Purpose: The constitutive activation of STAT3 through receptor tyrosine kinases triggered breast cancer cell growth, and invasion-metastasis. Atiprimod impacts anti-proliferative, anti-carcinogenic effects in hepatocellular carcinoma, lymphoma, multiple myeloma via hindering the biological activity of STAT3. Dose-dependent atiprimod evokes rst autophagy as a survival mechanism and then apoptosis due to prolonged ER stress in pituitary adenoma cells. The therapeutic e ciency and mechanistic action of atiprimod in breast cancer cells have not been investigated yet. Thus, we aimed to modulate the pivotal role of ER stress in atiprimod-triggered apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells.Results: Dose-and time-dependent atiprimod treatment inhibits cell viability and colony formation in MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. A moderate dose of atiprimod (2 mM) inhibited STAT3 phosphorylation at Tyr705 residue and also suppressed the total expression level of p65. In addition, nuclear localization of STAT1, 3 and NF-kB was prevented by atiprimod exposure in MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 cells. Atiprimod evokes PERK, BiP, ATF-4, CHOP upregulation, and PERK (Thr980), eIF2a (Ser51) phosphorylation's. However, atiprimod suppressed IRE1a-mediated Atg-3, 5, 7, 12 protein expressions and no alteration were observed on Beclin-1, p62 expression levels. PERK/eIF2a/ATF4/CHOP axis pivotal role in atiprimod-mediated G1/S arrest and apoptosis via Bak, Bax, Bim and PUMA upregulation in MDA-MB-468 cells. Moreover, atiprimod renders MDA-MB-231 more vulnerable to type I programmed cell death by plasmid-mediated increased STAT3 expression.
Conclusion:Atiprimod induced prolonged ER stress-mediated apoptosis via both activating PERK/eIF2a/ATF4/CHOP axis and suppressing STAT3/NF-kB transcription factors nuclear migration in TBNC cells.
HighlightsAtiprimod induced endoplasmic reticulum stress