Transforming growth factor-β negatively modulates proliferation and c-fos expression of the human endometrial adenocarcinoma cell line HEC-1-A

Growth factor regulation of normal and cancerous cell proliferation has been well-documented and may be mediated by proto-oncogene activity. The purpose of this study was to assess changes in proliferation and mitogen-induced c-fos mRNA expression of an endometrial carcinoma cell line, HEC-1-A, in response to TGF-beta, a potent growth-inhibitory peptide. HEC-1-A cells were incubated in the presence or absence of TGF-beta. Mitogen-stimulated cells were additionally treated with epidermal growth factor (EGF). Changes in proliferation were measured by [3H]thymidine uptake assays. Alterations in EGF-induced c-fos expression following TGF-beta pretreatment were assessed by Northern blot using a 32P-labeled human c-fos probe. Finally, chloramphenicol acetyltransferase assays were performed to evaluate c-fos promoter activity in response to treatment conditions. Basal and EGF-stimulated proliferation was inhibited by TGF-beta in a dose- and time-dependent manner. TGF-beta also reversibly decreased EGF-induced c-fos mRNA expression in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Sequences in the c-fos promoter that were stimulated by EGF showed suppressed activity when preincubated with TGF-beta. These results show that TGF-beta negatively modulates EGF-induced c-fos expression, which may be related to the observed inhibition of carcinoma cell proliferation.