Effect and Catabolism of All-trans Retinoic Acid in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Yoo, Seung Joo; Kwon, Hyun Ja; Nam, Soon Yuhl; Kim, Sang Yoon

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: All-trans retinoic acid (RA) is a form of vitamin A analogue that has shown chemopreventive activities in many types of malignancy with the properties that regulate cellular differentiations and suppress malignant proliferations. It is thought that the catabolism of RA is mediated by cytochrome P450RAI (CYP26) and its absorption, effects and catabolism are related to cellular retinol binding proteins (CRBP-I and II) and cellular retinoic acid binding proteins (CRABP-I and II). With eight different squamous cell carcinoma cell lines (AMC-HN-1~-8), we investigated the effects of RA and roles of these proteins in the metabolism and regulatory activity of RA.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Survival fractions of eight AMC-HN cells were analyzed six days after the treating them with 1 nM of RA. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCR) were performed before and 24 hours after the load of 1 nM of RA to detect the expressions of CRBP-I, CRABP-I, CRABP-II, and CYP26.
RESULTS
Resistances to RA were detected in AMC-HN-1, -2, -5, and -6 cell lines after RA treatment, and AMC-HN-3, -4, -7, and -8 cell lines showed sensitive responses to RA. Before the addition of RA, expressions of CYP26 were detected in AMC-HN-1, -2, -4, -5, -6, and -7 cell lines and CRBP-I was expressed in AMC-HN-3, 4, 5, 7, and -8. After RA addition, the expressions of CYP26 were enhanced in AMC-HN-2, -5, -6, and -7. In six of eight cell lines, CRABP-I was suppressed and CRABP-II was enhanced after RA treatment.
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that CYP26 has a direct correlation with the cellular metabolism of RA in the head and neck squamous cell carcinomas and that CRABP-I and CRABP-II have distinct roles in the regulatory effects of RA. CRBP-I might be an indicator that implies the responsiveness to RA.