PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - JOHANNA PELTONEN AU - KATJA TUOMAINEN AU - TOBIAS SALLINEN AU - ISLAM FARESS AU - ILIDA SULEYMANOVA AU - AHMED AL-SAMADI AU - TUULA SALO AU - PIRJO ÅSTRÖM TI - Effect of Sex Steroid Hormones on Tongue Cancer Cells <em>In Vitro</em> AID - 10.21873/anticanres.14624 DP - 2020 Nov 01 TA - Anticancer Research PG - 6029--6037 VI - 40 IP - 11 4099 - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/40/11/6029.short 4100 - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/40/11/6029.full SO - Anticancer Res2020 Nov 01; 40 AB - Background: Tongue cancer is more common in men than in women. Yet the effects of sex steroid hormones on the behaviour of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) are not well known. Matrix metalloproteinase 8 (MMP8) is expressed in OTSCC and can degrade estrogen receptors (ERs). Materials and Methods: Western blot was used to examine the levels of ERβ in OTSCC cell lines (HSC-3 and SCC-25). We evaluated the effects of estradiol and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) on HSC-3 and SCC-25 cell migration, invasion and viability. The effect of estradiol on the invasion of MMP8-overexpressing (MMP8+) and empty vector HSC-3 cells was examined using 3D spheroid invasion assay. Results: Both HSC-3 and SCC-25 cells expressed ERβ. In scratch assay, estradiol, but not DHT, reduced the migration and invasion of HSC-3 and SCC-25 cells. MMP8+ HSC-3 cells showed weaker invasion than empty vector cells, in line with previous reports. However, MMP8 overexpression did not alter the effect of estradiol on HSC-3 cell invasion in spheroid assay. Conclusion: Estradiol inhibited the migration and invasion of OTSCC cells, whereas DHT had no effect. Our data suggest that MMP8 does not modulate the effect of estradiol in OTSCC cells. However, the sex difference in OTSCC incidence might partly be due to protective actions of estradiol in epithelial cell carcinogenesis.