title: Survivin down-regulation plays a crucial role in 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor-induced apoptosis in cancer.
abstract: 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (HRIs) are widely used to reduce serum cholesterol in patients with hypercholesterolemia. Previous studies have shown that HRIs can induce apoptosis in colon cancer cells. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms underlying the apoptosis-inducing effect of HRIs in greater detail. The HRI lovastatin induced apoptosis in the human colon cancer cell line SW480 by blocking the cholesterol synthesis pathway. Immunoblot analysis of antiapoptotic molecules, including survivin, XIAP, cIAP-1, cIAP-2, Bcl-2, and Bcl-X(L), revealed that only survivin expression was decreased by lovastatin. Survivin down-regulation by RNA interference induced apoptosis, and survivin overexpression rendered the cells resistant to lovastatin-induced growth inhibition. These results indicate that survivin down-regulation contributes substantially to the proapoptotic properties of lovastatin. Farnesyl pyrophosphate and geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate, two downstream intermediates in the cholesterol synthesis pathway, simultaneously reversed survivin down-regulation and the blocking of Ras isoprenylation by lovastatin. Ras isoprenylation is important for the activation of Ras-mediated signaling, including the activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase)/Akt pathway. The PI3-kinase inhibitor down-regulated survivin in SW480 cells. In addition, lovastatin blocked Ras activation and Akt phosphorylation. We conclude that survivin down-regulation is crucial in lovastatin-induced apoptosis in cancer cells and that lovastatin decreases survivin expression by inhibiting Ras-mediated PI3-kinase activation via the blocking of Ras isoprenylation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo 060-8543, Japan.
authors.forename: Reiko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaneko
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tsuji
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Asanuma
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanabe
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Watanabe
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms; D004224:Diterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D025782:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA-Reductases, NADP-dependent / Q000378:metabolism; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008148:Lovastatin / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D011106:Polyisoprenyl Phosphates / Q000494:pharmacology; D017368:Protein Prenylation / Q000187:drug effects; D034622:RNA Interference / Q000187:drug effects; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D000077022:Survivin
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C107489:BIRC5 protein, human; D004224:Diterpenes; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011106:Polyisoprenyl Phosphates; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D000077022:Survivin; C004808:farnesyl pyrophosphate; D002784:Cholesterol; D008148:Lovastatin; D025782:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA-Reductases, NADP-dependent; C002963:geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate