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Amiloride and guggulsterone suppression of esophageal cancer cell growth in vitro and in nude mouse xenografts

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Frontiers in Biology

Abstract

Esophageal adenocarcinoma is increasing in the US and Western countries and frequent gastresophageal reflux or gastresophageal reflux disease carrying gastric acid and bile acid could contribute to esophageal adenocarcinogenesis. This study was designed to detect the expression of gastric acid-inducing gene Na+/H+ exchanger-1 (NHE-1) ex vivo and then to explore targeting of NHE-1 expression or activity to control esophageal cancer cell viability in vitro and in nude mouse xenografts. The data showed that NHE-1 was highly expressed in esophageal adenocarcinoma tissues (66 of 101 cases [65.3%], but not in normal esophageal squamous cell epithelium (1 of 26 cases [3.8%]). Knockdown of NHE-1 expression using NHE-1 shRNA or inhibition of NHE-1 activity using the NHE-1 inhibitor amiloride suppressed viability and induced apoptosis in esophageal cancer cells. Molecularly, amiloride inhibited expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and matrix metallopeptidase-9 but not NHE-1 mRNA in esophageal cancer cells. A combination of amiloride and guggulsterone (a natural bile acid receptor inhibitor) showed more than additive effects in suppressing esophageal cancer cell growth in vitro and in nude mouse xenografts. This study suggests that inhibition of NHE-1 expression or activity or combination of amiloride and guggulsterone could be useful in control of esophageal adenocarcinoma.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Cancer Prevention, Unit 1360, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Baoxiang Guan, Ashraful Hoque & Xiaochun Xu

  2. Cancer Biology Program, The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, 77225, USA

    Xiaochun Xu

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  1. Baoxiang Guan
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  2. Ashraful Hoque
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  3. Xiaochun Xu
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Correspondence to Xiaochun Xu.

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Guan, B., Hoque, A. & Xu, X. Amiloride and guggulsterone suppression of esophageal cancer cell growth in vitro and in nude mouse xenografts. Front. Biol. 9, 75–81 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11515-014-1289-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11515-014-1289-z

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