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Retinoic acid receptor-beta2 (RAR-beta2) is a putative tumor suppressor gene in various cancers. To determine the underlying molecular mechanisms, we transfected RAR-beta2 cDNA into esophageal cancer TE-1 and TE-8 cells and found that RAR-beta2 suppressed tumor cell growth in vitro and tumor formation in nude mice in TE-8 cells, whereas the stable transfection of RAR-beta2 did not restore retinoid sensitivity or inhibit tumor formation in nude mouse in TE-1 cells. Molecularly, we revealed that RAR-beta2 antitumor activity was associated with expression and suppression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in these tumor cell lines. Moreover, antisense RAR-beta2 cDNA induced COX-2 expression in TE-3 cells. Furthermore, when COX-2 expression is first blocked by using antisense COX-2 expression vector, the effect of RAR-beta2 is diminished in these tumor cells. In addition, we analyzed expression of RAR-beta2 and COX-2 mRNA in tissue specimens and found that RAR-beta2 expression is associated with low levels of COX-2 expression in esophageal cancer tissues. Induction of RAR-beta2 expression in oral leukoplakia tissues after the patients treated with 13-cis RA correlated with a reduction in COX-2 expression and clinical response. Our findings indicate that some of RAR-beta2 antitumor activities are mediated by suppression of COX-2 expression in some of these esophageal cancer cells. After correlating antitumor effect of RAR-beta2 with COX-2 expression in the published studies, we also found the association. Thus, further studies will determine whether manipulation of COX-2 expression in different cancers can antagonize RAR-beta2 activity.

The oncogene erbB2 is overexpressed in 20% to 30% human breast cancers and is most commonly overexpressed in estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancers. Transgenic mice expressing erbB2 develop ER-negative mammary tumors, mimicking human breast carcinogenesis. Previously, we have shown that activator protein 1 (AP-1) regulates proliferation of ER-negative breast cancer cells. We hypothesized that blockade of AP-1 in mouse mammary epithelial cells will suppress ER-negative tumorigenesis induced by erbB2. Trigenic erbB2 mice were generated by crossing a bigenic pUHD-Tam67/MMTV-rtTA mouse to a MMTV-erbB2 mouse. The resulting trigenic mice develop tumors and express a doxycycline-inducible c-Jun dominant negative mutant (Tam67) in the mammary glands. In vivo AP-1 blockade by Tam67 expression started delayed mammary tumor formation in MMTV-erbB2 mice by more than 11 weeks. By 52 weeks of age, 100% (18 of 18) of the untreated animals had developed mammary tumors, whereas 56% (9 of 16) of the doxycycline-treated trigenic mice developed tumors. In addition, the tumors that arose in the AP-1-blocked erbB2 mice failed to express Tam67. Twenty-five percent of the doxycycline-treated MMTV-erbB2 mice survived more than 72 weeks of age without developing mammary tumors. Examination of normal-appearing mammary glands from these mice showed that AP-1 blockade by Tam67 also significantly prevents the development of premalignant lesions in these glands. The expression of erbB2 either in normal mammary tissue or in mammary tumors was not altered. Our results show that blocking the AP-1 signaling in mammary cells suppresses erbB2-induced transformation, and show that the AP-1 transcription factor is a critical transducer of erbB2. These results provide a scientific rationale to develop targeted drugs that inhibit AP-1 to prevent the development of ER-negative breast cancer.

