Resveratrol-induced modification of polyamine metabolism is accompanied by induction of c-Fos

The objective of the current study was to investigate the effect of resveratrol, a naturally occurring polyphenol with cancer chemopreventive properties, on polyamine metabolism in the human colonic adenocarcinoma cell line Caco-2. We demonstrated that inhibition of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), the rate-limiting enzyme in polyamine biosynthesis, was due to attenuated ODC protein and mRNA levels (50-200 muM). The naturally occurring resveratrol analog piceatannol (100 muM) also diminished ODC activity, protein and mRNA levels, whereas the green tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG; 100 muM) exerted only weak effects on ODC. The transcription factor c-Myc, a positive regulator of the odc gene was attenuated by resveratrol treatment and to a lesser extent by piceatannol and EGCG. S-Adenosylmethionine decarboxylase, an enzyme that synthesizes higher polyamines, was concomitantly inhibited by resveratrol and piceatannol treatment, whereas EGCG did not affect its activity. In addition resveratrol, piceatannol and EGCG enhanced spermidine/spermine NI-acetyltransferase activity, an enzyme that degrades polyamines in cooperation with polyamine oxidase. Intracellular levels of spermine and spermidine were not affected, whereas putrescine and N-8-acetylspermidine concentrations increased after incubation with resveratrol. These events were paralleled by an increase of the activator protein-1 constituents c-Fos and c-Jun. Whereas DNA-binding activity of c-Jun remained unchanged, DNA-binding activity of c-Fos was significantly enhanced by resveratrol and piceatannol, but inhibited by EGCG. The data suggest that growth arrest by resveratrol is accompanied by inhibition of polyamine synthesis and increased polyamine catabolism. C-Fos seems to play a role in this context. Effects of piceatannol on polyamine synthesis were similar, but not as potent as those exerted by resveratrol.