title: A peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma agonist and the p53 rescue drug CP-31398 inhibit the spontaneous immortalization of breast epithelial cells.
abstract: Cell immortalization is a critical and rate-limiting step in cancer progression. Agents that inhibit cell immortalization may have utility for novel molecular chemopreventive strategies. Preimmortal breast epithelial cells derived from a patient with the Li-Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS) can spontaneously immortalize in vitro at a measurable and reproducible frequency. In the present study, these cells were treated in vitro with low (nM) concentrations of potential and otherwise clinically validated chemopreventive agents, including several nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, rosiglitazone maleate, and the p53 rescue drug CP-31398. Rosiglitazone maleate (P < 0.05) and CP-31398 (P < 0.05) significantly inhibited the frequency of spontaneous immortalization of LFS breast epithelial cells compared with untreated controls. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including specific cyclooxengenase-2 inhibitors, only moderately inhibited the spontaneous immortalization of preimmortal LFS breast epithelial cells. The significant effects of the p53 rescue drug CP-31398 correlated with the increase in cellular death induced by telomere shortening-induced DNA damage signals, including increases in p53 and p21 protein levels. Because immortalization is one step in cancer progression, these studies show the potential usefulness of a cell-based model system to screen the effects of known and potentially novel chemopreventive agents, using cell immortalization as an end point.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390-9039, USA. brittney-shea.herbert@utsouthwestern.edu
authors.forename: Brittney-Shea
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Herbert
authors.forename: Virginia P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Pearce
authors.forename: Linda S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Hynan
authors.forename: Denise M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: LaRue
authors.forename: Woodring E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: Levy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kopelovich
authors.forename: Jerry W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Shay
mesh_terms: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001940:Breast / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects*; D004249:DNA Damage; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D016864:Li-Fraumeni Syndrome / Q000473:pathology; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000819:agonists* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000077154:Rosiglitazone; D016615:Telomere / Q000187:drug effects; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D045162:Thiazolidinediones; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000819:agonists* / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D011743:Pyrimidines; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D013844:Thiazoles; D045162:Thiazolidinediones; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000077154:Rosiglitazone; C402665:CP 31398