Statins are a class of low molecular weight drugs that inhibit the rate-limiting enzyme of the mevalonate pathway 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase. Statins have been approved and effectively used to control hypercholesterolemia in clinical setting. Recent study showed statin's antitumor activity and suggested a potential role for prevention of human cancers. In this study, we did cell viability, DNA fragmentation, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling assays to evaluate the action of statins on prostate cancer cells and used Western blotting and RhoA activation assay to investigate the underlying molecular mechanism of action. Our data showed that lovastatin and simvastatin effectively decreased cell viability in three prostate cancer cell lines (PC3, DU145, and LnCap) by inducing apoptosis and cell growth arrest at G(1) phase. Both lovastatin and simvastatin induced activation of caspase-8, caspase-3, and, to a lesser extent, caspase-9. Both statins suppressed expression of Rb, phosphorylated Rb, cyclin D1, cyclin D3, CDK4, and CDK6, but induced p21 and p27 expression in prostate cancer cells. Furthermore, lovastatin and simvastatin suppressed RhoA activation and c-JUN expression, but not cyclooxygenase-2 expression. Our data showed that the antitumor activity of statins is due to induction of apoptosis and cell growth arrest. The underlying molecular mechanism of statin's action is mediated through inactivation of RhoA, which in turn induces caspase enzymatic activity and/or G(1) cell cycle. Future studies should focus on examining statins and other apoptosis-inducing drugs (e.g., cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors or curcumin) together to assess their efficacy in prevention of prostate cancer.

We previously showed that induction of retinoid receptor-induced gene-1 (RRIG1) expression inhibited RhoA activation and tumor cell colony formation, invasion, and proliferation, and these effects are associated with the suppression of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2 phosphorylation and cyclooxygenase-2 expression. To further elucidate its role in tumor cell growth, gene expression, and tumorigenesis, we determined RRIG1 expression in breast and esophageal tissue specimens and then stably transfected RRIG1 into a TE-8 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cell line. We found that RRIG1 was expressed in normal mammary glands (10 of 10) but not all ductal carcinoma in situ [11 of 19 (57.9%), P = 0.018] and invasive cancer [14 of 30 (46.7%), P = 0.0023] tissues. Similarly, RRIG1 was expressed in normal esophageal epithelium (22 of 22) but not all dysplastic [6 of 43 (14%), P = 0.0001] and SCC [50 of 122 (41%), P = 0.0001] tissues. Furthermore, RRIG1 expression correlated positively with tumor differentiation but inversely with lymph node metastasis of esophageal SCC. Finally, the stable transfection of RRIG1 inhibited esophageal SCC cell growth and the expression of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2 and cell cycle-related genes (e.g., cyclin D1, phosphorylated Rb, and E2F). RRIG1-transfected sublines also inhibited tumor development in nude mice. The results of this study indicate that RRIG1 plays a role in suppressing tumorigenesis.

The expression of retinoic acid receptor beta2 (RAR-beta2) is frequently lost in various cancers and their premalignant lesions. However, the restoration of RAR-beta2 expression inhibits tumor cell growth and suppresses cancer development. To understand the molecular mechanisms responsible for this RAR-beta2-mediated antitumor activity, we did restriction fragment differential display-PCR and cloned a novel retinoid receptor-induced gene 1 (RRIG1), which is differentially expressed in RAR-beta2-positive and RAR-beta2-negative tumor cells. RRIG1 cDNA contains 2,851 bp and encodes a protein with 276 amino acids; the gene is localized at chromosome 9q34. Expressed in a broad range of normal tissues, RRIG1 is also lost in various cancer specimens. RRIG1 mediates the effect of RAR-beta2 on cell growth and gene expression (e.g., extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and cyclooxygenase-2). The RRIG1 protein is expressed in the cell membrane and binds to and inhibits the activity of a small GTPase RhoA. Whereas induction of RRIG1 expression inhibits RhoA activation and f-actin formation and consequently reduces colony formation, invasion, and proliferation of esophageal cancer cells, antisense RRIG1 increases RhoA activity and f-actin formation and thus induces the colony formation, invasion, and proliferation of these cells. Our findings therefore show a novel molecular pathway involving RAR-beta2 regulation of RRIG1 expression and RRIG1-RhoA interaction. An understanding of this pathway may translate into better control of human cancer.

