I Kappa B-Kinase-Epsilon (Ikk Epsilon) Over-Expression Promotes The Growth Of Prostate Cancer Through The C/Ebp-Beta Dependent Activation Of Il-6 Gene Expression

The inflammatory cytokine IL-6 has been shown to induce the nuclear translocation of androgen receptors in prostate cancer cells and to activate the androgen receptors in a ligand-independent manner, suggesting it may contribute to the development of a castrate-resistant phenotype. Elevated IL-6 serum levels have also been associated with metastasis-related morbidity in prostate cancer patients. We have previously established that over-expression of I-kappa-B-kinase-epsilon (IKK epsilon also named IKKi or I kappa BK epsilon) in hormone-sensitive prostate cancer cell lines induces IL-6 secretion. We have also reported that prostate cancer cell lines lacking androgen receptor expression exhibit high constitutive IKK epsilon expression and IL-6 secretion. In the present study, we validated the impact of IKK epsilon depletion on the in vitro proliferation of castrate-resistant prostate cancer cells, and characterized how IKK epsilon depletion affects tumor growth and IL-6 tumor secretion in vivo through a mouse xenograft-based approach. We observed a significant growth delay in IKK epsilon-silenced PC-3 cells injected in SCID mice fed with a doxycycline-supplemented diet in comparison with mice fed with a normal diet. We also found a decrease in IL-6 secretion levels that strongly correlated with tumor growth inhibition. Finally, using constructs with various IL-6-mutated promoters, we demonstrated that IKK epsilon overexpression induces a NF-kappa B-independent stimulation of the IL-6 gene promoter through the activation and nuclear accumulation of the transcription factor C/EBP-beta. Our study demonstrates the pro-proliferative role of the oncogene IKK epsilon in castrate-resistant prostate cancer cell lines, involving the phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of C/EBP-beta that initiates IL-6 gene expression.