Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) lack specific targeted therapy options and have evolved into highly chemo-resistant tumors that metastasize to multiple organs. The present study demonstrated that the proline dehydrogenase (PRODH) mRNA level in paired (tumor vs. normal) human breast tissue samples (n ¼ 234) was 6.6-fold greater than normal cells (*p ¼ 0.021). We established stable PRODH-overexpressing TNBC (HS578T) cells, and the malignant phenotypes were evaluated using soft agar colony formation and Transwell migration assays. The results demonstrated that PRODH induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in cancer cells and increased cell proliferation. The present study found that the tea polyphenol epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) significantly inhibited PRODH and its regulated proteins, such as alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) expression in TNBC cells. These findings support the targeting of the PRODH signaling pathway as a potential therapeutic strategy in preventing cancer cell metastasis. The patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse model is highly relevant to real human tumor growth. We established a TNBC-PDX (F4, n ¼ 4 in each group) mouse model. The PDX mice were treated with EGCG (50 mg/kg), and the results indicated that EGCG significantly inhibited PDX tumor growth (*p ¼ 0.013). These experiments provide additional evidence to evaluate the antitumor effects of EGCG-induced PRODH inhibition for clinical therapeutic application, especially in TNBC patients.
Date:
2021-03-15
Relation:
Journal of Food and Drug Analysis. 2021 Mar 15;29(1):113-127.
