Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0153690 (bone metastases)
6,382 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Proteins encoded by bcl-2 family genes are important regulators of programmed cell death and apoptosis. Alterations in the expression of these apoptosis-regulating genes can contribute to the origins of cancer, as well as adversely influence tumor responses to chemo- and radiotherapy. Using antibodies specific for the Bcl-2, Bax, Bcl-X, and Mcl-1 proteins in combination with immunohistochemical methods, we examined for the first time the expression of these bcl-2 family genes in 64 cases of adenocarcinoma of the prostate, including 10 Gleason grade 2 to 4 tumors, 21 grade 5 to 7 tumors, 17 grade 8 to 10 tumors, 8 lymph node metastases, and 8 bone metastases. In addition, 24 cases of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) or PIN coexisting with carcinoma were also evaluated. All immunostaining results were scored with regard to approximate percentage of positive tumor cells and relative immunostaining intensity. Expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 was present in 16 of 64 (25%) adenocarcinomas and tended to be more frequent in high grade tumors (Gleason grade 8 to 10; 41%) and nodal metastases (38%) than in lower grade (Gleason 2 to 7) primary tumors (16%; P < 0.05). Bcl-X was expressed in all 64 (100%) tumors evaluated. Bcl-X immunointensity was generally stronger in high grade primary tumors (grade 8 to 10) and metastases compared with PIN and low grade neoplasms (P < 0.0001). In addition, the proportion of specimens with > 50% Bcl-X-immunopositive tumor cells also was higher in advanced grade primary tumors (Gleason 8 to 10) and metastases than in PIN and low grade tumors (Gleason 2 to 7; P < 0.005). The anti-apoptotic protein Mcl-1 was expressed in 52 of 64 (81%) tumors, compared with only 9 of 24 (38%) cases of PIN (P < 0.001). In addition, the percentage of Mcl-1-positive cells was typically higher in Gleason grade 8 to 10 tumors and metastases than in PIN or lower grade tumors (P = 0.025). In contrast, the pro-apoptotic protein Bax was expressed in all prostate cancers evaluated, with high percentages of immunopositive cells and strong immunointensity typically occurring regardless of tumor grade. The findings suggest that expression of several anti-apoptotic members of the bcl-2 gene family, including bcl-2, bcl-X, and mcl-1 increases during progression of prostate cancers, a finding that may be relevant to the hormone-insensitive, metastatic phenotype of most advanced adenocarcinomas of the prostate.
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PMID:Immunohistochemical analysis of bcl-2, bax, bcl-X, and mcl-1 expression in prostate cancers. 862 25

The frequency of bcl-2 protein expression was evaluated using immunocytochemical staining during the progression of human and rat prostate cancer from an androgen-sensitive nonmetastatic to an androgen-independent metastatic phenotype. Previous studies (A. S. Shabaik et al., J. Urol. Pathol., 3: 17-27, 1995) demonstrated that 0 of 20 high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasias and only 3 (7%) of 41 pathologically localized stage B human prostatic cancers had detectable bcl-2 staining. In the present study, 5 (17%) of 30 lymph node metastases from pathologically disseminated D1 disease and 14 (52%) of 27 bone metastases from pathologically disseminated D2 disease expressed detectable bcl-2 protein. These data demonstrate that there is a statistically significant (P < 0.05) association between expression of bcl-2 and the progression of human prostatic cancer cells to a metastatic phenotype. Such bcl-2 expression is not absolutely required, however, for either androgen independence or metastatic ability by human prostatic cancer cells. Likewise, within a series of eight distinct Dunning R3327 rat prostatic cancer sublines, which differ widely in their progressional state, there is also a significant association (P < 0. 05) between bcl-2 expression and progression (four of six androgen-independent rat sublines expressed bcl-2 protein). Again in this rodent system, bcl-2 expression is not an absolute requirement for either androgen independence or metastatic ability. For example, the androgen-independent highly metastatic Dunning AT-3 subline, while expressing bax protein, does not express bcl-2 protein. If such AT-3 cells are genetically engineered to express bcl-2, these expressing cells are now cross-resistant to a variety of mechanistically diverse noxious insults (e.g., viral infection or exposure to antimetabolites, alkylating agents, or agents which elevate the intracellular free Ca2+). The ability of bcl-2 to inhibit the programmed death of AT-3 cells induced by these agents involves a late step in the death process, since the early induction of expression of a series of genes associated with apoptosis is not impaired by bcl-2 expression. These data demonstrate that the development of androgen independence and/or metastatic ability can be associated with the expression of bcl-2 protein but that bcl-2-independent mechanisms also exist for such progression.
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PMID:Expression of bcl-2 and the progression of human and rodent prostatic cancers. 981 82

