The role of estrogen in the survival of ovarian tumors--a study of the human ovarian adenocarcinoma cell lines OC-117-VGH and OVCAR3.
BACKGROUND
The role of estrogen in the growth and survival of ovarian cancer cells is controversial. In this study, we investigated the changes in cell-cycle regulatory proteins in ovarian cancer cell lines after estrogen treatment to explore the role of estrogen in ovarian cancers.


METHODS
Two ovarian adenocarcinoma cell lines were used for the study: the first, OC-117-VGH, was deficient in estrogen receptors (ER)α and ERβ, and the second, OVCAR3, was positive for ERα and ERβ. Serial concentrations of estrogen were used to evaluate the effects of estrogen on the survival of ovarian cancer cells. The cell-cycle regulatory proteins, including cyclin D1, cyclin E, p16/INK4a, and p27/KIP1, were used to check the possible mechanism of an estrogen effect on survival of the cancer cell line.


RESULTS
Estrogen 0.01-1.0 μM inhibited the growth of both cell lines. There were no differences in cyclin D1 and E expression between the two cell lines after estrogen treatment, but the expression of p16/INK4a and p27/KIP1 was significantly higher in the OC-1170-VGH cell line than in the OVCAR3 cell line.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the ER-positive and ER-negative ovarian cancer cell lines were inhibited by estrogen, the influence of cell-cycle regulatory proteins was different between the two, suggesting that the inhibitory effect of estrogen on ovarian cancer cell lines might be mediated through different pathways.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC. kcchao@vghtpe.gov.tw
Kuan-Chong
KC
Chao
Peng-Hui
PH
Wang
Chi-Ching
CC
Chang
Ming-Shyen
MS
Yen
Chin-Wen
CW
Chi
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D019938:Cyclin D1 / Q000032:analysis; D019927:Cyclin E / Q000032:analysis; D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16; D050760:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27 / Q000032:analysis; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000032:analysis; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta / Q000032:analysis; D004967:Estrogens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*
C436291:CDKN1B protein, human; C000614131:CDKN2A protein, human; D019927:Cyclin E; D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16; C506487:ESR1 protein, human; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; D004967:Estrogens; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D019938:Cyclin D1; D050760:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27