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Endocrine therapy of advanced disease: analysis and implications of the existing data.

Endocrine therapy remains an important approach to the treatment of metastatic breast cancer because of its effectiveness and excellent tolerability. In the last 10 years, a number of new endocrine therapies have been introduced. These include the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists, which produce menopausal changes in premenopausal women; the aromatase inhibitors, which prevent production of estrogen in postmenopausal women; and the estrogen receptor down-regulator fulvestrant (Faslodex), which is effective in postmenopausal women whose tumors have progressed following response to other selective estrogen receptor modulators. The endocrine cascade for the treatment of premenopausal women with metastatic disease now involves the concurrent or sequential combination of a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogue and tamoxifen, whereas the cascade for the treatment of postmenopausal women can begin with tamoxifen followed by an aromatase inhibitor or with an aromatase inhibitor followed by tamoxifen. The optimal cascade following the use of an aromatase inhibitor and tamoxifen in postmenopausal women remains unclear, but fulvestrant and megestrol acetate or the use of an aromatase inactivator (exemestane) following an aromatase inhibitor are all available options with some activity. Over the next few years, clinical trials will clarify the optimal sequence of endocrine therapy for postmenopausal women. The use of estrogen and progesterone receptor status to select for endocrine therapy is undeniably crucial. HER2/neu overexpression may also predict response to endocrine therapy, but this remains controversial.

Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal↗

The gene expression response of breast cancer to growth regulators: patterns and correlation with tumor expression profiles.

The effects of hormone and growth factor signaling on gene expression contribute significantly to breast tumorigenesis and disease progression; however, the targets of signaling networks associated with deregulated growth are not well understood. We defined the dynamic transcriptional effects elicited in MCF7, T-47D, and MDA-MB-436 breast cancer cell lines by nine regulators of growth and differentiation (17beta-estradiol, antiestrogens fulvestrant and tamoxifen, progestin R5020, antiprogestin RU486, all-trans-retinoic acid, epidermal growth factor, mitogen-activated protein/extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 inhibitor U0126 and phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate) and compared the patterns of gene regulation to published tumor expression profiles. The complex pattern of response to these agents revealed unexpected relationships between their effects, including a profound overlap in genes regulated by both steroids and epidermal growth factor, and striking overlaps between fulvestrant and all-trans-retinoic acid. Estrogen-responsive genes could be divided into two major clusters, only one of which is associated with cell proliferation. Gene ontology analysis was used to highlight functionally distinct biological responses to different mitogens. Significant correlations were identified between several clusters of drug-responsive genes and genes that discriminate estrogen receptor status or disease outcome in patient samples. The majority of estrogen receptor status discriminators were not responsive in our dataset and are therefore likely to reflect underlying differences in histogenesis and disease progression rather than growth factor signaling. This article highlights the overall impact at the gene expression level of diverse regulators of breast cancer growth and links the behavior of breast cancer cells in culture to important clinical properties of human breast tumors.

Algorithms↗

Use of estrogen antagonists and aromatase inhibitors in breast cancer and hormonally sensitive tumors of the uterine body.

The new anti-estrogens, including the selective estrogen receptor modulators (e.g., toremifene, droloxifene, idoxifene, raloxifene and arzoxifene), the selective estrogen receptor downregulators (e.g., fulvestrant), and the new steroidal (e.g., exemestane) and non-steroidal (anastrozole and letrozole) aromatase inhibitors have been investigated in the treatment of breast cancer and hormonally sensitive tumors of the uterine body. In postmenopausal women, anastrozole, letrozole and exemestane appear to have superior efficacy and an improved toxicity profile than tamoxifen, and fulvestrant seems to be at least as effective as anastrozole in patients in whom tumors have progressed after prior endocrine treatment. Preliminary data showed a high response rate and a favorable toxicity profile for arzoxifene in endometrial cancer, whereas letrozole could represent a new interesting therapeutic tool for endometrial cancer as well as for low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma.

Aromatase Inhibitors↗

Oestrogenic activity of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (common metabolite of paraben esters) and methylparaben in human breast cancer cell lines.