Breast cancer has a prodigious capacity to metastasize to bone. In women with advanced breast cancer and bone metastases, bisphosphonates reduce the incidence of hypercalcaemia and skeletal morbidity. Recent clinical findings suggest that some bisphosphonates reduce the tumour burden in bone with a consequent increase in survival, raising the possibility that bisphosphonates may have a direct effect on breast cancer cells. We have investigated the in vitro effects of bisphosphonates zoledronate, pamidronate, clodronate and EB 1053 on growth, viability and induction of apoptosis in three human breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231, Hs 578T and MCF-7). Cell growth was monitored by crystal violet dye assay, and cell viability was quantitated by MTS dye reduction. Induction of apoptosis was determined by identification of morphological features of apoptosis using time-lapse videomicroscopy, identifying morphological changes in nucleis using Hoechst staining, quantitation of DNA fragmentation, level of expression of bcl-2 and bax proteins and identification of the proteolytic cleavage of Poly (ADP)-ribose polymerase (PARP). All four bisphosphonates significantly reduced cell viability in all three cell lines. Zoledronate was the most potent bisphosphonate with IC50 values of 15, 20 and 3 microM respectively in MDA-MB-231, MCF-7 and Hs 578T cells. Corresponding values for pamidronate were 40, 35 and 25 microM, whereas clodronate and EB 1053 were more than two orders of magnitude less potent. An increase in the proportion of cells having morphological features characteristic of apoptosis, characteristic apoptotic changes in the nucleus, time-dependent increase in the percentage of fragmented chromosomal DNA, down-regulation in bcl-2 protein and proteolytic cleavage of PARP, all indicate that bisphosphonates have direct anti-tumour effects on human breast cancer cells.
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PMID:Bisphosphonates induce apoptosis in human breast cancer cell lines. 1078 May 27

Breast cancer is associated frequently with skeletal metastases, which cause significant morbidity. The main mechanism is an increase in osteoclast-mediated bone resorption. We postulated that osteoblasts could be other essential target cells and previously showed that conditioned medium (CM) of breast cancer cells (BCCs) inhibits the proliferation of osteoblast-like cells. In this study, we investigated the effects of BCC-secreted products on osteoprogenitor cells using a clonal fetal human bone marrow stromal preosteoblastic cell line (FHSO-6) that expresses alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, type I collagen (COLI), and increased osteocalcin (OC) and osteopontin under treatment with dexamethasone (Dex), 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D], or recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (rhBMP-2). Treatment with MCF-7 CM inhibited FHSO-6 cell survival in a dose-dependent and irreversible manner. Morphological investigation indicated that MCF-7 CM increased both apoptotic and necrotic cell number. MCF-7 CM increased caspases activity and a broad inhibitor of caspase activity (benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp(OMe)-fluoromethyl ketone [z-VAD-fmk]) partly reversed the CM-induced inhibition of FHSO-6 cell survival. Western blot analyses revealed an increased bax/bcl-2 ratio in MCF-7 CM-treated FHSO-6 cells. MCF-7 cells exhibit FasLigand as membrane-bound protein and as a soluble cytokine in the CM. Deprivation of MCF-7 CM from active FasLigand by saturation with a soluble Fas molecule suppressed the induction of FHSO-6 apoptosis, whereas fibroblast CM, which did not contain FasLigand, only weakly modified FHSO-6 cell survival because of increased cell necrosis. These data indicate that FasLigand secreted by BCCs induces apoptosis and necrosis of human preosteoblastic stromal cells through caspase cascade modulated by the bax and bcl-2 protein level. The induction of apoptosis in human bone marrow stromal cells by BCCs may contribute to the inappropriately low osteoblast reaction and bone formation during tumor-induced osteolysis in bone metastases.
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PMID:Breast cancer cells release factors that induced apoptosis in human bone marrow stromal cells. 1154 30

