Orlistat, a novel potent antitumor agent for ovarian cancer: proteomic analysis of ovarian cancer cells treated with Orlistat

Int J Oncol. 2012 Aug;41(2):523-32. doi: 10.3892/ijo.2012.1465. Epub 2012 May 8.

Abstract

Orlistat is an orally administered anti-obesity drug that has shown significant antitumor activity in a variety of tumor cells. To identify the proteins involved in its antitumor activity, we employed a proteomic approach to reveal protein expression changes in the human ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3, following Orlistat treatment. Protein expression profiles were analyzed by 2-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and protein identification was performed on a MALDI-Q-TOF MS/MS instrument. More than 110 differentially expressed proteins were visualized by 2-DE and Coomassie brilliant blue staining. Furthermore, 71 proteins differentially expressed proteins were positively identified via mass spectrometry (MS)/MS analysis. In particular, PKM1/2, a key enzyme involved in tumorigenesis, was found to be significantly downregulated in SKOV3 cells following treatment with Orlistat. Moreover, PKM1/2 was proved to be downregulated in SKOV3 cells by western blot analysis after treatment with Orlistat. Taken together, using proteomic tools, we identified several differentially expressed proteins that underwent Orlistat-induced apoptosis, particularly PKM2. These changes confirmed our hypothesis that Orlistat is a potential inhibitor of ovarian cancer and can be used as a novel adjuvant antitumor agent.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Cluster Analysis
  • Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional
  • Fatty Acid Synthase, Type I / metabolism
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Humans
  • Lactones / pharmacology*
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Orlistat
  • Ovarian Neoplasms
  • Proteome / metabolism*
  • Proteomics
  • Thyroid Hormone-Binding Proteins
  • Thyroid Hormones / metabolism

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Lactones
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Proteome
  • Thyroid Hormones
  • Orlistat
  • FASN protein, human
  • Fatty Acid Synthase, Type I