HMGCS2 Mediation of Ketone Levels Affects Sorafenib Treatment Efficacy in Liver Cancer Cells
Primary liver cancer is the fifth leading death of cancers in men, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for approximately 90% of all primary liver cancer cases. Sorafenib is a first-line drug for advanced-stage HCC patients. Sorafenib is a multi-target kinase inhibitor that blocks tumor cell...
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MDPI AG
2022-11-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/27/22/8015 |
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| author | Fat-Moon Suk Chien-Ying Wu Wan-Chun Chiu Chia-Ying Chien Tzu-Lang Chen Yi-Jen Liao |
| author_facet | Fat-Moon Suk Chien-Ying Wu Wan-Chun Chiu Chia-Ying Chien Tzu-Lang Chen Yi-Jen Liao |
| author_sort | Fat-Moon Suk |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Primary liver cancer is the fifth leading death of cancers in men, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for approximately 90% of all primary liver cancer cases. Sorafenib is a first-line drug for advanced-stage HCC patients. Sorafenib is a multi-target kinase inhibitor that blocks tumor cell proliferation and angiogenesis. Despite sorafenib treatment extending survival, some patients experience side effects, and sorafenib resistance does occur. 3-Hydroxymethyl glutaryl-CoA synthase 2 (HMGCS2) is the rate-limiting enzyme for ketogenesis, which synthesizes the ketone bodies, β-hydroxybutyrate (β-HB) and acetoacetate (AcAc). β-HB is the most abundant ketone body which is present in a 4:1 ratio compared to AcAc. Recently, ketone body treatment was found to have therapeutic effects against many cancers by causing metabolic alternations and cancer cell apoptosis. Our previous publication showed that HMGCS2 downregulation-mediated ketone body reduction promoted HCC clinicopathological progression through regulating c-Myc/cyclin D1 and caspase-dependent signaling. However, whether HMGCS2-regulated ketone body production alters the sensitivity of human HCC to sorafenib treatment remains unclear. In this study, we showed that HMGCS2 downregulation enhanced the proliferative ability and attenuated the cytotoxic effects of sorafenib by activating expressions of phosphorylated (p)-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), p-P38, and p-AKT. In contrast, HMGCS2 overexpression decreased cell proliferation and enhanced the cytotoxic effects of sorafenib in HCC cells by inhibiting ERK activation. Furthermore, we showed that knockdown HMGCS2 exhibited the potential migratory ability, as well as decreasing zonula occludens protein (ZO)-1 and increasing c-Myc expression in both sorafenib-treated Huh7 and HepG2 cells. Although HMGCS2 overexpression did not alter the migratory effect, expressions of ZO-1, c-Myc, and N-cadherin decreased in sorafenib-treated HMGCS2-overexpressing HCC cells. Finally, we investigated whether ketone treatment influences sorafenib sensitivity. We showed that β-HB pretreatment decreased cell proliferation and enhanced antiproliferative effect of sorafenib in both Huh7 and HepG2 cells. In conclusion, this study defined the impacts of HMGCS2 expression and ketone body treatment on influencing the sorafenib sensitivity of liver cancer cells. |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
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| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T18:06:52Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-58d842b9d31641f2aea0db9d1e82d3fa2023-11-24T09:25:02ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492022-11-012722801510.3390/molecules27228015HMGCS2 Mediation of Ketone Levels Affects Sorafenib Treatment Efficacy in Liver Cancer CellsFat-Moon Suk0Chien-Ying Wu1Wan-Chun Chiu2Chia-Ying Chien3Tzu-Lang Chen4Yi-Jen Liao5Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11696, TaiwanSchool of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, TaiwanSchool of Nutrition and Health Sciences, College of Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, TaiwanSchool of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, TaiwanDepartment of Family Medicine, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City 220, TaiwanSchool of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, TaiwanPrimary liver cancer is the fifth leading death of cancers in men, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for approximately 90% of all primary liver cancer cases. Sorafenib is a first-line drug for advanced-stage HCC patients. Sorafenib is a multi-target kinase inhibitor that blocks tumor cell proliferation and angiogenesis. Despite sorafenib treatment extending survival, some patients experience side effects, and sorafenib resistance does occur. 3-Hydroxymethyl glutaryl-CoA synthase 2 (HMGCS2) is the rate-limiting enzyme for ketogenesis, which synthesizes the ketone bodies, β-hydroxybutyrate (β-HB) and acetoacetate (AcAc). β-HB is the most abundant ketone body which is present in a 4:1 ratio compared to AcAc. Recently, ketone body treatment was found to have therapeutic effects against many cancers by causing metabolic alternations and cancer cell apoptosis. Our previous publication showed that HMGCS2 downregulation-mediated ketone body reduction promoted HCC clinicopathological progression through regulating c-Myc/cyclin D1 and caspase-dependent signaling. However, whether HMGCS2-regulated ketone body production alters the sensitivity of human HCC to sorafenib treatment remains unclear. In this study, we showed that HMGCS2 downregulation enhanced the proliferative ability and attenuated the cytotoxic effects of sorafenib by activating expressions of phosphorylated (p)-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), p-P38, and p-AKT. In contrast, HMGCS2 overexpression decreased cell proliferation and enhanced the cytotoxic effects of sorafenib in HCC cells by inhibiting ERK activation. Furthermore, we showed that knockdown HMGCS2 exhibited the potential migratory ability, as well as decreasing zonula occludens protein (ZO)-1 and increasing c-Myc expression in both sorafenib-treated Huh7 and HepG2 cells. Although HMGCS2 overexpression did not alter the migratory effect, expressions of ZO-1, c-Myc, and N-cadherin decreased in sorafenib-treated HMGCS2-overexpressing HCC cells. Finally, we investigated whether ketone treatment influences sorafenib sensitivity. We showed that β-HB pretreatment decreased cell proliferation and enhanced antiproliferative effect of sorafenib in both Huh7 and HepG2 cells. In conclusion, this study defined the impacts of HMGCS2 expression and ketone body treatment on influencing the sorafenib sensitivity of liver cancer cells.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/27/22/8015ketone bodysorafenibhepatocellular carcinoma |
| spellingShingle | Fat-Moon Suk Chien-Ying Wu Wan-Chun Chiu Chia-Ying Chien Tzu-Lang Chen Yi-Jen Liao HMGCS2 Mediation of Ketone Levels Affects Sorafenib Treatment Efficacy in Liver Cancer Cells Molecules ketone body sorafenib hepatocellular carcinoma |
| title | HMGCS2 Mediation of Ketone Levels Affects Sorafenib Treatment Efficacy in Liver Cancer Cells |
| title_full | HMGCS2 Mediation of Ketone Levels Affects Sorafenib Treatment Efficacy in Liver Cancer Cells |
| title_fullStr | HMGCS2 Mediation of Ketone Levels Affects Sorafenib Treatment Efficacy in Liver Cancer Cells |
| title_full_unstemmed | HMGCS2 Mediation of Ketone Levels Affects Sorafenib Treatment Efficacy in Liver Cancer Cells |
| title_short | HMGCS2 Mediation of Ketone Levels Affects Sorafenib Treatment Efficacy in Liver Cancer Cells |
| title_sort | hmgcs2 mediation of ketone levels affects sorafenib treatment efficacy in liver cancer cells |
| topic | ketone body sorafenib hepatocellular carcinoma |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/27/22/8015 |
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