This paper addresses the question of whether p-hydroxybenzoic acid, the common metabolite of parabens, possesses oestrogenic activity in human breast cancer cell lines. The alkyl esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (parabens) are used widely as preservatives in consumer products to which the human population is exposed and have been shown previously to possess oestrogenic activity and to be present in human breast tumour tissue, which is an oestrogen-responsive tissue. Recent work has shown p-hydroxybenzoic acid to give an oestrogenic response in the rodent uterotrophic assay. We report here that p-hydroxybenzoic acid possesses oestrogenic activity in a panel of assays in human breast cancer cell lines. p-Hydroxybenzoic acid was able to displace [(3)H]oestradiol from cytosolic oestrogen receptor of MCF7 human breast cancer cells by 54% at 5 x 10(6)-fold molar excess and by 99% at 10(7)-fold molar excess. It was able to increase the expression of a stably integrated oestrogen responsive reporter gene (ERE-CAT) at a concentration of 5 x 10(-4) M in MCF7 cells after 24 h and 7 days, which could be inhibited by the anti-oestrogen ICI 182 780 (Faslodex, fulvestrant). Proliferation of two human breast cancer cell lines (MCF7, ZR-75-1) could be increased by 10(-5) M p-hydroxybenzoic acid. Following on from previous studies showing a decrease in oestrogenic activity of parabens with shortening of the linear alkyl chain length, this study has compared the oestrogenic activity of p-hydroxybenzoic acid where the alkyl grouping is no longer present with methylparaben, which has the shortest alkyl group. Intrinsic oestrogenic activity of p-hydroxybenzoic acid was similar to that of methylparaben in terms of relative binding to the oestrogen receptor but its oestrogenic activity on gene expression and cell proliferation was lower than that of methylparaben. It can be concluded that removal of the ester group from parabens does not abrogate its oestrogenic activity and that p-hydroxybenzoic acid can give oestrogenic responses in human breast cancer cells.

Binding, Competitive↗

Hormonal activity of combinations of genistein, bisphenol A and 17beta-estradiol in the female Wistar rat.

Phytoestrogens have been described as weak estrogens, selective estrogen receptor mediators (SERMs) or to exhibit antiestrogenic properties. However, information about their activity in combination with xenoestrogens and 17beta-estradiol in vivo, is limited. Therefore, the combinatory activity of the phytoestrogen genistein (Gen), the industrial chemical bisphenol A (BPA), and ethinylestradiol (EE) in ovariectomized Wistar rats was analyzed in this study. All compounds were administered orally on three consecutive days (EE at 30 microg, Gen at 100 mg and BPA at 200 mg per kg body weight per day). The pure antiestrogen fulvestrant (3 mg/kg) served as estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist control. Effects on uterine wet weight, height of the uterine epithelium, uterine clusterin (Clu) and complement C3 expression, and the height of the vaginal epithelium were examined. Treatment with Gen alone resulted in a moderate stimulation of uterine weight; in the vagina the height of the epithelium was strongly stimulated. BPA did not stimulate any of the above-mentioned parameters significantly. In combination with EE, Gen acted on most of the analyzed parameters in an additive manner, whereas BPA significantly antagonized the effects of EE on the uterine epithelium and uterine Clu expression. Given in combination with Gen, BPA was also able to antagonize the stimulatory effect of Gen on the uterine epithelium. In summary, our results demonstrate that Gen, in contrast to BPA, does not exhibit any antiestrogenic properties, even if given at high concentrations. The results of this study characterize BPA as a functional antiestrogen, very likely the result of a lack of ability to activate ER-mediated transactivation after binding to the receptor. This is not the case for Gen. Our results point to the involvement of complex molecular mechanisms in the action of Gen. These mechanisms, especially the role of ERbeta have to be characterized in further investigations.

Administration, Oral↗

Synthesis and biological evaluation of stilbene-based pure estrogen antagonists.

Replacement of one of the ethyl substituents in diethylstilbestrol by side chains with functional groups converted this potent estrogen into pure antiestrogens with the potential for the treatment of breast cancer. These agents completely suppressed estrogen receptor-mediated gene activation and inhibited the growth of estrogen-sensitive MCF-7 breast cancer cells in submicromolar concentrations. The most potent derivative displayed similar activity as fulvestrant (ICI 182,780) in vitro and in the mouse uterine weight test. Obviously, the stilbene structure can act as a substitute for estradiol in the development of pure estrogen antagonists.

Animals↗

Adjuvant endocrine therapies for postmenopausal women with early breast cancer: standards and not.

