The Green Tea Polyphenol Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) Antagonizes the Inhibitory Effect of Bortezomib on Myeloma Cells.

Abstract Dietary plant polyphenols are known to have antitumor, antiinflammatory, and antioxidant activity and as such may sensitize tumor cells to chemotherapeutic agents. We have evaluated the effects of the green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) alone and in combination with other drugs on human myeloma cells. The compound is currently under investigation in several phase I/II clinical trials including for treatment of patients with early stage chronic lymphocytic leukemia. EGCG inhibited the in vitro growth of human myeloma cell lines in a time and dose-dependent manner. IC50 concentrations were between 12.5 μM and 50 μM as measured in a colorimetric tetrazolium (MTS) based assay and by trypan blue exclusion. Excess amounts of IL-6, bone marrow stromal cells, or overexpression of Mcl-1 and Bcl-xL could not protect from EGCG induced cytotoxicity. Pretreatment of INA-6 cells with EGCG resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of IL-6 induced STAT3 tyrosine phosphorylation. In accordance with the essential role of STAT3 for INA-6 cell survival, EGCG induced apoptosis as determined by flow cytometry upon 7-amino-actinomycin D/annexin-V staining. In cell lines not dependent on exogenous IL-6, EGCG induced growth inhibition was abolished by pretreating the cells with 200 U/ml catalase, an enzyme which reduces reactive oxygen species (ROS). The combination of EGCG with doxorubicin, dexamethason, or rapamycin did not result in increased growth inhibition. In contrast, growth inhibition by bortezomib was antagonized with EGCG at concentrations that were not inhibitory when used alone (1–10 μM). In conclusion, EGCG exerts its effects on myeloma cells through several mechanisms including inhibition of IL-6 mediated signalling pathways via STAT3 and induction of oxidative stress. Notably, at pharmacologically achievable concentrations, EGCG antagonized bortezomib activity. Thus, the intake of natural polyphenols (high consumption of green tea or taking green tea extracts) may be critical during therapy with bortezomib.

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Effect of the green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) on growth and IL-6 signalling pathways in malignant plasma cells

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2007.25.18_suppl.8114 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 25 (18_suppl) ◽

pp. 8114-8114

Author(s):

R. Burger ◽

H. Czekalla ◽

K. Richter ◽

T. Ahrens ◽

A. Guenther ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Lines ◽

Green Tea ◽

Epigallocatechin Gallate ◽

Myeloma Cell ◽

Signalling Pathways ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Green Tea Polyphenol ◽

Dose Dependent ◽

Human Myeloma Cell

8114 Background: Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is the predominant polyphenolic constituent of green tea leaves that possesses antitumor, antiinflammatory, and antioxidant activity. EGCG exerts its effects through potentially multiple mechanisms including inhibition of growth factor receptor signalling. The compound is currently under investigation in a phase I/II clinical trial for treatment of patients with early stage chronic lymphocytic leukemia at Mayo Clinic. The goal of our study was to examine the in vitro effects of EGCG in multiple myeloma (MM). Methods: A panel of human myeloma cell lines (n=6) including the IL-6 dependent INA-6 cell line was used to evaluate the sensitivity to EGCG. Cells were cultured for three days in the absence or presence of EGCG at concentrations between 6.25 μM and 100 μM. Cell viability was determined in a colorimetric tetrazolium (MTS) based assay and by trypanblue exclusion. For signalling experiments, INA-6 cells were IL-6 and serum starved and then treated with EGCG for two hours before IL-6 was added. Whole cell lysates were prepared and subjected to SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis. Results: EGCG inhibited the in vitro growth of human myeloma cell lines by inducing cell death in a time and dose-dependent manner. IC50 concentrations were between 12,5 μM and 50 μM. IL-6 mediated growth of INA-6 cells was inhibited at similar doses. The addition of excess amounts of IL-6 could not protect from EGCG induced cytotoxicity. Pretreatment of INA-6 cells with EGCG resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of IL-6 induced STAT3 tyrosine phosphorylation. In these cells, stimulation with IL-6 leads to upregulation of Mcl-1 expression. In contrast, phosphorylation of p44/p42 MAPK, which is constitutively activated in INA-6 cells, was not affected. Conclusion: EGCG has growth inhibitory activity on myeloma cells. Specific inhibition of signalling pathways that regulate expression of anti-apoptotic proteins could be one mechanism how EGCG exerts its activity. Our work provides the rationale for further studies to evaluate the effect of EGCG not only in B-CLL, but also in plasma cell tumors. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

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Clarithromicin Induces Autophagy in Myeloma Cells.

