Inhibitory effect of 2-(piperidinoethoxyphenyl)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2H-benzo(b)pyran (K-1) on human primary endometrial hyperplasial cells mediated via combined suppression of Wnt/β-catenin signaling and PI3K/Akt survival pathway

Cell Death Dis. 2014 Aug 21;5(8):e1380. doi: 10.1038/cddis.2014.334.

Abstract

Endometrial hyperplasia is a precursor to the most common gynecologic cancer diagnosed in women. Apart from estrogenic induction, aberrant activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signal is well known to correlate with endometrial hyperplasia and its carcinoma. The benzopyran compound 2-(piperidinoethoxyphenyl)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2H-benzo (b) pyran(K-1), a potent antiestrogenic agent, has been shown to have apoptosis-inducing activity in rat uterine hyperplasia. The current study was undertaken to explore the effect of the benzopyran compound K-1 on growth and Wnt signaling in human endometrial hyperplasial cells. Primary culture of atypical endometrial hyperplasial cells was characterized by the epithelial cell marker cytokeratin-7. Results revealed that compound K-1 reduced the viability of primary endometrial hyperplasial cells and expression of ERα, PR, PCNA, Wnt7a, FZD6, pGsk3β and β-catenin without affecting the growth of the primary culture of normal endometrial cells. The β-catenin target genes CyclinD1 and c-myc were also found to be reduced, whereas the expression of axin2 and Wnt/β-catenin signaling inhibitor Dkk-1 was found to be upregulated, which caused the reduced interaction of Wnt7a and FZD6. Nuclear accumulation of β-catenin was found to be decreased by compound K-1. K-1 also suppressed the pPI3K/pAkt survival pathway and induced the cleavage of caspases and PARP, thus subsequently causing the apoptosis of endometrial hyperplasial cells. In conclusion, compound K-1 suppressed the growth of human primary endometrial hyperplasial cells through discontinued Wnt/β-catenin signaling and induced apoptosis via inhibiting the PI3K/Akt survival pathway.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Benzopyrans / chemistry
  • Benzopyrans / toxicity*
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Down-Regulation / drug effects
  • Endometrial Hyperplasia / metabolism
  • Endometrial Hyperplasia / pathology
  • Endometrium / cytology
  • Endometrium / drug effects*
  • Endometrium / metabolism
  • Estradiol / pharmacology
  • Female
  • Flavonoids / chemistry
  • Flavonoids / toxicity*
  • Frizzled Receptors / chemistry
  • Frizzled Receptors / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / metabolism
  • Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / drug effects
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / metabolism*
  • Piperidines / chemistry
  • Piperidines / toxicity*
  • Protein Binding
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects*
  • Wnt Proteins / chemistry
  • Wnt Proteins / metabolism
  • beta Catenin / metabolism

Substances

  • 2-(piperidinoethoxyphenyl)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2H-benzo(b)pyran
  • Benzopyrans
  • DKK1 protein, human
  • FZD6 protein, human
  • Flavonoids
  • Frizzled Receptors
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Piperidines
  • Wnt Proteins
  • beta Catenin
  • Estradiol
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt