Altered apoptotic gene expression and acquired apoptotic resistance in cadmium-transformed human prostate epithelial cells.

Background: Cadmium is a suspected prostatic carcinogen, although the underlying mechanisms are unclear. To investigate these mechanisms, we performed molecular comparisons between the cadmium-transformed prostate epithelial cell line CTPE and the nontumorigenic parental line RWPE-1.

Methods: Gene expression patterns were compared by using cDNA arrays, RNase protection assays, and Western blots. Apoptosis was analyzed by using flow cytometry to quantify apoptotic nuclei and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method to measure DNA fragmentation. Caspase-3 activity was measured colorimetrically.

Results: Among the genes down-regulated in CTPE cells were those encoding several members of the caspase family of apoptotic proteases as well as the apoptotic regulator Bax. Ribonuclease protection assays confirmed global down-regulation of caspase gene expression in CTPE. Decreased Bax expression in CTPE was confirmed by Western blots, which also revealed increased expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2. Consistent with these changes, CTPE cells exhibited increased resistance to apoptosis induced by cadmium, cisplatin, and etoposide. CTPE cells also exhibited lower caspase-3 activity vs. RWPE-1 after etoposide treatment.

Conclusions: CTPE cells exhibited altered expression of important apoptotic regulators as well as resistance to several apoptotic stimuli. We hypothesize that acquired apoptotic resistance may be a key aspect of cadmium-induced malignant transformation of prostate epithelial cells and that this may contribute to both tumor initiation and the acquisition of aggressive characteristics subsequent to tumor formation.