Hormonal manipulations have been used for more than 100 years for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer and after definition of the concept of micro-metastases also in the adjuvant setting. In the postmenopausal population, tamoxifen has played the most important role for almost four decades. Progestins or the first generation of aromatase inhibitors (AIs) were only marginally used in the adjuvant setting due to their prohibitive toxicity. The new generation of anti-estrogen compounds, the selective estrogen receptor down-regulators (SERDs) like fulvestrant have a higher affinity for the estrogen receptor than tamoxifen, but none of its agonist activities, and have shown promising clinical activity in the treatment of advanced breast cancer. The third generation of AIs investigated in six large trials has been reported to be superior to tamoxifen in terms of disease-free survival, but not in terms of survival. These trials will be discussed in terms of results in different subpopulations and of toxicity.

Aromatase Inhibitors↗

Tamoxifen resistance by a conformational arrest of the estrogen receptor alpha after PKA activation in breast cancer.

Using a novel approach that detects changes in the conformation of ERalpha, we studied the efficacy of anti-estrogens to inactivate ERalpha under different experimental conditions. We show that phosphorylation of serine-305 in the hinge region of ERalpha by protein kinase A (PKA) induced resistance to tamoxifen. Tamoxifen bound but then failed to induce the inactive conformation, invoking ERalpha-dependent transactivation instead. PKA activity thus induces a switch from antagonistic to agonistic effects of tamoxifen on ERalpha. In clinical samples, we found that downregulation of a negative regulator of PKA, PKA-RIalpha, was associated with tamoxifen resistance prior to treatment. Activation of PKA by downregulation of PKA-RIalpha converts tamoxifen from an ERalpha inhibitor into a growth stimulator, without any effect on ICI 182780 (Fulvestrant).

Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal↗

2-methoxyestradiol strongly inhibits human uterine sarcomatous cell growth.

OBJECTIVES: The objective was to test the hypothesis that uterine sarcomatous cells are hormone-sensitive. We included 2-methoxyestradiol, an endogenous metabolite of estradiol with antiproliferative properties. METHODS: Proliferation assays assessed the effects of estradiol, progesterone, tamoxifen, raloxifen, [D-Trp(6)]leuteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH), ICI 182,780 (faslodex or fulvestrant), and 2-methoxyestradiol on cell growth of a cell line derived from uterine carcinosarcoma, but consisting solely of mesenchymal cells (SK-UT-1). Morphological changes of SK-UT-1 cells after exposure to 2-methoxyestradiol were evaluated and fluorescence immunohistochemistry for tubulin was used to detect changes in the mitotic spindle. Flow cytometry was used to assess the influence of 2-methoxyestradiol on the SK-UT-1 cell cycle as well as the role of p53 in apoptosis. RESULTS: Cell proliferation analysis revealed that SK-UT-1 cells were stimulated by progesterone, tamoxifen, and [D-Trp(6)]LHRH. Cells were insensitive to estradiol, raloxifen, and ICI 182,780. Inhibition occurred after exposure to 2-methoxyestradiol and was accompanied by a threefold increase in the G2/M population, with a concomitant decrease in the G1 population, as shown by cell cycle analysis. SK-UT-1 cells exposed to 2-methoxyestradiol showed morphological changes indicative of apoptosis. Examination of signaling pathways that mediate 2-methoxyestradiol-induced apoptosis showed p53-independent growth inhibition. The inhibition of SK-UT-1 cell growth by arresting the cells during G2/M progression could be attributed to interference with the microtubule system, as determined by fluorescence immunohistochemistry. CONCLUSIONS: The stimulatory effect of progesterone, tamoxifen, and [D-Trp(6)]LHRH suggests that uterine sarcomatous cells are hormone-sensitive. Our finding that 2-methoxyestradiol-mediated growth inhibition of uterine sarcomatous cells occurred in a p53-independent manner may have considerable clinical significance. The inadequate armature against uterine sarcomas and the limited toxicity of 2-methoxyestradiol may render these observations especially important.

Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal↗

Future directions in the endocrine therapy of breast cancer.

