Arsenic trioxide inhibits Ewing's sarcoma cell invasiveness by targeting p38(MAPK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase

Anticancer Drugs. 2012 Jan;23(1):108-18. doi: 10.1097/CAD.0b013e32834bfd68.

Abstract

Ewing's sarcoma is the second most frequent primary malignant bone tumor, mainly affecting children and young adults. The notorious metastatic capability of this tumor aggravates patient mortality and remains a problem to be overcome. We investigated the effect of arsenic trioxide (As₂O₃) on the metastasis capability of Ewing's sarcoma cells. We performed 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide assays to choose appropriate concentrations of As₂O₃ for the experiments. Migration, invasion, and adhesion assays were performed to assess the effect of As₂O₃ on the metastasis of Ewing's sarcoma. Immunofluorescent staining was used to observe cytoskeleton reorganization in Ewing's sarcoma cells treated with As₂O₃. Changes in matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway were investigated using western blot. Inhibitors of p38(MAPK) (sb202190) and c-Jun NH₂-terminal kinase (JNK, sp600125) were used in invasion assays to determine the effect of p38(MAPK) and JNK. We found that As₂O₃ may markedly inhibit the migration and invasion capacity of Ewing's sarcoma cells with structural rearrangements of the actin cytoskeleton. The expressions of matrix metalloproteinase-9, phosphor-p38(MAPK), and phosphor-JNK were suppressed by As₂O₃ treatment in a dose-dependent manner. The inhibitors of p38(MAPK) (sb202190) and JNK (sp600125) enhanced the inhibition induced by As₂O₃, which was counteracted by anisomycin, an activating agent of p38(MAPK) and JNK. Taken together, our results demonstrate that As₂O₃ can inhibit the metastasis capability of RD-ES and A-673 cells and may have new therapeutic value for Ewing's sarcoma.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anisomycin / pharmacology
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Arsenic Trioxide
  • Arsenicals / pharmacology*
  • Bone Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Bone Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Bone Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Cell Adhesion / drug effects
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement / drug effects
  • Cytoskeleton / drug effects
  • Humans
  • JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism*
  • Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors
  • Oxides / pharmacology*
  • Phosphorylation / drug effects
  • Sarcoma, Ewing / drug therapy*
  • Sarcoma, Ewing / metabolism
  • Sarcoma, Ewing / pathology*
  • p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Arsenicals
  • Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors
  • Oxides
  • Anisomycin
  • JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
  • p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
  • Arsenic Trioxide