Alisertib induces cell cycle arrest and autophagy and suppresses epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition involving PI3K/Akt/mTOR and sirtuin 1-mediated signaling pathways in human pancreatic cancer cells.

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer is the most aggressive cancer worldwide with poor response to current therapeutics. Alisertib (ALS), a potent and selective Aurora kinase A inhibitor, exhibits potent anticancer effects in preclinical and clinical studies; however, the effect and underlying mechanism of ALS in the pancreatic cancer treatment remain elusive. This study aimed to examine the effects of ALS on cell growth, autophagy, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and to delineate the possible molecular mechanisms in human pancreatic cancer PANC-1 and BxPC-3 cells. The results showed that ALS exerted potent cell growth inhibitory, pro-autophagic, and EMT-suppressing effects in PANC-1 and BxPC-3 cells. ALS remarkably arrested PANC-1 and BxPC-3 cells in G2/M phase via regulating the expression of cyclin-dependent kinases 1 and 2, cyclin B1, cyclin D1, p21 Waf1/Cip1, p27 Kip1, and p53. ALS concentration-dependently induced autophagy in PANC-1 and BxPC-3 cells, which may be attributed to the inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), and extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (Erk1/2) but activation of 5'-AMP-dependent kinase signaling pathways. ALS significantly inhibited EMT in PANC-1 and BxPC-3 cells with an increase in the expression of E-cadherin and a decrease in N-cadherin. In addition, ALS suppressed the expression of sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) and pre-B cell colony-enhancing factor/visfatin in both cell lines with a rise in the level of acetylated p53. These findings show that ALS induces cell cycle arrest and promotes autophagic cell death but inhibits EMT in pancreatic cancer cells with the involvement of PI3K/Akt/mTOR, p38 MAPK, Erk1/2, and Sirt1-mediated signaling pathways. Taken together, ALS may represent a promising anticancer drug for pancreatic cancer treatment. More studies are warranted to investigate other molecular targets and mechanisms and verify the efficacy and safety of ALS in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

• Authors: Feng Wang, Hai Li, Xiao-Gang Yan, Zhi-Wei Zhou, Zhi-Gang Yi, Zhi-Xu He, Shu-Ting Pan, Yin-Xue Yang, Zuo-Zheng Wang, Xueji Zhang, Tianxing Yang, Jia-Xuan Qiu, Shu-Feng Zhou
• Journal: Drug design, development and therapy (Drug Des Devel Ther) Vol. 9 Pg. 575-601 ( 2015) ISSN: 1177-8881 [Electronic] New Zealand
• PMID: 25632225 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antineoplastic Agents
• Azepines
• MLN 8237
• Protein Kinase Inhibitors
• Pyrimidines
• MTOR protein, human
• Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase
• AURKA protein, human
• Aurora Kinase A
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
• TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
• MAPK1 protein, human
• Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1
• Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3
• p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
• SIRT1 protein, human
• Sirtuin 1

Topics

• Antineoplastic Agents (pharmacology)
• Aurora Kinase A (antagonists & inhibitors, metabolism)
• Autophagy (drug effects)
• Azepines (pharmacology)
• Cell Cycle Checkpoints (drug effects)
• Cell Line, Tumor
• Cell Proliferation (drug effects)
• Cell Survival (drug effects)
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (drug effects)
• Humans
• Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 (metabolism)
• Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 (metabolism)
• Pancreatic Neoplasms (enzymology, pathology)
• Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase (metabolism)
• Phosphorylation
• Protein Kinase Inhibitors (pharmacology)
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt (metabolism)
• Pyrimidines (pharmacology)
• Signal Transduction (drug effects)
• Sirtuin 1 (metabolism)
• TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases (metabolism)
• Time Factors
• p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases (metabolism)