Osteogenic cocktail induces calcifications in human breast cancer cell line via placental alkaline phosphatase expression

Sci Rep. 2020 Jul 29;10(1):12669. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-69622-7.

Abstract

Breast cancer is frequently characterized by calcifications in mammography. The mechanism for calcifications in breast cancer is not completely known. Understanding this mechanism will improve diagnostic accuracy. Herein, we demonstrated that calcifications occur and that alkaline phosphatase enzyme activity increases in MDA-MB-231 cells cultured using an osteogenic cocktail-containing medium. Microarray transcript analysis showed that the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway was significantly involved, with recruitment of placental alkaline phosphatase. Calcifications and alkaline phosphatase enzyme activity were suppressed by silencing placental alkaline phosphatase using a small interfering RNA. Inhibition of the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway suppressed phospho-c-Jun and placental alkaline phosphatase and resulted in absence of calcifications. These findings reveal that breast cancer cells acquire alkaline phosphatase enzyme activity via placental alkaline phosphatase expression and suggest that breast calcification formation is closely associated with the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alkaline Phosphatase / genetics*
  • Alkaline Phosphatase / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Calcinosis / genetics*
  • Calcinosis / metabolism
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Female
  • GPI-Linked Proteins / genetics
  • GPI-Linked Proteins / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Profiling / methods*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Isoenzymes / genetics*
  • Isoenzymes / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Phosphorylation
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / metabolism
  • RNA, Small Interfering / pharmacology
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects

Substances

  • GPI-Linked Proteins
  • Isoenzymes
  • JUN protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Alkaline Phosphatase
  • alkaline phosphatase, placental