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Alendronate inhibits invasion of PC-3 prostate cancer cells by affecting the mevalonate pathway

Virtanen, SS ; Vaananen, H K ; Härkönen, Pirkko LU and Lakkakorpi, P T (2002) In Cancer Research 62(9). p.2708-2714
Abstract
Breast and prostate cancer preferentially metastasize in the skeleton, inducinglocally increased bone resorption by osteoclasts. Bisphosphonates (BPs), potent inhibitors of osteoclasts and bone resorption, are able to reduce metastatic bone lesions, but the metastasis-related cellular target molecules for BPs have not yet been identified. In osteoclasts, nitrogen-containing BPs inhibit the function of the mevalonate pathway, impairing the prenylation and activation of small GTPases. In addition, direct effects of BPs on cancer cells have been suggested. In the present study, the effects of two clinically used BPs, the amino-BP alendronate and clodronate, on adhesion, invasion, and migration of human PC-3 prostate cancer cells were examined... (More)
Breast and prostate cancer preferentially metastasize in the skeleton, inducinglocally increased bone resorption by osteoclasts. Bisphosphonates (BPs), potent inhibitors of osteoclasts and bone resorption, are able to reduce metastatic bone lesions, but the metastasis-related cellular target molecules for BPs have not yet been identified. In osteoclasts, nitrogen-containing BPs inhibit the function of the mevalonate pathway, impairing the prenylation and activation of small GTPases. In addition, direct effects of BPs on cancer cells have been suggested. In the present study, the effects of two clinically used BPs, the amino-BP alendronate and clodronate, on adhesion, invasion, and migration of human PC-3 prostate cancer cells were examined in vitro. We also studied the possible role of the mevalonate pathway in invasion and migration of PC-3 cells using the ß-hydroxy-ß-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitor mevastatin and the mevalonate pathway intermediates mevalonate (mevalonic acid lactone), geranylgeraniol, and trans-trans-farnesol. The results demonstrate that alendronate pretreatment very effectively inhibited in vitro invasion of prostate cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner, with an IC50 as low as ~1 pM. The inhibition was similar to that of mevastatin. Clodronate also inhibited invasion, but the IC50 was 0.1 µM. Importantly, geranylgeraniol and trans-trans-farnesol reversed the inhibitory effect of alendronate and mevastatin but not the clodronate-induced inhibition of invasion. Alendronate pretreatment also inhibited migration, which was partially reversed by geranylgeraniol and trans-trans-farnesol. Adhesion of PC-3 cells to various matrices was reduced, and their F-actin organization was changed. Alendronate pretreatment also inhibited invasion of human Du-145 prostate and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. As a conclusion, the results demonstrate that the mevalonate pathway leading to protein prenylation is important for cancer cell invasion and migration in vitro. They further suggest that interference with this pathway is involved in inhibition of invasion and migration of prostate cancer cells by the amino-BP alendronate but that the mechanism of clodronate inhibition is different. It is possible that BPs have therapeutic potential in preventing the spread of prostate cancer. (Less)
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author
; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Cancer Research
volume
62
issue
9
pages
2708 - 2714
publisher
American Association for Cancer Research Inc.
external identifiers
  • scopus:0036569635
ISSN
1538-7445
language
English
LU publication?
no
additional info
Department affilation moved from v1000588 (Tumour Biology, Malmö) to v1000562 (Department of Translational Medicine) on 2016-01-18 14:39:27.
id
bf5e6067-3eab-4b2d-9157-81dfe7be6670 (old id 1124935)
alternative location
http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/62/9/2708
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:24:05
date last changed
2022-04-15 04:17:52
@article{bf5e6067-3eab-4b2d-9157-81dfe7be6670,
  abstract     = {{Breast and prostate cancer preferentially metastasize in the skeleton, inducinglocally increased bone resorption by osteoclasts. Bisphosphonates (BPs), potent inhibitors of osteoclasts and bone resorption, are able to reduce metastatic bone lesions, but the metastasis-related cellular target molecules for BPs have not yet been identified. In osteoclasts, nitrogen-containing BPs inhibit the function of the mevalonate pathway, impairing the prenylation and activation of small GTPases. In addition, direct effects of BPs on cancer cells have been suggested. In the present study, the effects of two clinically used BPs, the amino-BP alendronate and clodronate, on adhesion, invasion, and migration of human PC-3 prostate cancer cells were examined in vitro. We also studied the possible role of the mevalonate pathway in invasion and migration of PC-3 cells using the ß-hydroxy-ß-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitor mevastatin and the mevalonate pathway intermediates mevalonate (mevalonic acid lactone), geranylgeraniol, and trans-trans-farnesol. The results demonstrate that alendronate pretreatment very effectively inhibited in vitro invasion of prostate cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner, with an IC50 as low as ~1 pM. The inhibition was similar to that of mevastatin. Clodronate also inhibited invasion, but the IC50 was 0.1 µM. Importantly, geranylgeraniol and trans-trans-farnesol reversed the inhibitory effect of alendronate and mevastatin but not the clodronate-induced inhibition of invasion. Alendronate pretreatment also inhibited migration, which was partially reversed by geranylgeraniol and trans-trans-farnesol. Adhesion of PC-3 cells to various matrices was reduced, and their F-actin organization was changed. Alendronate pretreatment also inhibited invasion of human Du-145 prostate and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. As a conclusion, the results demonstrate that the mevalonate pathway leading to protein prenylation is important for cancer cell invasion and migration in vitro. They further suggest that interference with this pathway is involved in inhibition of invasion and migration of prostate cancer cells by the amino-BP alendronate but that the mechanism of clodronate inhibition is different. It is possible that BPs have therapeutic potential in preventing the spread of prostate cancer.}},
  author       = {{Virtanen, SS and Vaananen, H K and Härkönen, Pirkko and Lakkakorpi, P T}},
  issn         = {{1538-7445}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{9}},
  pages        = {{2708--2714}},
  publisher    = {{American Association for Cancer Research Inc.}},
  series       = {{Cancer Research}},
  title        = {{Alendronate inhibits invasion of PC-3 prostate cancer cells by affecting the mevalonate pathway}},
  url          = {{http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/62/9/2708}},
  volume       = {{62}},
  year         = {{2002}},
}