title: ROCK and nuclear factor-kappaB-dependent activation of cyclooxygenase-2 by Rho GTPases: effects on tumor growth and therapeutic consequences.
abstract: Rho GTPases are overexpressed in a variety of human tumors contributing to both tumor proliferation and metastasis. Recently, several studies demonstrate an essential role of transcriptional regulation in Rho GTPases-induced oncogenesis. Herein, we demonstrate that RhoA, Rac1, and Cdc42 promote the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) at the transcriptional level by a mechanism that is dependent on the transcription factor nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), but not Stat3, a transcription factor required for RhoA-induced tumorigenesis. With respect to RhoA, this effect is dependent on ROCK, but not PKN. Treatment of RhoA-, Rac1-, and Cdc42-transformed epithelial cells with Sulindac and NS-398, two well-characterized nonsteroid antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), results in growth inhibition as determined by cell proliferation assays. Accordingly, tumor growth of RhoA-expressing epithelial cells in syngeneic mice is strongly inhibited by NS-398 treatment. The effect of NSAIDs over RhoA-induced tumor growth is not exclusively dependent on COX-2 because DNA-binding of NF-kappaB is also abolished upon NSAIDs treatment, resulting in complete loss of COX-2 expression. Finally, treatment of RhoA-transformed cells with Bay11-7083, a specific NF-kappaB inhibitor, leads to inhibition of cell proliferation. We suggest that treatment of human tumors that overexpress Rho GTPases with NSAIDs and drugs that target NF-kappaB could constitute a valid antitumoral strategy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Cancer, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Salvador Aznar
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Benitah
authors.forename: Pilar F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Valerón
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lacal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D004285:Dogs; D015870:Gene Expression; D019073:HT29 Cells; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051379:Mice; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism*; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009578:Nitrobenzenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000494:pharmacology; D013467:Sulindac / Q000494:pharmacology; D015534:Trans-Activators; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D020830:rac1 GTP-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D007527:Isoenzymes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D016328:NF-kappa B; D009578:Nitrobenzenes; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C494086:STAT3 protein, human; C494087:Stat3 protein, mouse; D013449:Sulfonamides; D015534:Trans-Activators; C080955:N-(2-cyclohexyloxy-4-nitrophenyl)methanesulfonamide; D013467:Sulindac; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases; C061570:protein kinase N; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein; D020830:rac1 GTP-Binding Protein; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein