title: Regulation of HER expression and transactivation in human prostate cancer cells by a targeted cytotoxic bombesin analog (AN-215) and a bombesin antagonist (RC-3095).
abstract: Bombesin (BN) and gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) have been shown to stimulate the growth of human prostate cancer in vivo and in vitro by mechanisms initiated by binding of the peptide to BN/GRP receptor (GRPR). GRPR is overexpressed in a variety of human cancers, including human prostatic carcinoma. This led us to evaluate the effectiveness of blocking GRPR and of chemotherapy targeted to GRPR in androgen-dependent (LNCaP) and androgen-independent (PC-3) prostate cancer cells, which exhibit different features of disease progression. Thus, we used a cytotoxic BN/GRP analog, AN-215, consisting of 2-pyrrolinodoxorubicin (AN-201) linked to BN-like carrier peptide, and a BN/GRP receptor antagonist, RC-3095. Semiquantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting revealed that mRNA and protein levels for GRPR increased in prostate cancer cells as compared with nonneoplastic RWPE-1 cells. Immunofluorocytochemistry and Western blot assays revealed that AN-215 was the most effective analog decreasing both the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor family members and the activation of epidermal growth factor receptor and HER-2, which are associated to a poor prognosis. Furthermore, analogs targeted to BN/GRP receptors, AN-215 and RC-3095, blocked the effect of BN on cell growth in RWPE-1, LNCaP and PC-3 cells. These findings shed light on the mechanisms of action of these analogs and support the view that the use of AN-215 and RC-3095 for blocking BN/GRP receptors for targeted therapy may be of benefit for treatment of advanced prostate cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alcalá University, Alcalá de Henares, Spain.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sotomayor
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Muñoz-Moreno
authors.forename: María J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Carmena
authors.forename: Andrew V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Schally
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Chapado
authors.forename: Juan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Prieto
authors.forename: Ana M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Bajo
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001839:Bombesin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001839:Bombesin; D004317:Doxorubicin; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; C416531:AN 215; C071363:bombesin (6-14), Tpi(6)-Leu(13)-psi(CH2NH)-Leu(14)-; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human