Data from the 'Arimidex', Tamoxifen, Alone or in Combination (ATAC) trial have indicated that anastrozole ('Arimidex') may supplant tamoxifen as the preferred adjuvant endocrine therapy for hormone receptor-positive, early breast cancer in postmenopausal women. The acceptability of this change in clinical practice at this time is currently under debate, and depends upon how confident we can be that 4 years' follow-up is sufficient to allow the overall risk:benefit balance to be assessed. The data supporting the benefits of sequential endocrine therapy are more certain, and if anastrozole does become the adjuvant agent of choice, the optimal sequence of endocrine agents will need to be identified for use after recurrence on anastrozole for early disease. It will be important that new endocrine options, such as the estrogen receptor antagonist fulvestrant ('Faslodex'), are suitably incorporated into these sequences. Developments such as the sequential use of endocrine therapies in the management of breast cancer have stimulated evolving concepts in our understanding of the basic cell biology of the disease. This has emphasized the importance of understanding the interactions between the different cell-signaling pathways that underlie the development of endocrine resistance. This will present a range of new opportunities for therapeutic intervention and will provide the foundation for the rational design of clinical trials. The resulting incorporation of more target-oriented approaches and newer endocrine agents into the treatment of breast cancer should stimulate the development of promising treatment paradigms and will ultimately provide further benefit to patients.

Anastrozole↗

Steroid-free medium discloses oestrogenic effects of the bisphosphonate clodronate on breast cancer cells.

Tamoxifen is the standard first-line endocrine therapy for breast cancer, but recent data indicate that it is likely to be replaced by the effective aromatase inhibitors (AIs), in both the metastatic and adjuvant settings. Aromatase inhibitors induce complete oestrogen deprivation that leads to clinically significant bone loss. Several ongoing or planned trials combine AIs with bisphosphonates, even more so that recent data reveal that clodronate may reduce the incidence of bone metastases and prolong survival in the adjuvant setting. Bisphosphonates can inhibit breast cancer cell growth in vitro, but they have never been studied in steroid-free medium (SFM), an in vitro environment that mimics the effects of AIs in vivo. Quite surprisingly, in SFM, clodronate stimulated MCF-7 cell growth in a time- and dose-dependent manner by up to two-fold (crystal violet staining assay), whereas it had no mitogenic activity in complete medium. The bisphosphonate similarly increased the proliferation of IBEP-2 cells, which also express a functional oestrogen receptor (ER), while it weakly inhibited the growth of the ER-negative MDA-MB-231 cells. Expectedly, 17beta-oestradiol stimulated the growth of MCF-7 and IBEP-2 cells cultured in SFM, and had no effect on MDA-MB-231 cells. Moreover, partial (4-OH-tamoxifen) and pure antioestrogens (fulvestrant, ICI 182,780), in combination with clodronate, completely suppressed the mitogenic effect of the bisphosphonate, suggesting that it was mediated by an activation of ER. In accordance with this view, clodronate induced ER downregulation, weakly increased progesterone receptor expression, and stimulated the transcription of an oestrogen-responsive reporter gene. In conclusion, we report a previously unknown stimulatory effect of clodronate on MCF-7 cells grown in SFM, in vitro conditions that are potentially relevant to the use of AIs for breast cancer. Moreover, our data suggest that ER is involved in these effects of clodronate on cancer cell growth.

Antimetabolites↗

Effects of oestrogens and anti-oestrogens on normal breast tissue from women bearing BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations.

There is considerable interest in whether anti-oestrogens can be used to prevent breast cancer in women bearing mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. The effects of oestradiol (E2), tamoxifen (TAM) and fulvestrant (FUL) on proliferation and steroid receptor expression were assessed in normal breast epithelium taken from women at varying risks of breast cancer and implanted into athymic nude mice, which were treated with E2 in the presence and absence of TAM or FUL. Tissue samples were taken at various time points thereafter for assessment of proliferative activity and expression of oestrogen and progesterone receptors (ERalpha and PgR) by immunohistochemistry. Oestradiol increased proliferation in the breast epithelium from women carrying mutations in the BRCA1/2 genes, those otherwise at increased risk and those at population risk of breast cancer. This increase was reduced by both TAM and FUL in all risk groups. In the absence of E2, PgR expression was reduced in all risk groups but significantly more so in the BRCA-mutated groups. Subsequent E2 treatment caused a rapid, complete induction of PgR expression in the population-risk group but not in the high-risk or BRCA-mutated groups in which PgR induction was significantly delayed. These data suggest that the mechanisms by which E2 induces breast epithelial PgR expression are impaired in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers, whereas those regulating proliferation remain intact. We conclude that early anti-oestrogen treatment should prevent breast cancer in very high-risk women.

Adolescent↗

A vision for the future?

