Androgens stimulate telomerase expression, activity and phosphorylation in ovarian adenocarcinoma cells.
Androgens have been implicated in increasing ovarian cancer risk. Most ovarian cancer cells have high telomerase activity which is effective in inducing ovarian carcinogenesis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of testosterone and androstenedione on the viability of an ovarian adenocarcinoma cell line, the activity and expression of telomerase, and the phosphorylation status of its catalytic subunit in these cells. Results showed that androgens significantly increased the viability of ovarian cancer cells and that these hormones induced the expression, activity and phosphorylation of telomerase. This upregulation was blocked by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway inhibitors. These findings might have implications for understanding the role of androgens in ovarian carcinogenesis.
Nourbakhsh
Mitra
M
Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, 1417613151 Tehran, Iran.
Golestani
Abolfazl
A
Zahrai
Mahin
M
Modarressi
Mohammad Hossein
MH
Malekpour
Zahra
Z
Karami-Tehrani
Fatemeh
F
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D000728:Androgens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000494:pharmacology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D058539:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase / Q000378:metabolism; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019098:Telomerase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000494:pharmacology
D000728:Androgens; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013739:Testosterone; D000735:Androstenedione; D058539:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; C509186:TERT protein, human; D019098:Telomerase