Zoledronic acid induces S-phase arrest via a DNA damage response in normal human oral keratinocytes

This study aimed to clarify the effects of zoledronic acid (ZOL) on human primary oral mucosal keratinocytes growing in a monolayer culture and on a tissue-engineered oral mucosal construct.

Changes in the viability and proliferation of oral keratinocytes incubated with ZOL were measured. Following treatment with 10 μM ZOL, histological examinations and immunohistochemical analyses for Ki-67, Geminin, and phospho-histone (γ)-H2A.X were performed on tissue-engineered oral mucosa. Cell cycle distribution and the degree of apoptosis were also measured by flow cytometry. Additionally, we measured the expression of cell cycle regulatory proteins as well as phospho-Chk1 and -Chk2.

ZOL treatment suppressed cell viability and proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. Compared with untreated tissue-engineered oral mucosa, ZOL treatment resulted in a thinner epithelium in which the basal cells appeared less-organised. This is consistent with the observed significant reduction in the Ki-67 labelling index. In contrast, the Geminin labelling index was significantly higher than that in the untreated sample. In spite of the presence of a few apoptotic cells, ZOL induced an arrest in S-phase, which was confirmed by our observed alterations in the expression levels of cyclin A, B1, p27(KIP1), Rb and phospho-Rb. When the proteasome inhibitor MG132 was added to the ZOL-treated cells, we observed a partial restoration of the expression of cyclin A, cyclin B1, and p27(KIP1). Expression of phospho-Chk1 was detected, and a significant increase in the labelling index of γ-H2A.X was also seen.

These results indicate that a 10-μM ZOL treatment induces a DNA damage response in oral keratinocytes that activates the ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis of cell cycle regulators, resulting in cell cycle arrest and repressive effects on cell viability, proliferation, and epithelial turnover.