title: The sensitivity to beta-carotene growth-inhibitory and proapoptotic effects is regulated by caveolin-1 expression in human colon and prostate cancer cells.
abstract: Although several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the putative role of beta-carotene in cancer, no studies have investigated a possible influence of beta-carotene on caveolin-1 (cav-1) pathway, an important intracellular signaling deregulated in cancer. Here, different human colon and prostate cancer cell lines, expressing (HCT-116, PC-3 cells) or not (Caco-2, LNCaP cells) cav-1, were treated with varying concentrations of beta-carotene (0.5-30 muM) for different periods of time (3-72 h) and the effects on cell growth were investigated. The results of this study show that (i) beta-carotene acted as a growth-inhibitory agent in cav-1-positive cells, but not in cav-1-negative cells; (ii) in cav-1-positive cells, the carotenoid downregulated in a dose- and time-dependent manner the expression of cav-1 protein and messenger RNA levels and inhibited AKT phosphorylation which, in turn, stimulated apoptosis by increasing the expression of beta-catenin and c-myc and the activity of caspases-3, -7, -8 and -9; when the carotenoid was removed from culture medium, a progressive increase in cell growth was observed with respect to beta-carotene-treated cells and (iii) the transfection of cav-1 in cav-1-negative cells increased cell sensitivity to beta-carotene by inducing apoptosis. This effect was accompanied by a reduction of both cav-1 and AKT phosphorylation and by an increase of c-myc and beta-catenin expression. Silencing of c-Myc attenuated beta-carotene-induced apoptosis and beta-catenin expression. All together, these data suggest that the modulation of cav-1 pathway by beta-carotene could be a novel mechanism by which the carotenoid acts as a potent growth-inhibitory agent in cancer cells.
authors.affiliation: Institute of General Pathology, Catholic University School of Medicine, Largo F. Vito 1, Rome 00168, Italy. p.palozza@rm.unicatt.it
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Palozza
authors.forename: Rosanna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sestito
authors.forename: Nevio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Picci
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lanza
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Monego
authors.forename: Franco O
authors.initials: FO
authors.lastname: Ranelletti
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001483:Base Sequence; D051242:Caveolin 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D017931:DNA Primers; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D020868:Gene Silencing; D016259:Genes, myc; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008297:Male; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D051242:Caveolin 1; D017931:DNA Primers; D051176:beta Catenin; D019207:beta Carotene