Systemic adjuvant therapy is recommended immediately following surgical removal of the primary tumour in the majority of patients with early breast cancer, to prevent the recurrence of distant metastases. Significant progress has been made in the development and evaluation of endocrine therapies for systemic adjuvant therapy. In pre- and perimenopausal women, ovarian ablation has proven to be a valuable treatment option, though not always desirable for young patients. Thus, reversible medical ovarian suppression with a luteinizing hormone releasing hormone agonist, such as goserelin (Zoladex), may provide an attractive alternative for such patients. International trials have indicated that goserelin provides an important addition to the choice of adjuvant therapies now available to pre- and perimenopausal patients. For postmenopausal patients, it is hoped that the ATAC (Arimidex, tamoxifen, alone or in combination) trial will reveal whether or not the benefits of anastrozole (Arimidex) observed in advanced disease, where it has proven to be well tolerated and at least as effective as tamoxifen in recent trials, will translate to the early setting to provide further management options for these patients. On the horizon is yet another exciting endocrine agent, ICI 182,780 (Fulvestrant), which has also been shown to be as effective as anastrozole in advanced disease. In terms of the future, these agents are likely to provide additional valuable treatment choices for early breast cancer across the patient spectrum.

Anastrozole↗

RHAMM drives formation of polyploid cancer cells and confers resistance to ER-targeted therapy in breast cancer.

Endocrine resistance in ER+ breast cancer remains a major clinical challenge. Here, we identify RHAMM as a key driver of resistance by orchestrating polyploid cancer cell (PCC) formation. Single-cell transcriptomics uncovered a G2/M-enriched, RHAMM+ subpopulation in endocrine-resistant tumors. Mechanistically, RHAMM binds Septin9/10 to promote aberrant cytoskeleton polymerization, activating YAP independent of Hippo signaling, which induces cytokinesis failure and facilitates PCC generation. Concurrently, RHAMM destabilizes p21 mRNA, enabling cell cycle progression despite genomic instability. The RHAMM-p21 axis serves as a bypass mechanism supporting polyploidization. Upon endocrine treatment, RHAMM is transcriptionally up-regulated by Slug. Clinically, RHAMMhigh signatures are enriched in metastatic and recurrent ER+ tumors and correlate with poor prognosis, highlighting its therapeutic relevance. Importantly, targeting RHAMM or YAP abrogates PCC formation and restores fulvestrant sensitivity. These findings reveal RHAMM-mediated polyploidization as an adaptive mechanism underlying endocrine resistance, suggesting the therapeutic potential of targeting the RHAMM-YAP axis.

Humans↗

Comparison of proteomic and genomic analyses of the human breast cancer cell line T47D and the antiestrogen-resistant derivative T47D-r.

In search of novel mechanisms leading to the development of antiestrogen-resistance in human breast tumors, we analyzed differences in the gene and protein expression pattern of the human breast carcinoma cell line T47D and its derivative T47D-r, which is resistant toward the pure antiestrogen ZM 182780 (Faslodex trade mark, fulvestrant). Affymetrix DNA chip hybridizations on the commercially available HuGeneFL and Hu95A arrays were carried out in parallel to the proteomics analysis where the total cellular protein content of T47D or T47D-r was separated on two-dimensional gels. Thirty-eight proteins were found to be reproducibly up- or down-regulated more than 2-fold in T47D-r versus T47D in the proteomics analysis. Comparison with differential mRNA analysis revealed that 19 of these were up- or down-regulated in parallel with the corresponding mRNA molecules, among which are the protease cathepsin D, the GTPases Rab11a and MxA, and the secreted protein hAG-2. For 11 proteins, the corresponding mRNA was not found to be differentially expressed, and for eight proteins an inverse regulation was found at the mRNA level. In summary, mRNA expression data, when combined with proteomic information, provide a more detailed picture of how breast cancer cells are altered in their antiestrogen-resistant compared with the antiestrogen-sensitive state.

Breast Neoplasms↗

17Beta-estradiol as a receptor-mediated cardioprotective agent.

