Finasteride increases the expression of hemoxygenase-1 (HO-1) and NF-E2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) proteins in PC-3 cells: Implication of finasteride-mediated high-grade prostate tumor occurrence

Do Kyung Yun, June Lee, Young Sam Keum

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

A number of naturally-occurring or synthetic chemicals have been reported to exhibit prostate chemopreventive effects. Synthetic 5α-reductase (5-AR) inhibitors, e.g. finasteride and durasteride, gained special interests as possible prostate chemopreventive agents. Indeed, two large-scale epidemiological studies have demonstrated that finasteride or durasteride significantly reduced the incidence of prostate cancer formation in men. However, these studies have raised an unexpected concern; finasteride and durasteride increased the occurrence of aggressive prostate tumor formation. In the present study, we have observed that treatment of finasteride did not affect the growth of androgen-refractory PC-3 prostate cancer cells. Finasteride also failed to induce apoptosis or affect the expression of proto-oncogenes in PC-3 cells. Interestingly, we found that treatment of finasteride induced the expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 proteins in PC-3 cells. In particular, basal level of Nrf2 protein was higher in androgen-refractory prostate cancer cells, e.g. DU-145 and PC-3 cells, compared with androgen-responsive prostate cancer cells, e.g. LNCaP cells. Also, treatment of finasteride resulted in a selective induction of Nrf2 protein in DU-145 and PC-3 cells, but not in LNCaP cells. In view of the fact that upregulation of Nrf2-mediated phase II cytoprotective enzymes contribute to attenuating tumor promotion in normal cells, but, on the other hand, confers a selective advantage for cancer cells to proliferate and survive against chemical carcinogenesis and other forms of toxicity, we propose that finasteride-mediated induction of Nrf2 protein might be responsible, at least in part, for an increased risk of high-grade prostate tumor formation in men.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)49-53
Number of pages5
JournalBiomolecules and Therapeutics
Volume21
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2013

Keywords

  • 5α-reductase (5-AR)
  • Chemoprevention
  • Finasteride
  • NF-E2-related factor-2 (Nrf2)

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