The molecular events leading to progression toward androgen-independent prostate cancer (AIPC) are not fully understood. The p21((WAF-1/CIP1)) (p21) gene has been identified as a key factor for the regulation of cell growth. The expression of p21 was examined by immunohistochemical studies in 105 prostate cancer samples: (a) 7 of 30 (23%) androgen-dependent tumors; and (b) 36 of 75 (48%) androgen-independent tumors stained positive for p21 (P < 0.02). No association was found between p21 expression and p53, bcl-2, and the androgen receptor protein expression in bone metastases of patients with AIPC, whereas there was a significant association with a high Ki-67 index (P < 0.05). In 4 of 43 (9%) cases, tumors displayed a p53-negative, bcl-2-negative, and p21-positive phenotype. A xenograft mouse model of prostate cancer using the androgen-responsive MDA PCa 2b prostate cancer cell line was used to study p21 expression after androgen deprivation and at relapse. Androgen deprivation reduced p21 expression to undetectable levels after 14 days. Tumor relapse, defining AIPC, was associated with increased expression of p21 to levels comparable with those found before castration. In this model, p21 expression at relapse was also correlated with a high Ki-67 index. In conclusion, p21 expression is associated with the progression to AIPC. A possible explanation involves a paracrine effect of p21 mediated by the release of mitogenic and antiapoptotic factors. Another explanation involves the regulation of p21 expression by the androgen receptor, which also suggests that p21 may have antiapoptotic function in prostate cancer.
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PMID:The association of p21((WAF-1/CIP1)) with progression to androgen-independent prostate cancer. 1189 8

Pamidronate belongs to the class of nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates that are potent inhibitors of bone resorption frequently used for the treatment of osteoporosis and cancer-induced osteolysis. The inhibition of osteoclasts' growth has been suggested as the main mechanism of the inhibitory effect of pamidronate on bone metastases. Recent findings indicated that bisphosphonates also have a direct apoptotic effect on other types of tumour cells. Nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates were shown to inhibit farnesyl diphosphate synthase, thus blocking the synthesis of higher isoprenoids. By this mechanism they inactivate monomeric G-proteins of the Ras and Rho families for which prenylation is a functional requirement. On the background of the known key role of G-proteins in tumorigenesis, we investigated a possible beneficial use of pamidronate in the treatment of malignant melanoma. Our results indicate that pamidronate inhibits the cell growth and induces apoptosis in human melanoma cells in vitro. Susceptibility to pamidronate did not correlate to CD95 ligand sensitivity or p53 mutational status. Furthermore it is interesting to note that overexpression of bcl-2 did not abolish pamidronate-induced apoptosis. These data suggests that pamidronate has a direct anti-tumour effect on malignant melanoma cells, independently of the Bax/Bcl-2 level.
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PMID:The bisphosphonate pamidronate induces apoptosis in human melanoma cells in vitro. 1217 10

We report a rare case of basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the lung in a young Japanese woman. An 18-year-old woman presented with productive cough. Chest radiogram and computed tomography (CT) revealed a tumor in the left hilum accompanied by partial atelectasis of the left upper lobe and pleural effusion. Transbronchial fine-needle aspiration cytology supported a tentative diagnosis of primary squamous-cell carcinoma of the lung. The clinical stage was T4N2M1, with multiple bone metastases. Despite a transient response to chemotherapy consisting of carboplatin and paclitaxel, the patient died because of tumor progression 2 months after the start of the chemotherapy. Necropsy established the diagnosis of basaloid squamous-cell carcinoma of the lung. Immunohistochemical studies of the necropsy specimen indicated that the tumor was positive for keratin, vimentin, and S100, and negative for chromogranin A, cytokeratin CAM5.2, and bcl-2. Besides the rarity of the disease itself, the present case seemed to have additional uniqueness in that the patient was 18 years old and female. This is the youngest patient with a case of basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the lung ever reported.
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PMID:Basaloid squamous-cell carcinoma of the lung in a young woman. 1650 33

Zoledronic acid (ZOL) has proved activity in bone metastases from prostate cancer through inhibition of mevalonate pathway and of prenylation of intracellular proteins. We have reported that ZOL synergizes with R115777 farnesyltransferase inhibitor (FTI, Zarnestra) in inducing apoptosis and growth inhibition on epidermoid cancer cells. Here, we have studied the effects of the combination of these agents in prostate adenocarcinoma models and, specifically, on androgen-independent (PC3 and DU145) and -dependent (LNCaP) prostate cancer cell lines. We have found that ZOL and R115777 were synergistic in inducing both growth inhibition and apoptosis in prostate adenocarcinoma cells. These effects were paralleled by disruption of Ras-->Erk and Akt survival pathways, consequent decreased phosphorylation of both mitochondrial bcl-2 and bad proteins, and caspase activation. Finally, ZOL/R115777 combination induced cooperative effects also in vivo on tumor growth inhibition of prostate cancer xenografts in nude mice with a significant survival increase. These effects were paralleled by enhanced apoptosis and inactivation of both Erk and Akt. In conclusions, the combination between ZOL and FTI leads to enhanced anti-tumor activity in human prostate adenocarcinoma cells likely through a more efficacious inhibition of ras-dependent survival pathways and consequent bcl-related proteins-dependent apoptosis.
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PMID:R115777 (Zarnestra)/Zoledronic acid (Zometa) cooperation on inhibition of prostate cancer proliferation is paralleled by Erk/Akt inactivation and reduced Bcl-2 and bad phosphorylation. 1719 46

