The anti-invasive activity of cyclooxygenase inhibitors is regulated by the transcription factor ATF3 (activating transcription factor 3).

Abstract

We previously showed that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) such as sulindac sulfide, which has chemopreventive activity, modulate the expression of several genes detected by microarray analysis. Activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) was selected for further study because it is a transcription factor involved in cell proliferation, apoptosis, and invasion, and its expression is repressed in human colorectal tumors as compared with normal adjacent tissue. In this report, we show that ATF3 mRNA and protein expression are up-regulated in HCT-116 human colorectal cancer cells following treatment with NSAIDs, troglitazone, diallyl disulfide, and resveratrol. To ascertain the biological significance of ATF3, we overexpressed full-length ATF3 protein in the sense and antisense orientations. Overexpression of ATF3 in the sense orientation decreased focus formation in vitro and reduced the size of mouse tumor xenografts by 54% in vivo. Conversely, overexpression of antisense ATF3 was protumorigenic in vitro, however, not in vivo. ATF3 in the sense orientation did not modulate apoptosis, indicating another mechanism is involved. With microarray analysis, several genes relating to invasion and metastasis were identified by ATF3 overexpression and were confirmed by real-time reverse transcription-PCR, and several of these genes were modulated by sulindac sulfide, which inhibited invasion in these cells. Furthermore, overexpression of ATF3 inhibited invasion to a similar degree as sulindac sulfide treatment, whereas antisense ATF3 increased invasion. In conclusion, ATF3 represents a novel mechanism in which NSAIDs exert their anti-invasive activity, thereby linking ATF3 and its gene regulatory activity to the biological activity of these compounds.

• Authors: Frank G Bottone Jr, Yuseok Moon, Jong Sik Kim, Brenda Alston-Mills, Minako Ishibashi, Thomas E Eling
• Journal: Molecular cancer therapeutics (Mol Cancer Ther) Vol. 4 Issue 5 Pg. 693-703 (May 2005) ISSN: 1535-7163 [Print] United States
• PMID: 15897233 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Activating Transcription Factor 3
• Allyl Compounds
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal
• Chromans
• Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors
• Disulfides
• RNA, Messenger
• Stilbenes
• Thiazolidinediones
• Transcription Factors
• Sulindac
• diallyl disulfide
• sulindac sulfide
• Troglitazone
• Resveratrol

Topics

• Activating Transcription Factor 3
• Allyl Compounds (pharmacology)
• Animals
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal (pharmacology)
• Apoptosis (drug effects)
• Chromans (pharmacology)
• Colorectal Neoplasms (metabolism, pathology)
• Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors (pharmacology)
• Disulfides (pharmacology)
• Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic (drug effects)
• Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic (drug effects)
• HCT116 Cells
• Humans
• Male
• Mice
• Mice, Nude
• Microarray Analysis
• Neoplasm Invasiveness (pathology)
• RNA, Messenger (genetics, metabolism)
• Resveratrol
• Stilbenes (pharmacology)
• Sulindac (analogs & derivatives, pharmacology)
• Thiazolidinediones (pharmacology)
• Transcription Factors (genetics, metabolism)
• Transplantation, Heterologous
• Troglitazone
• Up-Regulation