Gemini vitamin D analogues inhibit estrogen receptor-positive and estrogen receptor-negative mammary tumorigenesis without hypercalcemic toxicity.
Numerous preclinical, epidemiologic, and clinical studies have suggested the benefits of vitamin D and its analogues for the prevention and treatment of cancer. However, the hypercalcemic effects have limited the use of 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3), the hormonally active form of vitamin D. To identify vitamin D analogues with better efficacy and low toxicity, we have tested >60 novel Gemini vitamin D analogues with a unique structure of two side chains for growth inhibition of breast cancer cells. Our initial studies found that some Gemini analogues are 5-15 times more active than 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3) in growth inhibition assay. In vivo experiments were designed to study the inhibitory effect of selected Gemini vitamin D analogues against mammary carcinogenesis by using (a) an N-methyl-N-nitrosourea-induced estrogen receptor (ER)-positive mammary tumor model and (b) an MCF10DCIS.com xenograft model of ER-negative mammary tumors. Among vitamin D analogues we tested, Gemini 0072 [1alpha,25-dihydroxy-20S-21(3-trideuteromethyl-3-hydroxy-4,4,4-trideuterobutyl)-23-yne-26,27-hexafluoro-19-nor-cholecalciferol] and Gemini 0097 [1alpha,25-dihydroxy-20R-21(3-trideuteromethyl-3-hydroxy-4,4,4-trideuterobutyl)-23-yne-26,27-hexafluoro-19-nor-cholecalciferol] administration inhibited by 60% the NMU-induced mammary tumor burden compared with the NMU-treated control group, but these compounds were devoid of hypercalcemia toxicity. In an ER-negative xenograft model, Gemini 0097 significantly suppressed tumor growth without hypercalcemia toxicity. We found that the inhibitory effect of Gemini 0097 was associated with an increased level of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 and the insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 in both ER-positive and ER-negative mammary tumors. Our results suggest that Gemini vitamin D analogues may be potent agents for the prevention and treatment of both ER-positive and ER-negative breast cancer without hypercalcemia toxicity.
Lee
Hong Jin
HJ
Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA.
Paul
Shiby
S
Atalla
Nadi
N
Thomas
Paul E
PE
Lin
Xinjie
X
Yang
Ill
I
Buckley
Brian
B
Lu
Gang
G
Zheng
Xi
X
Lou
You-Rong
YR
Conney
Allan H
AH
Maehr
Hubert
H
Adorini
Luciano
L
Uskokovic
Milan
M
Suh
Nanjoo
N
D000818:Animals; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006934:Hypercalcemia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015994:Incidence; D008325:Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008770:Methylnitrosourea; D051379:Mice; D016513:Mice, SCID; D008954:Models, Biological; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
C411462:1,25-dihydroxy-21-(3-hydroxy-3-methylbutyl)vitamin D(3); D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D008770:Methylnitrosourea; D002117:Calcitriol