title: Aspirin protects Caco-2 cells from apoptosis after serum deprivation through the activation of a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT/p21Cip/WAF1pathway.
abstract: Our previous studies indicated that millimolar doses of aspirin induced growth arrest and resistance to anticancer drug treatment in Caco-2 cells. The present study was designed to better elucidate at the molecular level the effect of aspirin treatment on pathways that regulate cell death during serum withdrawal. Caco-2 cells were cultured under serum deprivation in the presence or absence of aspirin. Effects on cell cycle, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathways were investigated. We found that aspirin, but not the selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor N-[2-(cyclohexyloxyl)-4-nitrophenyl]-methane sulfonamide (NS-398); prevented apoptosis and G2/M transition after prolonged Caco-2 cells serum deprivation. Aspirin-dependent inhibition of apoptosis and G2/M transition was prevented by treatment with the PI3-kinase inhibitor 2-(4-morpholinyl)-8-phenyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one (LY294002), but not with the MAP kinase kinase inhibitor 2'-amino-3'-methoxyflavone (PD98059). The effects of aspirin were mediated at molecular levels, through activation of PI3-kinase/AKT pathway and increase in the p21Cip/WAF1 level. The ability of aspirin to activate AKT protein was observed also in presence of etoposide cotreatment. Our data indicate a new intracellular target of aspirin with potential clinical impact for treatment schedules involving both anticancer agents and aspirin in malignancies.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia e Patologia Cellulare e Molecolare, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università Federico II, via S. Pansini 5, 80131 Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ricchi
authors.forename: Antonella Di
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Palma
authors.forename: Tiziana Di
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Matola
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Apicella
authors.forename: Rosaria
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fortunato
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zarrilli
authors.forename: Angela Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Acquaviva
mesh_terms: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis; D001241:Aspirin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018938:Caco-2 Cells; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D016213:Cyclins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; C493956:CDKN1A protein, human; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D016213:Cyclins; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D001241:Aspirin