The cloning of the calcium sensing receptor (CaR) confirmed that parathyroid cells monitor extracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]ext) via a receptor-type mechanism. This lead to the hypothesis that abnormalities in the expression and/or function of the CaR could explain the biochemical abnormalities in primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). Cultured cells from parathyroid adenomas of patients operated for PHPT were used to monitor real-time changes in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) as measured by fluorescent microscopy using the Fura-2/AM dye. We found that CaR agonists trigger release of intracellular calcium pools and such responses are amplified by increasing the affinity of IP3 receptors. Using confocal microscopy to monitor membrane trafficking in living parathyroid cells labelled with the fluorescent dye FM1-43, we found that a decrease in [Ca2+]i rather than an absolute change in [Ca2+]ext is the main stimulus for exocytosis from human parathyroid cells. These data suggest that, in PHPT, a defective signalling mechanism from the CaR allows cells from parathyroid adenomas to maintain low [Ca2+]i with uninhibited PTH secretion in the face of hypercalcaemia. Over longer periods of time, CaR controls parathyroid proliferation via changes in tyrosine phosphorylation. We found that multiple proteins of molecular weight 20-65 kDa are phosphorylated within 10-60 min in response to CaR agonists. Further work demonstrated that high [Ca2+]i stimulates the expression of bcl-2 oncoprotein in cultured human parathyroid cells and that, in parathyroid adenomas, predominant expression of bcl-2 rather than bax oncoprotein might prevent apoptosis and explain the slow growth rate of these tumours. More recently, it became apparent that CaR stimulates cell proliferation in several cell types not involved in calcium homeostasis. Using archived histological material from 65 patients who died with metastatic breast cancer, we identified CaR expression predominantly in tumours from patients who developed bone rather than visceral metastases (35 of 49 versus 7 of 16; P < 0.01, chi-squared test). These data suggest that CaR expression has the potential to become a new biological marker predicting the risk of bone metastases in patients with breast cancer. A prospective study should investigate if patients with CaR-positive tumours are more likely to develop bone metastases and whether they could benefit more from prophylactic treatment with bisphosphonates or the newly developed CaR antagonists.
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PMID:The calcium sensing receptor: from understanding parathyroid calcium homeostasis to bone metastases. 1849 87

Bisphosphonates are expected to be efficacious to prevent the growth of metastatic cancer in bone tissue. Bone metastases often occur in patients with various cancers, such as breast, lung and prostate cancer. Bcl-2 is a potent antiapoptotic protein and its expression is known to be closely related to its function. In this study, to investigate the effect of bisphosphonates on cancer cells, we focused on bcl-2 expression in bisphosphonate-treated prostate cancer cells. First, we observed that bcl-2 mRNA expression in PC-3 was significantly inhibited to 12% of the control level by treatment with 100 microM pamidronate for 12h. Inhibition was seen in cells treated with nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates, which have the ability to inhibit isoprenoid biosynthesis via the mevalonate pathway, but not in non-nitrogen-containing etidronate. Simultaneous treatment with geranylgeraniol, an intermediate of the mevalonate pathway, significantly blocked inhibition by pamidronate, and treatment with geranylgeranyl transferase inhibitor GGTI-286 also suppressed bcl-2 mRNA expression. Furthermore, pamidronate inhibited the translocation of Rap1 protein to the membrane fraction, suggesting that a change in posttranslational modification of Rap1 occurred in treated cells. Finally, knockdown of Rap1 by siRNA resulted in the inhibition of bcl-2 expression. These results strongly indicate that bcl-2 reduction in bisphosphonate-treated PC-3 cells is dependent on inhibition of the mevalonate pathway. The inhibitory effect of bisphosphonates on bcl-2 expression shown in prostate cancer cell line should be tested in animal experiments and clinical studies.
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PMID:Pamidronate inhibits antiapoptotic bcl-2 expression through inhibition of the mevalonate pathway in prostate cancer PC-3 cells. 2051 42


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