N1-Guanyl-1,7-Diaminoheptane Sensitizes Estrogen Receptor Negative Breast Cancer Cells to Doxorubicin by Preventing Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition through Inhibition of Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 5A2 Activation

• Main Authors: Yu Liu, Rongrong Liu, Peifen Fu, Feiya Du, Yun Hong, Minya Yao, Xianning Zhang, Shusen Zheng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cell Physiol Biochem Press GmbH & Co KG 2015-08-01
• Series: Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry
• Subjects: Breast cancer; Estrogen receptor; Epithelial-mesenchymal transition; eIF5A2
• Online Access: http://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/430209

Background: Approximately 30% of breast cancer does not express the estrogen receptor (ER), which is necessary for endocrine-based therapy approaches. Many studies demonstrated that eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A2 (eIF5A2) serves as a proliferation-related oncogene in tumorigenic processes. Methods: The present study used cell viability assays, EdU incorporation assays, western blot, and immunofluorescence to explore whether N1-guanyl-1,7-diaminoheptane (GC7), which inhibits eIF5A2 activation, exerts synergistic cytotoxicity with doxorubicin in breast cancer. Results: We found that GC7 enhanced doxorubicin cytotoxicity in ER-negative HCC1937 cells but had little effect in ER-positive MCF-7 and Bcap-37 cells. Administration of GC7 reversed the doxorubicin-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in ER-negative breast cancer cells. Knockdown of eIF5A2 by siRNA inhibited the doxorubicin-induced EMT in ER-negative HCC1937 cells. Conclusion: These data demonstrated that GC7 combination therapy may enhance the therapeutic efficacy of doxorubicin in estrogen negative breast cancer cells by preventing EMT through inhibition of eIF5A2 activation.