Retinoids and their derivatives can suppress the development of cancer in animals and in humans. We and others have shown that retinoid X receptor (RXR)-selective retinoids or "rexinoids" suppress the development of breast cancer in several animal models with minimal toxicity. LGD1069 (Bexarotene) is a potent RXR-selective retinoid with reduced toxicity compared with naturally occurring retinoids. In this study, we investigated the expression of LGD1069-modulated biomarkers. We previously did cDNA array analysis of LGD1069-treated breast cells using Affymetrix microarrays. These studies identified many LGD1069-regulated genes, one of which was cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Because COX-2 inhibitors have been shown to prevent cancer in other model systems, we investigated whether LGD1069 inhibits the expression of COX-2 in mammary tissue and in normal human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC). In mouse mammary tumor virus-erbB2 mice treated with LGD1069, there was a marked decrease of COX-2 expression in both normal and malignant mammary tissues. The effect of LGD1069 on COX-2 expression was also investigated in normal human breast cells. COX-2 expression was markedly reduced by treatment with LGD1069 at the RNA and protein level in normal HMECs; LGD1069 suppressed COX-2 promoter activity. We also showed that LGD1069 inhibited activator protein (AP-1)-dependent transcription in these breast cells, and that suppression of COX-2 expression was due to sequestration of CBP/p300. These results from in vivo and in vitro studies suggest that LGD1069, an RXR-selective retinoid, inhibits COX-2 expression by suppression of COX-2 transcription in part through transrepression of the AP-1 transcription factor. Thus, RXR-selective retinoids that inhibit AP-1 activity and suppress COX-2 expression may be particularly promising drugs for breast cancer prevention. Furthermore, such RXR-selective retinoids may be most useful in combination with antiestrogens for more effective prevention of breast cancer in women at high risk of this disease.

Different retinoic acid receptor-beta (RAR-beta) isoforms seem to have contrasting biological effects in human carcinogenesis. Both in vitro and in vivo data indicate that RAR-beta2 expression is frequently lost or reduced (and transfecting RAR-beta2 suppresses growth and promotes apoptosis) in various cancer cells and tissues, whereas RAR-beta4 expression is increased in several cancer cell lines. To clarify the effects of different RAR-beta isoforms in esophageal carcinogenesis, we used real-time quantitative reverse transcription-PCR to assess in vivo RAR-beta mRNA levels in specimens of normal and malignant human esophageal tissue, comparing these levels with each other and the expressions of other genes. RAR-beta2 mRNA expression was significantly reduced (i.e., lower in cancer than normal tissue) in 67% (18 of 27, P = 0.001) and RAR-beta(4) mRNA was increased in 52% (14 of 27, P = 0.054) of our esophageal cancer cases. The expressions of RAR-beta1, chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factor-I (COUP-TFI), COUP-TFII, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma) mRNA were reduced, whereas epidermal growth factor receptor and cyclin D1 expressions were increased in tumor compared with in normal tissues. Reduced RAR-beta2 expression correlated with increased RAR-beta4 expression (P = 0.002) and with the suppression of COUP-TFI and COUP-TFII (P = 0.050 and 0.023, respectively) in tumor samples. These are the first in vivo expression patterns of RAR-beta2 and RAR-beta4 reported in humans or animals and support the in vitro data on these isoforms and their contrasting biological effects in human carcinogenesis.

Benzo(a)pyrene diol epoxide (BPDE), an active metabolite of the tobacco carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene, can induce p53 gene mutation, down-regulate retinoic acid receptor beta, and increase cyclooxygenase-2 expression in human epithelial cells. However, it remains unknown whether these effects are direct or indirect. To investigate the direct effects of BPDE on gene expression, we used our newly developed DNA immunoprecipitation technique to identify and clone BPDE-binding DNA fragments. A total of 67 fragments were sequenced and grouped into four categories after their sequences were blasted in the GenBank database: (a). 15 fragments matched known gene sequences; (b). 24 matched expressed sequence tag clones; (c). 22 matched genomic DNA of unknown genes; and (d). 6 clones did not show any homology with GenBank sequences known to date. The 67 fragments include DNA repair and apoptosis-related genes, zinc finger protein, cellular enzymes, expressed sequence tag clones, and CpG islands. These data further demonstrate that BPDE-induced gene alterations are important events in carcinogenesis and that the identification of the resulting clones may help us to better understand the mechanisms of BPDE-induced carcinogenesis.

