Prostate cancer chemoprevention by sulforaphane in a preclinical mouse model is associated with inhibition of fatty acid metabolism

Carcinogenesis. 2018 May 28;39(6):826-837. doi: 10.1093/carcin/bgy051.

Abstract

Increased de novo synthesis of fatty acids is a rather unique and targetable mechanism of human prostate cancer. We have shown previously that oral administration of sulforaphane (SFN) significantly inhibits the incidence and/or burden of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and well-differentiated adenocarcinoma in TRansgenic Adenocarcinoma of Mouse Prostate (TRAMP) mice. The present study used cellular models of prostate cancer and archived plasma/adenocarcinoma tissues and sections from the TRAMP study to demonstrate inhibition of fatty acid synthesis by SFN treatment in vitro and in vivo. Treatment of androgen-responsive (LNCaP) and castration-resistant (22Rv1) human prostate cancer cells with SFN (5 and 10 μM) resulted in downregulation of protein and mRNA levels of acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (ACC1) and fatty acid synthase (FASN), but not ATP citrate lyase. Protein and mRNA levels of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT1A), which facilitates fatty acid uptake by mitochondria for β-oxidation, were also decreased following SFN treatment in both cell lines. Immunohistochemistry revealed a significant decrease in expression of FASN and ACC1 proteins in prostate adenocarcinoma sections of SFN-treated TRAMP mice when compared with controls. SFN administration to TRAMP mice resulted in a significant decrease in plasma and/or prostate adenocarcinoma levels of total free fatty acids, total phospholipids, acetyl-CoA and ATP. Consistent with these results, number of neutral lipid droplets was lower in the prostate adenocarcinoma sections of SFN-treated TRAMP mice than in control tumors. Collectively, these observations indicate that prostate cancer chemoprevention by SFN in TRAMP mice is associated with inhibition of fatty acid metabolism.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / metabolism
  • Adenocarcinoma / prevention & control
  • Animals
  • Anticarcinogenic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Chemoprevention / methods
  • Fatty Acid Synthases / drug effects
  • Fatty Acid Synthases / metabolism
  • Fatty Acids / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Isothiocyanates / pharmacology*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Prostate / drug effects
  • Prostate / metabolism
  • Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia / metabolism
  • Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia / prevention & control
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / prevention & control*
  • Sulfoxides

Substances

  • Anticarcinogenic Agents
  • Fatty Acids
  • Isothiocyanates
  • Sulfoxides
  • Fatty Acid Synthases
  • sulforaphane