Trichostatin A suppresses EGFR expression through induction of microRNA-7 in an HDAC-independent manner in lapatinib-treated cells

Biomed Res Int. 2014:2014:168949. doi: 10.1155/2014/168949. Epub 2014 Feb 23.

Abstract

Lapatinib, a dual EGFR/HER2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has been shown to improve the survival rate of patients with advanced HER2-positive breast cancers. However, the off-target activity of lapatinib in inducing EGFR expression without tyrosine kinase activity was demonstrated to render HER2-negative breast cancer cells more metastatic, suggesting a limitation to the therapeutic effectiveness of this dual inhibitor in HER2-heterogeneous tumors. Therefore, targeting EGFR expression may be a feasible approach to improve the anticancer efficiency of lapatinib-based therapy. Inhibition of HDAC has been previously reported to epigenetically suppress EGFR protein expression. In this study, however, our data indicated that treatment with HDAC inhibitors trichostatin A (TSA), but not suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) or HDAC siRNA, can attenuate both protein and mRNA expressions of EGFR in lapatinib-treated triple-negative breast cancer cells, suggesting that TSA may suppress EGFR expression independently of HDAC inhibition. Nevertheless, TSA reduced EGFR 3'UTR activity and induced the gene expression of microRNA-7, a known EGFR-targeting microRNA. Furthermore, treatment with microRNA-7 inhibitor attenuated TSA-mediated EGFR suppression. These results suggest that TSA induced microRNA-7 expression to downregulate EGFR expression in an HDAC-independent manner.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • ErbB Receptors / genetics*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / drug effects*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / genetics
  • Histone Deacetylases / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Hydroxamic Acids / pharmacology*
  • Lapatinib
  • MicroRNAs / genetics*
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Quinazolines / pharmacology*
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / genetics

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Hydroxamic Acids
  • MIRN7 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Quinazolines
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Lapatinib
  • trichostatin A
  • EGFR protein, human
  • ErbB Receptors
  • Histone Deacetylases