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. 2000 Jul 3;83(3):333–337. doi: 10.1054/bjoc.2000.1269

Inhibition of aromatase activity and expression in MCF-7 cells by the chemopreventive retinoid N -(4-hydroxy-phenyl)-retinamide

H P Ciolino 1, T T Y Wang 2, N Sathyamoorthy 3
PMCID: PMC2374555  PMID: 10917548

Abstract

The effect of the chemopreventive synthetic retinoid N -(4-hydroxyphenyl)-retinamide (4-HPR) on aromatase activity and expression was examined. 4-HPR caused a dose-dependent inhibition of aromatase activity in microsomes isolated from JEG-3 human placental carcinoma cells. The kinetics of inhibition were analysed by double-reciprocal plot. The K m of the substrate increased and the V max of the reaction decreased in the presence of 4-HPR, indicating that enzyme inhibition involved both competition for the substrate-binding site and non-competitive mechanisms. To determine whether 4-HPR would also inhibit aromatase activity in intact cells, MCF-7 human breast cancer cells were incubated with or without cAMP in the presence of 4-HPR. 4-HPR inhibited both basal and cAMP-induced aromatase activity in intact MCF-7 cells. The induction of aromatase mRNA expression in MCF-7 cells by cAMP was inhibited in cells treated with 4-HPR. These results indicate that 4-HPR inhibits both the enzymatic activity and expression of aromatase. These activities may play an important role in the known chemopreventive effect of 4-HPR towards breast cancer. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaign

Keywords: aromatase, 4-HPR, MCF-7, cAMP

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Selected References

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