New nonsteroidal molecules as blockers of the steroidogenic pathway

Background: Testosterone circulating levels decrease in aging. This fact affects the emotional response to captivating pictures. Therefore, naturally increasing androgens within neurons could be a way to improve the mood of agedpeople. Objective: This study aimed to determine the biological activity of new nonsteroidal derivatives of 2-aminonaphthalene-1,4-dione (2-amino-3-iodonaphthalene-1,4-dione and 2-(iodoamino)-3-methylnaphthalene-1,4-dione) as inhibitors of the aldo-keto reductase 1 enzymes (AKR1C1, AKR1C2). Method: The 2-amino-3-iodonaphthalene-1,4-dione and 2-(iodoamino)-3-methylnaphthalene-1,4-dione were synthesized, and their effect in vivo and in vitro was determined. The human prostate cell membrane was used as a source of steroidogenic enzymes. The 2-amino-3-iodonaphthalene-1,4-dione and 2-(iodoamino)-3-methylnaphthalene-1,4-dione bindings to the androgen receptors were also assayed using cytosol from the rat prostate. In vivo experiments, we determined the effects of 2-amino-3-iodonaphthalene-1,4-dione, 2-(iodoamino)-3-methylnaphthalene-1,4-dione on the weight of androgen-dependent glands of castrated hamsters treated with testosterone and finasteride or 2-amino-3-iodonaphthalene-1,4-dione or 2-(iodoamino)-3-methylnaphthalene-1,4-dione was determined. Results: 2-amino-3-iodonaphthalene-1,4-dione and 2-(iodoamino)-3-methylnaphthalene-1,4-dione inhibited AKR1C1 enzyme activity with an IC50 value of 420 nM (2-amino-3-iodonaphthalene-1,4-dione) and 1.95 µM (2-(iodoamino)-3-methylnaphthalene-1,4-dione), respectively. They also blocked AKR1C2 with an IC50 value of 300 nM (2-amino-3-iodonaphthalene-1,4-dione) and 1.52 µM (2-(iodoamino)-3-methylnaphthalene-1,4-dione). Thus 2-amino-3-iodonaphthalene-1,4-dione and 2-(iodoamino)-3-methylnaphthalene-1,4-dione prevent the formation of 3α and 3β-androstanediols. Moreover, these compounds did not bind to AR and did not reduce prostate and seminal vesicle weight. The latter is because of the accumulation of dihydrotestosterone, which is an anabolic androgen. Conclusion: 2-amino-3-iodonaphthalene-1,4-dione and 2-(iodoamino)-3-methylnaphthalene-1,4-dione inhibited AKR1C1 and AKR1C2 enzyme activity; consequently, dihydrotestosterone was accumulated in androgen-dependent glands. These derivatives could potentially use therapeutics via direct nasal administration in aged patients, increasing DHT in neurons.

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of S-, O- and Se-Containing Dispirooxindoles

A series of novel S-, O- and Se-containing dispirooxindole derivatives has been synthesized using 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of azomethine ylide generated from isatines and sarcosine at the double C=C bond of 5-indolidene-2-chalcogen-imidazolones (chalcogen was oxygen, sulfur or selenium). The cytotoxicity of these dispiro derivatives was evaluated in vitro using different tumor cell lines. Several molecules have demonstrated a considerable cytotoxicity against the panel and showed good selectivity towards colorectal carcinoma HCT116 p53+/+ over HCT116 p53−/− cells. In particular, good results have been obtained for LNCaP prostate cell line. The performed in silico study has revealed MDM2/p53 interaction as one of the possible targets for the synthesized molecules. However, in contrast to selectivity revealed during the cell-based evaluation and the results obtained in computational study, no significant p53 activation using a reporter construction in p53wt A549 cell line was observed in a relevant concentration range.

Targeting the BMP Pathway in Prostate Cancer Induced Bone Disease

From the 33,000 men in the U.S. who die from prostate cancer each year, the majority of these patients exhibit metastatic disease with bone being the most common site of metastasis. Prostate cancer bone metastases are commonly blastic, exhibiting new growth of unhealthy sclerotic bone, which can cause painful skeletal related events. Patient’s current care entails androgen deprivation therapy, anti-resorptive agents, radiation, and chemotherapy to help control the spread of the cancer but little intervention is available to treat blastic bone disease. The transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) pathways are known to regulate bone growth and resorption of destructive lytic bone lesions, yet the role of TGFβ/BMP signaling in prostate cancer blastic vs lytic bone lesions are not fully understood. We hypothesized that to target the BMP/TGFβ pathway, a useful biomarker of bone lytic or blastic pathology would have superior response. We show distinct BMP vs. TGFβ signaling in clinical samples of human prostate cancer bone metastases with either lytic or blastic pathologies. BMPs exhibit distinct effects on bone homeostasis, so to examine the effect of BMP inhibition on healthy bone, we treated mice with the BMP receptor small molecule antagonist DMH1 and saw a modest temporary improvement in bone health, with increased trabecular bone. We next sought to use the BMP inhibitor DMH1 to treat bone metastasis engraftment seeded by a caudal artery injection of the lytic human prostate cell line PC3 in immunodeficient mice. The colonization by PC3 cells to the bone were restricted with DMH1 treatment and bone health was importantly preserved. We next proceeded to test BMP inhibition in an injury model of established bone metastasis via intratibial injection of the MYC-CaP mouse prostate cell line into FVBN syngeneic mice. DMH1 treated mice had a modest decrease in trabecular bone and reduced lymphocytes in circulation without affecting tumor growth. Taken together we show unique responses to BMP inhibition in metastatic prostate cancer in the bone. These studies suggest that profiling bone lesions in metastatic prostate cancer can help identify therapeutic targets that not only treat the metastatic tumor but also address the need to better treat the distinct tumor induced bone disease.