Despite the effectiveness of the selective estrogen receptor (ER) modulators in preventing ER-positive breast cancer, chemopreventive agents still need to be developed for the prevention of ER-negative breast cancers. The naturally occurring retinoids are promising agents for the prevention of human cancers but are too toxic for long-term chronic use. We previously demonstrated that the chemopreventive effects of the retinoids could be separated from the toxicity by using an RXR-selective retinoid, LGD1069. The studies described here demonstrate that LGD1069 effectively suppresses ER-negative tumor development in mouse mammary tumor virus-erbB2 transgenic mice with minimal toxicity. These studies suggest that receptor-selective retinoids are promising agents for the prevention of breast cancer and that they may be particularly useful in preventing ER-negative breast cancer.

Retinoids have been used in the clinic for the prevention and treatment of human cancers. They regulate several cellular processes including growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. Previously, we demonstrated that a pan-agonist retinoid 9-cis retinoic acid was able to suppress mammary tumorigenesis in the C3(1)-SV40 T-antigen (Tag) transgenic mouse model. However, significant toxicity was seen with this naturally occurring retinoid. We hypothesized that the cancer preventive effects of retinoids could be dissected from the toxic effects by using receptor-selective retinoids. In this study, we used TTNPB, an retinoic acid receptor-selective retinoid, and LGD1069, an retinoid X receptor-selective retinoid, to preferentially activate retinoic acid receptors and retinoid X receptors. In vitro, both compounds were able to inhibit the growth of T47D breast cancer cells. We then determined whether these retinoids prevented mammary tumorigenesis. C3(1)-SV40 Tag mice were treated daily by gastric gavage with vehicle, two different doses of TTNPB (0.3 or 3.0 microg/kg), or two different doses of LGD1069 (10 or 100 mg/kg). Mice were treated from approximately 6-8 weeks to 7-8 months of age. Tumor size and number were measured twice each week, and toxicities were recorded daily. Our data show that LGD1069 suppresses mammary tumorigenesis in C3(1)-SV40 Tag transgenic mice with no observable toxicity, whereas TTNPB had a modest chemopreventive effect, yet was very toxic. Median time to tumor development was 129 days in vehicle-treated mice versus 156 days in mice treated with 100 mg/kg LGD1069 (P = 0.05). In addition, tumor multiplicity was reduced by approximately 50% in mice treated with LGD1069 (2.9 for vehicle, 2.4 for 10 mg/kg LGD1069, and 1.4 for 100 mg/kg, P < or = 0.03). TTNPB-treated mice showed a delayed median time to tumor development (131 days for vehicle versus 154 days for 3.0 microg/kg TTNPB; P < or = 0.05), but no changes were seen in tumor multiplicity. However, toxicity (skin erythema, hair loss) was seen in all of the mice treated with TTNPB. These data demonstrate that receptor-selective retinoids suppress mammary tumorigenesis in transgenic mice and that preventive effects of retinoids can be separated from their toxicity, demonstrating that receptor-selective retinoids are promising agents for the prevention of breast cancer.

Retinoids are essential for normal skin growth, differentiation, and apoptosis and are active pharmacologically in the prevention and treatment of skin cancers and other lesions. Retinoid effects are mediated mainly by retinoic acid receptors (RARs) and retinoid X receptors (RXRs), which act as transcription factors to alter gene expression. Using in situ hybridization, we analyzed the expression of RARs and RXRs in normal sun-exposed skin (n = 85), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC; n = 28), and actinic keratosis [AK (a precursor to SCC); n = 38]. The expressions of five receptors (RAR-alpha and -gamma and RXR-alpha, -beta, and -gamma) were moderate to very strong in normal skin, with higher expressions in spinous and granular layers than in the basal layer. RAR-beta expression was weak or absent in normal and lesion samples. All five receptors expressed in the skin were suppressed progressively from normal skin to premalignant skin (AK) to invasive skin SCC. Specific receptor decreases in lesions relative to normal skin ranged from 75% (RXR-beta) to 96% (RAR-alpha) in SCC and from 37% (RAR-gamma) to 68% (RXR-beta) in AK. The degree of suppression of RXR-alpha and RAR-gamma, the two predominant retinoid receptors in skin, was relatively less for RXR-alpha (58% versus 86%; P = 0.015) and relatively greater for RAR-gamma (37% versus 89%; P = 0.0001) between AK and SCC, suggesting that suppression of RXR-alpha may be an earlier event and expression of RAR-gamma may be a later event of multistep squamous skin carcinogenesis. Our results indicate that suppressed expression of retinoid receptors occurs early (in AK) and is associated with progression of squamous skin carcinogenesis to SCC.

