Sulforaphane increases the efficacy of anti-androgens by rapidly decreasing androgen receptor levels in prostate cancer cells

Int J Oncol. 2016 Oct;49(4):1609-19. doi: 10.3892/ijo.2016.3641. Epub 2016 Aug 2.

Abstract

Prostate cancer (PCa) cells utilize androgen for their growth. Hence, androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) using anti-androgens, e.g. bicalutamide (BIC) and enzalutamide (ENZ), is a mainstay of treatment. However, the outgrowth of castration resistant PCa (CRPC) cells remains a significant problem. These CRPC cells express androgen receptor (AR) and utilize the intratumoral androgen towards their continued growth and invasion. Sulforaphane (SFN), a naturally occurring isothiocyanate found in cruciferous vegetables, can decrease AR protein levels. In the present study, we tested the combined efficacy of anti-androgens and SFN in suppressing PCa cell growth, motility and clonogenic ability. Both androgen-dependent (LNCaP) and androgen-independent (C4-2B) cells were used to monitor the effects of BIC and ENZ, alone and in combination with SFN. Co-exposure to SFN significantly (p<0.005) enhanced the anti-proliferative effects of anti-androgens and downregulated expression of the AR-responsive gene, prostate specific antigen (PSA) (p<0.05). Exposure to SFN decreased AR protein levels in a time- and dose-dependent manner with almost no AR detected at 24 h with 15 µM SFN (p<0.005). This rapid and potent AR suppression by SFN occurred by both AR protein degradation, as suggested by cycloheximide (CHX) co-exposure studies, and by suppression of AR gene expression, as evident from quantitative RT-PCR experiments. Pre-exposure to SFN also reduced R1881-stimulated nuclear localization of AR, and combined treatment with SFN and anti-androgens abrogated the mitogenic effects of this AR-agonist (p<0.005). Wound-healing assays revealed that co-exposure to SFN and anti-androgens can significantly (p<0.005) reduce PCa cell migration. In addition, long-term exposures (14 days) to much lower concentrations of these agents, SFN (0.2 µM), BIC (1 µM) and/or ENZ (0.4 µM) significantly (p<0.005) decreased the number of colony forming units (CFUs). These findings clearly suggest that SFN may be used as a promising adjunct agent to augment the efficacy of anti-androgens against aggressive PCa cells.

MeSH terms

  • Androgen Antagonists / pharmacology*
  • Anticarcinogenic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism
  • Blotting, Western
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Drug Synergism*
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Humans
  • Isothiocyanates / pharmacology*
  • Male
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant / drug therapy
  • Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant / metabolism*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant / pathology
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Receptors, Androgen / genetics
  • Receptors, Androgen / metabolism*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Sulfoxides
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured

Substances

  • AR protein, human
  • Androgen Antagonists
  • Anticarcinogenic Agents
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Isothiocyanates
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Receptors, Androgen
  • Sulfoxides
  • sulforaphane