Morphometric Analysis of Rat Prostate Development: Roles of MEK/ERK and Rho Signaling Pathways in Prostatic Morphogenesis

The molecular mechanisms underlying prostate development can provide clues for prostate cancer research. It has been demonstrated that MEK/ERK signaling downstream of androgen-targeted FGF10 signaling directly induces prostatic branching during development, while Rho/Rho-kinase can regulate prostate cell proliferation. MEK/ERK and Rho/Rho kinase regulate myosin light chain kinase (MLCK), and MLCK regulates myosin light chain phosphorylation (MLC-P), which is critical for cell fate, including cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. However, the roles and crosstalk of the MEK/ERK and Rho/Rho kinase signaling pathways in prostatic morphogenesis have not been examined. In the present study, we used numerical and image analysis to characterize lobe-specific rat prostatic branching during postnatal organ culture and investigated the roles of FGF10-MEK/ERK and Rho/Rho kinase signaling pathways in prostatic morphogenesis. Prostates exhibited distinctive lobe-specific growth and branching patterns in the ventral (VP) and lateral (LP) lobes, while exogenous FGF10 treatment shifted LP branching towards a VP branching pattern. Treatment with inhibitors of MEK1/2, Rho, Rho kinase, or MLCK significantly inhibited VP growth and blocked branching morphogenesis, further supporting critical roles for MEK/ERK and Rho/Rho kinase signaling pathways in prostatic growth and branching during development. We propose that MLCK-regulated MLC-P may be a central downstream target of both signaling pathways in regulating prostate morphogenesis.

Measurement of the Drug Sensitivity of Single Prostate Cancer Cells

The treatment of cancer faces a serious challenge as cancer cells within patients are heterogeneous and frequently resistant to therapeutic drugs. Here, we introduce a technology enabling the assessment of single cancer cells exposed to different drugs. PCa cells were individually sorted in self-seeding microwells, cultured for 24 h, and then exposed to several drugs to induce (R1881) or inhibit (Enzalutamide/Abiraterone) the secretion of a protein (PSA). Cell viability and PSA secretion of each individual prostate cell were monitored over a 3-day period. The PSA protein secreted by each cell was captured on a PVDF membrane through a pore in the bottom of each well. The basal PSA secretion was found to be 6.1 ± 4.5 and 3.7 ± 1.9 pg/cell/day for LNCaP and VCaP, respectively. After exposure to R1881, the PSA secretion increased by ~90% on average and was not altered for ~10% of the cells. PSA production decreased in the majority of cells after exposure to enzalutamide and abiraterone.

Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia by Natural Drugs

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is one of the most common urinary diseases affecting men, generally after the age of 50. The prevalence of this multifactorial disease increases with age. With aging, the plasma level of testosterone decreases, as well as the testosterone/estrogen ratio, resulting in increased estrogen activity, which may facilitate the hyperplasia of the prostate cells. Another theory focuses on dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and the activity of the enzyme 5α-reductase, which converts testosterone to DHT. In older men, the activity of this enzyme increases, leading to a decreased testosterone/DHT ratio. DHT may promote prostate cell growth, resulting in hyperplasia. Some medicinal plants and their compounds act by modulating this enzyme, and have the above-mentioned targets. This review focuses on herbal drugs that are most widely used in the treatment of BPH, including pumpkin seed, willow herb, tomato, maritime pine bark, Pygeum africanum bark, rye pollen, saw palmetto fruit, and nettle root, highlighting the latest results of preclinical and clinical studies, as well as safety issues. In addition, the pharmaceutical care and other therapeutic options of BPH, including pharmacotherapy and surgical options, are discussed, summarizing and comparing the advantages and disadvantages of each therapy.