The potential use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the prevention of gastrointestinal cancers has been highlighted recently. However, it is not known whether NSAIDs could also be useful for preventing esophageal cancer, although regular users of these drugs appear to have a decreased incidence of esophageal cancer. Therefore, we examined the effect of aspirin on growth and apoptosis in 10 esophageal cancer cell lines as well as the expression and modulation of its target enzymes, cyclooxygenases (COXs), and their product prostaglandin E2. Growth inhibition of these cells by aspirin was dose- and time-dependent and associated with the induction of apoptosis. COX-1 and COX-2 were expressed in 7 of the 10 cell lines. Bile acids could induce COX-2 expression in six of eight cell lines tested, which was correlated with prostaglandin E2 production, and aspirin could inhibit COX-2 enzymatic activity even after bile acid stimulation but was unable to change the COX-2 protein level in these cell lines. Down-regulation of bcl-2 by aspirin was found in the two cell lines tested. These results suggest that induction of apoptosis by aspirin may be a mechanism by which it can intervene in esophageal carcinogenesis and may be indicative of the potential of NSAIDs as chemopreventive agents in esophageal cancer.

Retinoids exhibit chemotherapeutic and chemopreventive activities, possibly due to their ability to modulate cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. These effects are thought to be mediated by nuclear retinoic acid (RA) receptors (RARs) and retinoid X receptors, each of which includes three subtypes (alpha, beta, and gamma) that act as transcription factors. To determine whether RARs play a role in mediating the effects of RA on human esophageal cancer (HEC) cells, we analyzed the effects of RA on: (a) the growth, differentiation, and apoptosis in seven HEC cell lines; (b) receptor expression; (c) receptor modulation by RA; and (d) expression of receptors in 20 surgical HEC specimens. RA inhibited the growth of five of seven cell lines and also the constitutive expression of the squamous differentiation markers cytokeratin 1 and transglutaminase I in all cell lines. The growth inhibition by RA was due to the induction of apoptosis in the five cell lines. All seven cell lines expressed RAR-alpha and RAR-gamma, and four cell lines showed some changes by RA, but not associated with apoptosis. In contrast, RAR-beta was expressed in five of seven cell lines and up-regulated by RA in these five cell lines, which were associated with apoptosis. Two cell lines that failed to express RAR-beta showed no growth inhibition or apoptosis and no RAR-beta inducibility. Interestingly, only these two cell lines were able to form colonies in soft agar. RAR-alpha, RAR-beta, and RAR-gamma mRNAs were expressed in all 20 adjacent normal esophageal tissues. The expression of RAR-alpha and RAR-gamma remains positive in HEC specimens, but RAR-beta expression was detected in only 6 of 20 HEC specimens. These data suggest that the expression of RAR-beta is associated with response of HEC cells to RA and that the loss of RAR-beta expression may be associated with HEC development.

