Caffeine Positively Modulates Ferritin Heavy Chain Expression in H460 Cells: Effects on Cell Proliferation

Both the methylxanthine caffeine and the heavy subunit of ferritin molecule (FHC) are able to control the proliferation rate of several cancer cell lines. While caffeine acts exclusively as a negative modulator of cell proliferation, FHC might reduce or enhance cell viability depending upon the different cell type. In this work we have demonstrated that physiological concentrations of caffeine reduce the proliferation rate of H460 cells: along with the modulation of p53, pAKT and Cyclin D1, caffeine also determines a significant FHC up-regulation through the activation of its transcriptional efficiency. FHC plays a central role in the molecular pathways modulated by caffeine, ending in a reduced cell growth, since its specific silencing by siRNA almost completely abolishes caffeine effects on H460 cell proliferation. These results allow the inclusion of ferritin heavy subunits among the multiple molecular targets of caffeine and open the way for studying the relationship between caffeine and intracellular iron metabolism.