18F-FDG PET imaging for monitoring the early anti-tumor effect of albendazole on triple-negative breast cancer.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Multiple studies have indicated that albendazole (ABZ) can disrupt the microtubule in worms and have anti-tumor potential in a variety of tumors. However, the therapeutic effect of ABZ on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is largely unknown, and the therapeutic evaluation of ABZ by 18F-FDG PET imaging remains relatively unexplored.

METHODS:

The effects of ABZ on TNBC cell lines (MDA-MB-231 cells) were investigated in vitro using MTT, wound-healing, transwell migration, flow cytometry and Western blotting analyses. In vivo treatment was conducted in an MDA-MB-231 tumor-bearing nude mouse model. Mouse body weight loss was also evaluated. PET imaging was performed before and after 3 days of treatment. Tumor tissues were harvested for immunofluorescence analysis.

RESULTS:

ABZ treatment inhibited the proliferation and migration and triggered the apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells. Furthermore, Western blotting analysis showed that ABZ induced the apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells via GLUT1/AMPK/P53 signaling pathway. Long-term treatment studies found that the tumor volume of the treatment group was smaller compared with the control group, and the survival time was prolonged. In vivo 18F-FDG PET imaging showed that 3-day ABZ treatment reduced standardized uptake value (SUV) values in MDA-MB-231 xenografts compared with the controls, and immunofluorescence analysis showed more TUNEL-positive cells in the ABZ-treated mice.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our study suggested that ABZ induced the apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 cells by inhibiting glucose uptake, and it could be considered as a potential drug for TNBC cells. Moreover, 18F-FDG PET imaging could be used to monitor the early anti-tumor effect of ABZ on MDA-MB-231 tumors.

• Authors: Honglian Liu, Hao Sun, Bin Zhang, Shengli Liu, Shengming Deng, Zhen Weng, Bin Zuo, Jianfeng Yang, Yang He
• Journal: Breast cancer (Tokyo, Japan) (Breast Cancer) Vol. 27 Issue 3 Pg. 372-380 (May 2020) ISSN: 1880-4233 [Electronic] Japan
• PMID: 31781983 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Radiopharmaceuticals
• Tubulin Modulators
• Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
• Albendazole

Topics

• Albendazole (pharmacology)
• Animals
• Apoptosis
• Cell Movement
• Cell Proliferation
• Female
• Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 (metabolism)
• Humans
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred BALB C
• Mice, Nude
• Neoplasm Invasiveness
• Positron-Emission Tomography (methods)
• Radiopharmaceuticals (metabolism)
• Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms (drug therapy, metabolism, pathology)
• Tubulin Modulators (pharmacology)
• Tumor Cells, Cultured
• Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays