Long-term low-dose exposure of human urothelial cells to sodium arsenite activates lipocalin-2 via promoter hypomethylation

Arch Toxicol. 2014 Aug;88(8):1549-59. doi: 10.1007/s00204-014-1214-x. Epub 2014 Feb 26.

Abstract

We previously reported that the sustained exposure of human urothelial cells (HUCs) to low-dose sodium arsenite induces changes in the gene expression profile and neoplastic transformation. In this study, we used the HumanMethylation27 BeadChip to analyze genome-wide methylation profiles and 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine to examine the involvement of promoter methylation in gene expression. Because the expression of lipocalin-2 (LCN2) was highly enhanced by promoter hypomethylation in inorganic arsenic (iAs)-HUCs cells as well as bladder cancer tissues, we further showed that mutations at the binding sequences for NF-κB and C/EBP-α significantly reduced LCN2 promoter activity. By chromatin immunoprecipitation assay, we demonstrated the significantly increased binding of RelA (p65) and NF-κB1 (p50) to the hypomethylated promoter of LCN2 in the iAs-HUCs. Furthermore, we also demonstrated that LCN2 overexpression was crucial for the neoplastic characteristics of the iAs-HUCs, such as enhanced anchorage-independent growth, resistance to serum deprivation and activation of NF-κB signaling. In addition, our results indicated that enhanced NF-κB activity in iAs-HUCs was via LCN2-mediated increase in intracellular iron and reactive oxygen species levels. Taken together, our results show that sustained low-dose arsenic exposure results in epigenetic changes and enhanced oncogenic potential via LCN2 overexpression.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acute-Phase Proteins / genetics*
  • Arsenites / toxicity*
  • Azacitidine / analogs & derivatives
  • Azacitidine / pharmacology
  • Cell Culture Techniques
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Chromatin Immunoprecipitation
  • Culture Media, Serum-Free
  • DNA Methylation* / drug effects
  • DNA Methylation* / genetics
  • Decitabine
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Environmental Pollutants / toxicity*
  • Gene Silencing
  • Genome-Wide Association Study
  • Humans
  • Lipocalin-2
  • Lipocalins / genetics*
  • Mutagenesis, Site-Directed
  • NF-kappa B / metabolism
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic*
  • Protein Binding
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics*
  • Sodium Compounds / toxicity*
  • Time Factors
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / genetics
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / pathology
  • Urothelium / cytology
  • Urothelium / drug effects*
  • Urothelium / metabolism

Substances

  • Acute-Phase Proteins
  • Arsenites
  • Culture Media, Serum-Free
  • Environmental Pollutants
  • LCN2 protein, human
  • Lipocalin-2
  • Lipocalins
  • NF-kappa B
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Sodium Compounds
  • sodium arsenite
  • Decitabine
  • Azacitidine