Some of the nuclear retinoic acid receptors (RARs) alpha, beta, and gamma and retinoid X receptors (RXRs) alpha, beta, and gamma are thought to mediate the effects of retinoids on cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis and thereby prevent breast carcinogenesis. We analyzed the expression of mRNAs for the three RARs and RXR-alpha in histological sections of specimens from 70 breast cancer patients, which included adjacent normal tissue, ductal carcinoma in situ, and invasive cancer, using in situ hybridization. RARs alpha, beta, and gamma and RXR-alpha were expressed in 98.1, 98.0, 93.0, and 100% of the adjacent normal tissues. Significant decreases in the number of cases expressing RAR-beta were observed among ductal carcinoma in situ (83.1%) and invasive carcinomas (51.6%), especially among the poorly differentiated cases (77.4 and 35.7 %, respectively). No relationship was found between the expression of estrogen receptor and RAR-beta. These results implicate decreases in RAR-beta expression in breast cancer development and suggest that they are independent of estrogen receptor status.

Retinoids have demonstrated activity in the prevention of second primary tumors in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). They also contribute to the normal growth and differentiation of human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells. Because retinoids mediate their actions through retinoid nuclear receptors (RARs and RXRs), aberrant signaling through retinoid receptors could contribute to lung carcinogenesis. Using a lung carcinogenesis model consisting of normal, premalignant, and malignant HBE cells, we examined all-trans retinoic acid (t-RA)-induced changes in cellular growth. These studies revealed that t-RA treatment inhibited the growth of normal HBE cells, but premalignant and malignant HBE cells were relatively resistant to t-RA. Coincident with the development of retinoid refractoriness, basal expression of the retinoic acid nuclear receptor beta (RAR-beta) increased. Analysis of receptor function by gel shift and transient transfection assays of normal, premalignant, and malignant HBE cells demonstrated that receptor-DNA binding and transcriptional activation properties were intact in the t-RA-refractory malignant HBE cells. To compare these findings to NSCLCs in patients, we investigated retinoid receptor expression in NSCLC biopsies. A subset of the tumors expressed RAR-beta, reflecting the RAR-beta expression observed in the malignant HBE cells in culture. These findings demonstrate that retinoid receptor function was intact in the t-RA-refractory malignant HBE cell line, suggesting that the defect in retinoid signaling in this lung carcinogenesis model is not intrinsic to the retinoid receptors.

Nuclear retinoic acid receptor beta (RAR-beta) expression decreases in human premalignant oral lesions (POLs). RAR-beta suppression could result from a decrease in the cellular level of retinoids because RAR-beta gene transcription is enhanced by retinoids. To explore this hypothesis, we compared the binding of a monoclonal antibody (mAb) against all-transretinoic acid (RA; anti-RA mAbs) to normal oral tissue and POLs. All 7 normal specimens stained positive with the antibody compared to only 20 of 43 POLs; similarly, 7 of 7 normal specimens contained RAR-beta mRNA compared to only 14 of 43 POLs. Twenty-four specimens were available before and after a 3-month treatment with 13-cis-RA in vivo. Anti-RA mAb binding to these specimens increased from 10 of 24 before to 22 of 24 after treatment, and the expression of RAR-beta mRNA increased from 7 of 24 before to 21 of 24 after treatment, respectively. There was a strong agreement between the binding of anti-RA mAbs and the expression of RAR-beta. Thus, we propose that the binding of anti-RA mAbs reflects the level of retinoids in the tissues and that this level is related strongly to RAR-beta expression.

Malignant transformation is often associated with alterations in the expression of normal differentiation markers, which may serve as intermediate end points in carcinogenesis and cancer prevention. To identify early changes in differentiation markers during head and neck cancer development, we examined the expression of cytokeratins (CK1, CK8, CK13, and CK19) and involucrin by immuohistochemical methods in surgical specimens from 29 head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients that included, in addition to carcinoma, adjacent dysplastic lesions (17 cases), hyperplastic lesions (21 cases), and adjacent histologically normal tissues (15 cases) and in specimens from 31 subjects with premalignant oral lesions (e.g, oral leukoplakia) without cancer, CK13 and involucrin were detected in all specimens from the cancer patients, and no differences in their expression were found among the different histopathological group. CK8 was detected in only 2.7% (1 of 36) of adjacent normal and hyperplastic tissues but in 58.8% (10 of 17) and 75.9% (22 of 29) of dysplastic and carcinoma tissues. The corresponding figures for CK19 expression in adjacent normal, hyperplastic, dysplastic, and carcinoma tissues were 13.3, 70, 71.4, and 82.1%, respectively. The expression of CK1 was not related to the progression from normal to malignant. In the leukoplakia lesions, CK8 CK13, CK19 and involucrin were detected in 13.8, 100, 74.2 and 100% of the specimens, respectively. These results demonstrate that CK19 expression increases in hyperplastic lesions and continues to be expressed in dyplastic and malignant lesions, whereas CK8 expression in low in adjacent normal and hyperplastic tissues and increases only in dysplastic and malignant lesions. Thus, CK19 and CK8 could be markers of sequential premalignant changes in head and neck carcinogenesis.

