TY - JOUR
T1 - The peptide-hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 activates cAMP and inhibits growth of breast cancer cells
AU - Ligumsky, Hagai
AU - Wolf, Ido
AU - Israeli, Shira
AU - Haimsohn, Michal
AU - Ferber, Sarah
AU - Karasik, Avraham
AU - Kaufman, Bella
AU - Rubinek, Tami
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgments This research was supported by The Riva and Joel Koschitzky Fund for Breast Cancer Research at the Sheba Medical Center; the ‘‘Talpiut’’ Sheba Career Development Award. We thank Mrs. Iris Raviv to her technical assistance.
PY - 2012/4
Y1 - 2012/4
N2 - The incretin hormone glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 is secreted from intestinal L cells in response to food intake, and promotes insulin secretion and pancreatic β-cell proliferation. Reduced GLP-1 levels are observed in obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and are associated with reduced insulin secretion and increased insulin resistance. GLP-1 mediates its activities through activation of a G-protein coupled receptor, which is expressed in the pancreas, as well as other tissues. Long-acting GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists, such as exendin-4, are currently approved for the treatment of T2DM. As obesity and T2DM are associated with increased risk of breast cancer, we aimed to explore the effects of GLP-1 and exendin-4, on breast cancer cells. Treatment with GLP-1 or exendin-4 reduced viability and enhanced apoptosis of breast cancer cells but did not affect viability of nontumorigenic cells. Moreover, exendin-4 attenuated tumor formation by breast cancer cells in athymic mice. Treatment with either GLP-1 or exendin-4 elevated cAMP levels, activated the down-stream target CREB, and enhanced CRE promoter transcription, in breast cancer cells. Moreover, inhibition of exendin-4-induced adenylate cyclase activation restored cell viability, thus suggesting cAMP as a principle mediator of exendin-4 anti-tumorigenic activity. While the pancreatic form of the GLP-1R could not be detected in breast cancer cells, several lines of evidence indicated the existence of an alternative GLP-1R in mammary cells. Thus, internalization of GLP-1 into MCF-7 cells was evidenced, infection of MCF-7 cells with the pancreatic receptor enhanced proliferation, and treatment with exendin-(9-39), a GLP-1R antagonist, further increased cAMP levels. Our studies indicate the incretin hormone GLP-1 as a potent inducer of cAMP and an inhibitor of breast cancer cell proliferation. Reduced GLP-1 levels may, therefore, serve as a novel link between obesity, diabetes mellitus, and breast cancer.
AB - The incretin hormone glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 is secreted from intestinal L cells in response to food intake, and promotes insulin secretion and pancreatic β-cell proliferation. Reduced GLP-1 levels are observed in obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and are associated with reduced insulin secretion and increased insulin resistance. GLP-1 mediates its activities through activation of a G-protein coupled receptor, which is expressed in the pancreas, as well as other tissues. Long-acting GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists, such as exendin-4, are currently approved for the treatment of T2DM. As obesity and T2DM are associated with increased risk of breast cancer, we aimed to explore the effects of GLP-1 and exendin-4, on breast cancer cells. Treatment with GLP-1 or exendin-4 reduced viability and enhanced apoptosis of breast cancer cells but did not affect viability of nontumorigenic cells. Moreover, exendin-4 attenuated tumor formation by breast cancer cells in athymic mice. Treatment with either GLP-1 or exendin-4 elevated cAMP levels, activated the down-stream target CREB, and enhanced CRE promoter transcription, in breast cancer cells. Moreover, inhibition of exendin-4-induced adenylate cyclase activation restored cell viability, thus suggesting cAMP as a principle mediator of exendin-4 anti-tumorigenic activity. While the pancreatic form of the GLP-1R could not be detected in breast cancer cells, several lines of evidence indicated the existence of an alternative GLP-1R in mammary cells. Thus, internalization of GLP-1 into MCF-7 cells was evidenced, infection of MCF-7 cells with the pancreatic receptor enhanced proliferation, and treatment with exendin-(9-39), a GLP-1R antagonist, further increased cAMP levels. Our studies indicate the incretin hormone GLP-1 as a potent inducer of cAMP and an inhibitor of breast cancer cell proliferation. Reduced GLP-1 levels may, therefore, serve as a novel link between obesity, diabetes mellitus, and breast cancer.
KW - Breast cancer
KW - Exendin-4
KW - Glucagon-like peptide-1
KW - Type 2 diabetes
KW - cAMP
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84859104912&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10549-011-1585-0
DO - 10.1007/s10549-011-1585-0
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C2 - 21638053
AN - SCOPUS:84859104912
SN - 0167-6806
VL - 132
SP - 449
EP - 461
JO - Breast Cancer Research and Treatment
JF - Breast Cancer Research and Treatment
IS - 2
ER -
