BACKGROUND: Mitochondrial dysfunction and altered respiration have long been suspected to affect the development and progression of cancer. Although quantitative changes in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been reported in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), differences in mtDNA copy numbers between normal and cancerous tissues from same patients have not been assessed. METHODS: We compared mtDNA copy numbers and expressions of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1α) and mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) between normal mucous membrane and cancerous tissues resected from 35 patients with oral SCC, using TaqMan quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: We found mtDNA copy numbers and expressions of PGC-1α and TFAM were decreased in cancerous tissues compared with normal tissues from the same patients. CONCLUSION: The PGC-1α-TFAM mitochondrial pathway may be associated with malignant potential in human oral SCC, and could be an attractive therapeutic target.
BACKGROUND:Mitochondrial dysfunction and altered respiration have long been suspected to affect the development and progression of cancer. Although quantitative changes in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been reported in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), differences in mtDNA copy numbers between normal and cancerous tissues from same patients have not been assessed. METHODS: We compared mtDNA copy numbers and expressions of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1α) and mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) between normal mucous membrane and cancerous tissues resected from 35 patients with oral SCC, using TaqMan quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: We found mtDNA copy numbers and expressions of PGC-1α and TFAM were decreased in cancerous tissues compared with normal tissues from the same patients. CONCLUSION: The PGC-1α-TFAM mitochondrial pathway may be associated with malignant potential in human oral SCC, and could be an attractive therapeutic target.
Authors: Siti Muslihah Abd Radzak; Siti Zulaikha Nashwa Mohd Khair; Farizan Ahmad; Azim Patar; Zamzuri Idris; Abdul Aziz Mohamed Yusoff Journal: Int J Mol Med Date: 2022-06-17 Impact factor: 5.314