Overexpression of fatty acid synthase in human gliomas correlates with the WHO tumor grade and inhibition with Orlistat reduces cell viability and triggers apoptosis.
Fatty acid synthase (FASN), catalyzing the de novo synthesis of fatty acids, is known to be deregulated in several cancers. Inhibition of this enzyme reduces tumor cell proliferation. Unfortunately, adverse effects and chemical instability prevent the in vivo use of the best-known inhibitors, Cerulenin and C75. Orlistat, a drug used for obesity treatment, is also considered as a potential FASN inhibitor, but its impact on glioma cell biology has not yet been described. In this study, we analyzed FASN expression in human glioma samples and primary glioblastoma cell cultures and the effects of FASN inhibition with Orlistat, Cerulenin and C75. Immunohistochemistry followed by densitometric analysis of 20 glioma samples revealed overexpression of FASN that correlated with the WHO tumor grade. Treatment of glioblastoma cells with these inhibitors resulted in a significant, dose-dependent reduction in tumor cell viability and fatty acid synthesis. Compared to Cerulenin and C75, Orlistat was a more potent inhibitor in cell cultures and cell lines. In LN229, cell-growth was reduced by 63.9 ± 8.7 % after 48 h and 200 µM Orlistat compared to controls; in LT68, the reduction in cell growth was 76.3 ± 23.7 %. Nuclear fragmentation assay and Western blotting analysis after targeting FASN with Orlistat demonstrated autophagy and apoptosis. Organotypic slice cultures treated with Orlistat showed reduced proliferation after Ki67 staining and increased caspase-3 cleavage. Our results suggest that FASN may be a therapeutic target in malignant gliomas and identify Orlistat as a possible anti-tumor drug in this setting.
Department of Neurosurgery, Section of Experimental Neurooncology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Erlanger Allee 101, 07747, Jena, Germany. susanne.grube@med.uni-jena.de.
Susanne
S
Grube
Department of Neurosurgery, Section of Experimental Neurooncology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Erlanger Allee 101, 07747, Jena, Germany.
Pedro
P
Dünisch
Department of Neurosurgery, Section of Experimental Neurooncology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Erlanger Allee 101, 07747, Jena, Germany.
Diana
D
Freitag
Department of Neurosurgery, Section of Experimental Neurooncology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Erlanger Allee 101, 07747, Jena, Germany.
Maren
M
Klausnitzer
Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Erlanger Allee 101, 07747, Jena, Germany.
Yasser
Y
Sakr
Department of Neurosurgery, Section of Experimental Neurooncology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Erlanger Allee 101, 07747, Jena, Germany.
Jan
J
Walter
Department of Neurosurgery, Section of Experimental Neurooncology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Erlanger Allee 101, 07747, Jena, Germany.
Rolf
R
Kalff
Department of Neurosurgery, Section of Experimental Neurooncology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Erlanger Allee 101, 07747, Jena, Germany.
Christian
C
Ewald
D015107:4-Butyrolactone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D001343:Autophagy / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002569:Cerulenin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D054890:Fatty Acid Synthase, Type I / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D054872:Fatty Acid Synthesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D005910:Glioma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007783:Lactones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D000077403:Orlistat; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques
C406734:4-methylene-2-octyl-5-oxofuran-3-carboxylic acid; D054872:Fatty Acid Synthesis Inhibitors; D007783:Lactones; D002569:Cerulenin; D000077403:Orlistat; C518729:FASN protein, human; D054890:Fatty Acid Synthase, Type I; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D015107:4-Butyrolactone