5-aza-2'-deoxycitidine inhibits cell proliferation, extracellular matrix formation and Wnt/β-catenin pathway in human uterine leiomyomas

• Main Authors: María Cristina Carbajo-García (Author), Ana Corachán (Author), Marina Segura-Benitez (Author), Javier Monleón (Author), Julia Escrig (Author), Amparo Faus (Author), Antonio Pellicer (Author), Irene Cervelló (Author), Hortensia Ferrero (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: BMC, 2021-07-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 10.1186/s12958-021-00790-5; 1477-7827
• Keywords: Uterine leiomyoma; Epigenetics; 5-aza-2'-deoxycitidine; Cell proliferation; Wnt/β-catenin pathway; Gynecology and obstetrics; RG1-991; Reproduction; QH471-489
• Source: Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, Vol 19, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2021)

Abstract Background Uterine leiomyoma is a benign tumor with unclear pathogenesis and inaccurate treatment. This tumor exhibits altered DNA methylation related to disease progression. DNMT inhibitors as 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza-CdR), have been suggested to treat tumors in which DNA methylation is altered. We aimed to evaluate whether DNA methylation reversion with 5-aza-CdR reduces cell proliferation and extracellular matrix (ECM) formation in uterine leiomyoma cells to provide a potential treatment option. Methods Prospective study using uterine leiomyoma and adjacent myometrium tissues and human uterine leiomyoma primary (HULP) cells (n = 16). In tissues, gene expression was analyzed by qRT-PCR and DNMT activity by ELISA. Effects of 5-aza-CdR treatment on HULP cells were assessed by CellTiter, western blot, and qRT-PCR. Results DNMT1 gene expression was higher in uterine leiomyoma vs myometrium. Similarly, DNMT activity was greater in uterine leiomyoma and HULP cells (6.5 vs 3.8 OD/h/mg; 211.3 vs 63.7 OD/h/mg, respectively). After 5-aza-CdR treatment on HULP cells, cell viability was reduced, significantly so at 10 μM (85.3%). Treatment with 10 μM 5-aza-CdR on HULP cells significantly decreased expression of proliferation marker PCNA (FC = 0.695) and of ECM proteins (COLLAGEN I FC = 0.654; PAI-1, FC = 0.654; FIBRONECTIN FC = 0.733). 5-aza-CdR treatment also decreased expression of Wnt/β-catenin pathway final targets, including WISP1 protein expression (10 μM, FC = 0.699), c-MYC gene expression (2 μM, FC = 0.745 and 10 μM, FC = 0.728), and MMP7 gene expression (5 μM, FC = 0.520 and 10 μM, FC = 0.577). Conclusions 5-aza-CdR treatment inhibits cell proliferation, ECM formation, and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway targets in HULP cells, suggesting that DNA methylation inhibition is a viable therapeutic target in uterine leiomyoma.