Alternative splicing of NF-YA promotes prostate cancer aggressiveness and represents a new molecular marker for clinical stratification of patients

Background Approaches based on expression signatures of prostate cancer (PCa) have been proposed to predict patient outcomes and response to treatments. The transcription factor NF-Y participates to the progression from benign epithelium to both localized and metastatic PCa and is associated with aggressive transcriptional profile. The gene encoding for NF-YA, the DNA-binding subunit of NF-Y, produces two alternatively spliced transcripts, NF-YAs and NF-YAl. Bioinformatic analyses pointed at NF-YA splicing as a key transcriptional signature to discriminate between different tumor molecular subtypes. In this study, we aimed to determine the pathophysiological role of NF-YA splice variants in PCa and their association with aggressive subtypes. Methods Data on the expression of NF-YA isoforms were extracted from the TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) database of tumor prostate tissues and validated in prostate cell lines. Lentiviral transduction and CRISPR-Cas9 technology allowed the modulation of the expression of NF-YA splice variants in PCa cells. We characterized 3D cell cultures through in vitro assays and RNA-seq profilings. We used the rank-rank hypergeometric overlap approach to identify concordant/discordant gene expression signatures of NF-YAs/NF-YAl-overexpressing cells and human PCa patients. We performed in vivo studies in SHO-SCID mice to determine pathological and molecular phenotypes of NF-YAs/NF-YAl xenograft tumors. Results NF-YA depletion affects the tumorigenic potential of PCa cells in vitro and in vivo. Elevated NF-YAs levels are associated to aggressive PCa specimens, defined by Gleason Score and TNM classification. NF-YAl overexpression increases cell motility, while NF-YAs enhances cell proliferation in PCa 3D spheroids and xenograft tumors. The transcriptome of NF-YAs-spheroids has an extensive overlap with localized and metastatic human PCa signatures. According to PCa PAM50 classification, NF-YAs transcript levels are higher in LumB, characterized by poor prognosis compared to LumA and basal subtypes. A significant decrease in NF-YAs/NF-YAl ratio distinguishes PCa circulating tumor cells from cancer cells in metastatic sites, consistently with pro-migratory function of NF-YAl. Stratification of patients based on NF-YAs expression is predictive of clinical outcome. Conclusions Altogether, our results indicate that the modulation of NF-YA isoforms affects prostate pathophysiological processes and contributes to cancer-relevant phenotype, in vitro and in vivo. Evaluation of NF-YA splicing may represent a new molecular strategy for risk assessment of PCa patients.

Ciprofloxacin and Levofloxacin as Potential Drugs in Genitourinary Cancer Treatment—The Effect of Dose–Response on 2D and 3D Cell Cultures

Introduction: Introducing new drugs for clinical application is a very difficult, long, drawn-out, and costly process, which is why drug repositioning is increasingly gaining in importance. The aim of this study was to analyze the cytotoxic properties of ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin on bladder and prostate cell lines in vitro. Methods: Bladder and prostate cancer cell lines together with their non-malignant counterparts were used in this study. In order to evaluate the cytotoxic effect of both drugs on tested cell lines, MTT assay, real-time cell growth analysis, apoptosis detection, cell cycle changes, molecular analysis, and 3D cultures were examined. Results: Both fluoroquinolones exhibited a toxic effect on all of the tested cell lines. In the case of non-malignant cell lines, the cytotoxic effect was weaker, which was especially pronounced in the bladder cell line. A comparison of both fluoroquinolones showed the advantage of ciprofloxacin (lower doses of drug caused a stronger cytotoxic effect). Both fluoroquinolones led to an increase in late apoptotic cells and an inhibition of cell cycle mainly in the S phase. Molecular analysis showed changes in BAX, BCL2, TP53, and CDKN1 expression in tested cell lines following incubation with ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin. The downregulation of topoisomerase II genes (TOP2A and TOP2B) was noticed. Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture analysis confirmed the higher cytotoxic effect of tested fluoroquinolone against cancer cell lines. Conclusions: Our results suggest that both ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin may have great potential, especially in the supportive therapy of bladder cancer treatment. Taking into account the low costs of such therapy, fluoroquinolones seem to be ideal candidates for repositioning into bladder cancer therapeutics.

Therapeutic Effects of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D on the Pathological Process of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: An In Vitro Evidence

The pathogenesis of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is extremely complicated which involving the multiple signaling pathways. The deficiency of vitamin D is an important risk factor for BPH, and exogenous vitamin D is effective for the treatment of BPH. In this study, we provided in vitro mechanical evidence of vitamin D as a treatment for BPH using BPH-1, WPMY-1, and PBMC cells. We found that 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH D) level is decreased in BPH and closely correlated with age, prostate volume, maximum flow, international prostate symptom score, and prostate-specific antigen of the BPH patients. We further revealed that 25-OH D ameliorated TGF-β1 induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of BPH-1 cells and proliferation of WPMY-1 cells via blocking TGF-β signaling. Moreover, 25-OH D was able to block NF-κB signaling in PBMCs of BPH patients and STAT3 signaling in BPH cells to relieve inflammation. 25-OH D also protects BPH cells from inflammatory cytokines selected by PBMCs. Finally, we uncovered that 25-OH D alleviated prostate cell oxidative stress by triggering Nrf2 signaling. In conclusion, our data verified that 25-OH D regulated multiple singling pathways to restrain prostate cell EMT, proliferation, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Our study provides in vitro mechanical evidence to support clinical use of vitamin D as a treatment for BPH.