by doxorubicin but these changes were not reflected at the protein level. In contrast, in response to doxorubicin, levels of c-FLIP, particularly FLIP(S), decreased in all cell lines tested. The decrease in c-FLIP(S) correlated with onset and magnitude of caspase-8 and PARP cleavage in PC3 cells. In two TRAIL resistant cell lines, DU145 and LNCaP, treatment with TRAIL alone resulted in processing of c-FLIP(L) and initiated abortive caspase-8 proteolysis. TRAIL treatment did not affect levels of c-FLIP(S) in Du145 and LNCaP cells and did not result in PARP cleavage. Therefore, our results suggest that doxorubicin- mediated down regulation of c-FLIP(S) predisposes cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29403, USA.
authors.forename: Margaret M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Brian D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Hoel
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Voelkel-Johnson
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D053446:CASP8 and FADD-Like Apoptosis Regulating Protein; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / Q000502:physiology*; D004357:Drug Synergism; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D053446:CASP8 and FADD-Like Apoptosis Regulating Protein; C506386:CFLAR protein, human; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; C505653:TNFSF10 protein, human; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D004317:Doxorubicin; D020169:Caspases