1,1-Bis(3'-indolyl)-1-(<it>p</it>-substituted phenyl)methanes induce autophagic cell death in estrogen receptor negative breast cancer

• Main Authors: Chadalapaka Gayathri, Barhoumi Rola, Burghardt Robert C, Frankel Arthur E, Su Yunpeng, Vanderlaag Kathy, Jutooru Indira, Safe Stephen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2010-12-01
• Series: BMC Cancer
• Online Access: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2407/10/669

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A novel series of methylene-substituted DIMs (C-DIMs), namely 1,1-bis(3'-indolyl)-1-(p-substituted phenyl)methanes containing t-butyl (DIM-C-pPhtBu) and phenyl (DIM-C-pPhC6H5) groups inhibit proliferation of invasive estrogen receptor-negative MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-453 human breast cancer cell lines with IC50 values between 1-5 uM. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the pathways of C-DIM-induced cell death.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The effects of the C-DIMs on apoptotic, necrotic and autophagic cell death were determined using caspase inhibitors, measurement of lactate dehydrogenase release, and several markers of autophagy including Beclin and light chain associated protein 3 expression (LC3).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The C-DIM compounds did not induce apoptosis and only DIM-C-pPhCF₃exhibited necrotic effects. However, treatment of MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-453 cells with C-DIMs resulted in accumulation of LC3-II compared to LC3-I protein, a characteristic marker of autophagy, and transient transfection of green fluorescent protein-LC3 also revealed that treatment with C-DIMs induced a redistribution of LC3 to autophagosomes after C-DIM treatment. In addition, the autofluorescent drug monodansylcadaverine (MDC), a specific autophagolysosome marker, accumulated in vacuoles after C-DIM treatment, and western blot analysis of lysates from cells treated with C-DIMs showed that the Beclin 1/Bcl-2 protein ratio increased.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results suggest that C-DIM compounds may represent a new mechanism-based agent for treating drug-resistant ER-negative breast tumors through induction of autophagy.</p>