Cardiac tissue that undergoes an ischemic episode exhibits irreversible alterations that become more extensive upon reperfusion. Estrogen treatment has been reported to protect against reperfusion injury, but the mechanism remains unknown. The cardioprotective effects of 17beta-estradiol, a biologically active form of the hormone, and 17alpha-estradiol were assessed in an in vivo occlusion-reperfusion model. Anesthetized, ovariectomized rabbits were administered 17beta-estradiol (20 microg), 17alpha-estradiol (1 mg), or vehicle intravenously 30 min before a 30-min occlusion of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery followed by 4 h of reperfusion. Infarct size as a percentage of area at risk decreased in the 17beta-estradiol-treated group (18.8 +/- 1.7) compared with 17alpha-estradiol (41.9 +/- 4.8; P < 0.01) or vehicle groups (48 +/- 5.5; P < 0.001). Similar results were obtained when infarct size was expressed as a percentage of total left ventricle. The second objective of the study was to assess fulvestrant (Faslodex, ICI 182,780), an estrogen receptor antagonist, for its effects on infarct size in ovariectomized female rabbits treated with 17beta-estradiol. ICI 182,780 was administered intravenously 1 h before the administration of 17beta-estradiol (20 microg) or vehicle. The hearts were subjected to 30-min LAD coronary artery occlusion and 4 h of reperfusion. Pretreatment with ICI 182,780 significantly limited the infarct size sparing effect of 17beta-estradiol when expressed as a percentage of the risk region (53.0 +/- 5.0). The results indicate that 17beta-estradiol protects the heart against ischemia-reperfusion injury and that the observed cardioprotection is mediated by the estrogen receptor.

Animals↗

Nongenomic regulation of the kinetics of exocytosis by estrogens.

The role of nongenomic action of estrogens on elicited catecholamine secretion and exocytosis kinetics was studied in perfused rat adrenals and in cultured bovine chromaffin cells. 17beta-Estradiol as well as the estrogen receptor modulators raloxifene and LY117018, but not 17alpha-estradiol, inhibited at the micromolar range the catecholamine output elicited by acetylcholine or high potassium. However, these agents failed to modify the secretion elicited by high Ca(2+) in glands treated with the ionophore A-23187 (calcimycin), suggesting that estrogens did not directly act on the secretory machinery. At the single cell level, estrogens modified the kinetics of exocytosis at nanomolar range. All of the drugs tested except 17alpha-estradiol produced a profound slowing down of the exocytosis as measured by amperometry. LY117018 also reduced the granule content of catecholamines. 17beta-Estradiol reduced the intracellular free Ca(2+) but only at micromolar concentrations, whereas nanomolar concentrations increased the cAMP levels. These effects were reproduced with the nonpermeable drug 17beta-estradiol-horseradish peroxidase and antagonized with nanomolar concentrations of the antiestrogen ICI 182,780 (fulvestrant). Our data suggest the presence of membrane sites that regulate both the exocytotic phenomenon and the total catecholamine release with high and low affinity, respectively.

Adrenal Glands↗

Neuroprotective effects of 17beta-estradiol and nonfeminizing estrogens against H2O2 toxicity in human neuroblastoma SK-N-SH cells.

Neuroprotective effects of estrogens have been shown in various in vitro and in vivo models, but the mechanisms underlying protection by estrogen are not clear. Mounting evidence suggests antioxidant effects contribute to the neuroprotective effects of estrogens. In the present study, we assessed the protective effects of estrogens against H2O2-induced toxicity in human neuroblastoma cells and the potential mechanisms involved in this protection. We demonstrate that 17beta-estradiol (17beta-E2) increases cell survival against H2O2 toxicity in human neuroblastoma cells. 17beta-E2 effectively reduced lipid peroxidation induced by 5-min H2O2 exposure. Furthermore, 17beta-E2 exerts the protective effects by maintaining intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis, attenuating ATP depletion, ablating mitochondrial calcium overloading, and preserving mitochondrial membrane potential. Two nonfeminizing estrogens, 17alpha- and ent-estradiol, were as effective as 17beta-E2 in increasing cell survival, alleviating lipid peroxidation, preserving mitochondrial function, and maintaining intracellular glutathione levels and Ca2+ homeostasis against H2O2 insult. Moreover, the estrogen receptor antagonist fulvestrant (ICI 182,780) did not block effects of 17beta-E2, but increased cell survival and blunted intracellular Ca2+ increases. However, these estrogens failed to reduce cytosolic reactive oxygen species, even at concentrations as high as 10 microM. In conclusion, estrogens exert protective effects against oxidative stress by inhibiting lipid peroxidation and subsequently preserving Ca2+ homeostasis, mitochondrial membrane potential, and ATP levels.

Calcium↗