Emergence of osteoblast-like cells in a neoplastic human salivary cancer cell line after treatment with 22-oxa-1alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3

• Published in: Cancer letters 1997-05, Vol.115 (2), p.149
• Main Authors: Sato, M, Iga, H, Yoshioka, N, Fukui, K, Kawamata, H, Yoshida, H, Hirota, S, Kitamura, Y
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents - pharmacology; Azacitidine; Calcitriol - analogs & derivatives; Calcitriol - pharmacology; Carcinogens; Cell Division - drug effects; Female; Humans; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Nude; Neoplasm Transplantation; Osteoblasts - pathology; Salivary Gland Neoplasms - chemically induced; Salivary Gland Neoplasms - drug therapy; Salivary Gland Neoplasms - pathology; Salivary Glands - drug effects; Salivary Glands - ultrastructure; Tumor Cells, Cultured
• ISSN: 0304-3835

A neoplastic clonal cell line, which was prepared by 5-azacytidine treatment of a neoplastic human salivary intercalated duct cell line, was cultivated in the presence of 22-oxa-1alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and 3 mM beta-glycerophosphate. Major alterations, such as expression of type I collagen and alkaline phosphatase as well as of human osteopontin and osteonectin, were observed in these cells with a phenotype similar to osteoblasts. In addition, formation of bone nodule was observed in the cultured cells. The tumors produced by transplantation into nude mice of the clonal cells were treated with 22-oxa-1alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and examined for tumor growth and morphology. Consequently, growth of the treated tumor was significantly suppressed. Moreover, it was found that bone formation was induced in the treated tumor, in which the tumor cells around bone formation expressed human osteopontin and osteonectin mRNA as could be detected by in situ hybridization. The above findings indicate that the emergence of osteoblast-like cells in the human salivary cancer cells occurs in the presence of 22-oxa-1alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and beta-glycerophosphate.