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v108.11.3509.3509 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 108 (11) ◽

pp. 3509-3509 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Miki Nakamura ◽

Takahiro Kamimoto ◽

Tamotsu Yoshimori ◽

Hiroaki Mitsuya ◽

Hiroyuki Hata

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscopy ◽

Growth Inhibition ◽

Cell Lines ◽

Fluorescent Microscopy ◽

Myeloma Cell ◽

Pi3 Kinase ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Myeloma Cells ◽

Akt Phosphorylation ◽

Dose Dependent

Abstract Introduction Some macrolide antibiotics exert effects other than anti-bacterial activity on the growth and viability of certain cancer cells. The presence of cytoplasmic vacuoles is one the salient features of autophagy, a cellular event believed to recycle cellular ingredients under nutrient-starved conditions. Such vacuoles (autophagosomes) fuse with lysozomes, generating autolysozomes toward later stages of autophagy, digesting organelles and degenerated proteins. Our own and others’ findings that a macrolide antibiotic clarithromicin (CAM) occasionally shows anti-myeloma effects when combined with thalidomide and/or dexamethasone prompted us to examine CAM for its effects on myeloma cells in vitro. Methods Four myeloma cell lines (12PE, KHM-11, KMM-1 and U266) and primary myeloma cells purified by CD138-conjugated immune-magnetic beads (Miltenvi Biotec, Auburn, CA) were utilized. Clarithromicin was obtained from Taisho-Toyama pharmaceuticals (Tokyo, JAPAN). Morphology was analyzed either by May-Giemza staining or electron microscopy. Autolysozome was stained with Lysotracker (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA) and analyzed using fluorescent microscopy. Antibody to LC3 was obtained from Dr. T. Yoshimori (Department of Cellular Regulation, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University). Results and discussion CAM induced vacuoles in the cytoplasm of both myeloma cell lines and primary myeloma cells at concentrations ranging from 10 to 50 mg/ml at a dose-dependent manner after ~18 hours treatment. Electron microscopy revealed that those vacuoles morphologically resemble autolysozomes. To further confirm the identity of autolysozomes, cells were stained with Lysotracker, which specifically stains acid lysozome. After the treatment with CAM, the accumulation of vacuoles in the cytoplasm, stained with Lysotacker, was observed. Since initiation of autophagy depends on PI3-kinase, we investigated whether CAM induced AKT phosphorylation. AKT phosphorylation was readily observed, and moreover, the emergence of vacuoles stainable with Lysotracker was inhibited when the cells were pretreated with PI3-kinase inhibitors, 3MA or LY294002, strongly suggesting that vacuolation is indeed mediated with PI3-kinase. To further confirm that autopahgy is induced by CAM, the process of LC3-I to LC3-II, a hallmark of autophagy, was examined. We found that the induction of LC3-II by CAM occurred at a dose-dependent manner. Taken together, these findings strongly suggest that CAM induces autolysozome accumulation through activating PI3-kinase. Finally, we examined whether CAM induced apoptosis when combined with thalidomide. Three myeloma cells lines, which abundantly expressed Bcl-2, showed no growth inhibition, while KHM-11, which was defective in Bcl-2, showed marked apoptosis and growth inhibition with the combination of CAM and thalidomide, suggesting that CAM might potentially augment anti-myeloma activity of thalidomide although the mechanisms are to be determined. Taken these observations together, the manipulation of certain autophagy processes with reagents such as macrolides (i.e., CAM) might represent a new therapeutic approach in the treatment of myeloma. We hypothesize that CAM dually functions in the event of autophagy, i.e., it initiates autophagy while it suppresses autophagy at later stages. Further study under the hypothesis is currently underway.

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