The ability of all-trans-retinoic acid (RA) to modulate the growth and squamous differentiation of four head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell lines (183, 886, 1483, and SqCC/Y1) was examined, and the relationship of their state of squamous differentiation and RA responsiveness to the expression of cytosolic RA-binding proteins (CRABPs), nuclear RA receptors (RARs), and retinoid X receptors (RXRs) was investigated. RA inhibited proliferation of all but the 183 cell line and suppressed squamous differentiation markers K1 keratin, type 1 transglutaminase, and involucrin mRNAs and proteins to varying degrees in 183, 1483, and SqCC/Y1 cells. Traces of CRABP-I mRNA were detected only in the 886 cells, whereas CRABP-II mRNA was detected in the other three cell lines. RA suppressed CRABP-II expression in SqCC/Y1 cells but had no effect on its expression in the other cell lines. All cell lines expressed mRNAs for RAR-alpha, RAR-beta, RAR-gamma, and RXR-alpha. The RAR-beta mRNA level was lowest in the SqCC/Y1 cells, and RXR-beta and RXR-gamma were not detected in any of the cell lines. RA treatment increased the levels of the three RAR mRNAs in most of the cell lines but had no effect on the RXR mRNAs. The CRABP-II mRNA level in SqCC/Y1 cells was lowest in cells grown in serum-free medium and increased when the cells were grown in medium with 5 or 10% serum. In contrast, the RXR-alpha mRNA level was inversely related to serum concentration. The results show that, in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells, there are no simple relationships among the expression of CRABPs, RARs, and RXRs and either squamous differentiation or response to RA-induced growth inhibition or suppression of squamous differentiation.

Retinoids reverse premalignant lesions and inhibit the development of second primary cancers in patients with upper aerodigestive tract cancers. It is thought that these effects result from the ability of retinoids to restore normal cell growth and differentiation. Since nuclear retinoid receptors (RARs and RXRs) are the ultimate mediators of retinoid actions, alterations in their expression could lead to cancer development. To determine whether the expression of the mRNAs of the receptors is related to the development of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), we used digoxigenin-labeled antisense riboprobes of RAR-alpha, RAR-beta, RAR-gamma, RXR-alpha, and RXR-beta for in situ hybridization to histological sections of specimens from 7 normal volunteers and 31 HNSCC patients. All 31 tissue specimens contained carcinomas, 16 also contained dysplastic lesions, 22 also contained hyperplastic lesions, 17 also contained adjacent normal tissue, and 6 contained all 4 types of tissue. All specimens from normal volunteers expressed the 5 receptors. Similar levels of RAR-gamma and RXR-alpha and RXR-beta mRNAs were detected in most of the adjacent normal, hyperplastic, dysplastic, and malignant tissues. RAR-alpha mRNA was detected in 94% of adjacent normal tissues and hyperplastic tissues, in 87% of dysplasias, and in 77% of HNSCCs. In contrast, RAR-beta mRNA was detected in about 70% of adjacent normal and hyperplastic lesions, and its expression decreased further to 56% of dysplastic lesions and to 35% of HNSCCs. The difference in RAR-beta level in carcinoma and adjacent normal tissues was significant (P < 0.05). These results indicate that the decreased expression of RAR-beta may be associated with HNSCC development.