title: Pharmacological inhibition of DNA methylation induces proinvasive and prometastatic genes in vitro and in vivo.
abstract: The mechanism of action of DNA methylation inhibitor 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza-CdR), a potential anticancer agent is believed to be activated by the demethylation of tumor suppressor genes. We tested here the hypothesis that demethylating agents also demethylate and activate genes involved in invasion and metastasis and therefore might increase the risk of developing tumor metastasis. The effect of 5-aza-CdR on noninvasive human breast cancer cells MCF-7 and ZR-75-1 was evaluated by cell proliferation, invasion, and migration assay. The ability of 5-aza-CdR to activate a panel of silenced prometastatic and tumor suppressor genes was evaluated using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and bisulfite DNA sequence analysis in vitro and for change in tumor growth and gene expression in vivo. Treatment of MCF-7 and ZR-75-1 with 5-aza-CdR diminished cell proliferation, induced tumor suppressor RASSF1A, and altered cell cycle kinetics' G(2)/M-phase cell cycle arrest. While these effects of 5-aza-CdR slowed the growth of tumors in nude mice, it also induced a battery of prometastatic genes, namely, uPA, CXCR4, HEPARANASE, SYNUCLEIN gamma, and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), by demethylation of their promoters. These results draw attention to the critical role of demethylation as a potential mechanism that can promote the development and progression of tumor metastasis after demethylation therapy as an anticancer treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Bushra
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ateeq
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Unterberger
authors.forename: Moshe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szyf
authors.forename: Shafaat A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Rabbani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001374:Azacitidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000187:drug effects*; D015254:DNA Modification Methylases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D000077209:Decitabine; D020868:Gene Silencing / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4 / Q000235:genetics; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000235:genetics; D051845:gamma-Synuclein / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4; C104249:SNCG protein, human; D051845:gamma-Synuclein; D000077209:Decitabine; D015254:DNA Modification Methylases; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator; D001374:Azacitidine