Suppressive Effect of Delta-Tocotrienol on Hypoxia Adaptation of Prostate Cancer Stem-like Cells

Background/Aim: A hallmark of the progression of prostate cancer to advanced disease is the acquisition of androgen-independent growth. This malignant phenotype is characterized by resistance to conventional treatments and predisposes to formation of hypoxic regions containing stem-like cancer cells. Unfortunately, an effective therapy to target prostate cancer stem cells under hypoxia has not yet been established. In this report, we studied whether delta-tocotrienol (T3), a vitamin E family member that has exhibited the most potent anti-cancer activity, could suppress the survival of prostate cancer stem-like cells. Materials and Methods: PC3 stem-like cells were isolated from PC3 parental cells using a three-dimensional culture system. The stemness of the isolated PC3 stem-like cells was confirmed by evaluation of resistance to an anticancer agent (docetaxel) and tumor formation capacity in a xenograft model. The effects of delta-T3 on PC3 stem-like cells under a hypoxia condition were examined by WST-8 (cell viability), real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and western blotting. Results: d-T3 demonstrated a cytotoxic effect on prostate cancer stem-like cells in a dose dependent manner and a reduction in the protein levels of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1 alpha and HIF-2 alpha. Additionally, a specific inhibitor toward HIF-1 alpha induced cytotoxicity on PC3 cells, but selective inhibition of HIF-2 alpha had no effect. Conclusion: Overall, these results suggest that delta-T3 could inhibit the survival of prostate cancer stem-like cells under hypoxia, primarily through the inactivation of HIF-1 alpha signaling.