Caffeic acid phenethyl ester mitigates cadmium‐induced damage via the Hsa_circ_0010039/miR‐661/Caspase9 axis–mediated apoptosis

Procyanidin C1 inhibits tumor growth and metastasis in colon cancer via modulating miR-501-3p/HIGD1A axis

INTRODUCTION

Although colon (COAD) and rectal adenocarcinoma (READ) combined to refer to colorectal cancer (CRC), substantial clinical evidence urged that CRC should be treated as two different cancers due to compared with READ, COAD showed higher morbidity and worse 5-year survival.

OBJECTIVES

This study has tried to screen for the crucial gene that caused the worse prognosis and investigate its mechanism for mediating tumor growth and metastases in COAD. Meanwhile, the potential anti-COAD compound implicated in this mechanism was identified and testified from 1,855 food-borne chemical kits. This study aims to bring a new perspective to the development of new anti-COAD drugs and personalized medicine for patients with COAD.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The survival-related hub genes in COAD and READ were screened out from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and the results showed that HIGD1A, lower expressed in COAD than in READ, was associated with poor prognosis in COAD patients, but not in READ. Over-expressed HIGD1A suppressed CRC cell proliferation, invasion, and migration in vitro and in vivo. Meanwhile, the different expressed microRNA profiles between COAD and READ showed that miR-501-3p was highly expressed in COAD and inhibited HIGD1A expression by targeting 3'UTR of HIGD1A. MiR-501-3p mimics promoted cell proliferation and metastasis in CRC cells. In addition, Procyanidin C1 (PCC1), a kind of natural polyphenol has been verified as a potential miR-501-3p inhibitor. In vitro and in vivo, PCC1 promoted HIGD1A expression by suppressing miR-501-3p and resulted in inhibited tumor growth and metastasis.

CONCLUSION

The present study verified that miR-501-3p/HIGD1A axis mediated tumor growth and metastasis in COAD. PCC1, a flavonoid that riched in food exerts anti-COAD effects by inhibiting miR-501-3p and results in the latter losing the ability to suppress HIGD1A expression. Subsequently, unfettered HIGD1A inhibited tumor growth and metastasis in COAD.

Targeted intervention of natural medicinal active ingredients and traditional Chinese medicine on epigenetic modification: Possible strategies for prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis

BACKGROUND

Atherosclerosis is a deadly consequence of cardiovascular disease and has very high mortality rate worldwide. The epigenetic modifications can regulate the pervasiveness and progression of atherosclerosis through its involvement in regulation of inflammation, oxidative stress, lipid metabolism and several other factors. Specific non-coding RNAs, DNA methylation, and histone modifications are key regulatory factors of atherosclerosis. Natural products from traditional Chinese medicine have shown promising therapeutic potential against atherosclerosis by means of regulating the expression of specific genes, stabilizing arterial plaques and protecting vascular endothelial cells.

OBJECTIVE

Our study is focusing to explore the pathophysiology and probability of traditional Chinese medicine and natural medicinal active ingredients to treat atherosclerosis.

METHODS

Comprehensive literature review was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar and China National Knowledge Infrastructure with a core focus on natural medicinal active ingredients and traditional Chinese medicine prying in epigenetic modification related to atherosclerosis.

RESULTS

Accumulated evidence demonstrated that natural medicinal active ingredients and traditional Chinese medicine have been widely studied as substances that can regulate epigenetic modification. They can participate in the occurrence and development of atherosclerosis through inflammation, oxidative stress, lipid metabolism, cell proliferation and migration, macrophage polarization and autophagy respectively.

CONCLUSION

The function of natural medicinal active ingredients and traditional Chinese medicine in regulating epigenetic modification may provide a new potential strategy for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis. However, more extensive research is essential to determine the potential of these natural medicinal active ingredients to treat atherosclerosis because of least clinical data.

The interaction between miRNAs and hazardous materials

Toxic agents are broadly present in the environment, households, and workplaces. Contamination of food and drinking water with these agents results in entry of these materials to the body. The crosstalk between these agents and microRNAs (miRNAs) affects pathoetiology of several disorders. These agents can influence the redox status, release of inflammatory cytokines and mitochondrial function. Altered expression of miRNA is involved in the dysregulation of several pathophysiological conditions and signaling pathways. These molecules are also implicated in the adaption to environmental stimuli. Thus, the interactions between miRNAs and toxic materials might participate in the hazardous effects of these materials in the body. This review describes the effects of the toxic materials on miRNAs and the consequences of these interactions on the human health.

Asparanin A exerts cytotoxicity on human endometrial cancer Ishikawa cells via regulating miR-6236-p5_4 expression

miRNAs are emerging as a novel proto-oncogene or tumor suppressor in the initiation and progression of cancer. Several plants naturally contain asparanin A (AA), which has potent anticancer properties. Previously, we discovered that AA exposure increased the expression of miR-6236-p5_4 and caused cytotoxicity in endometrial carcinoma (EC) Ishikawa cells. Herein, the regulation mechanism of miR-6236-p5_4 in the anticancer activity of AA in EC was investigated. Our results showed that the overexpressed miR-6236-p5_4 contributed to modulating cell viability and cell cycle arrest, triggering cell apoptosis, and suppressing migration. Conversely, down-regulation of miR-6236-p5_4 attenuated the anti-cancer effect of AA. Additionally, the PI3K-Akt, p53, Ras, and Rap1 signaling pathways were demonstrated to be the key pathways, whereas CDK6, PIK3CB, and KRAS were found to be directly functional target genes. Our findings imply that miRNA-6236-p5_4 can act as both a molecular diagnostic for the clinical identification and prognosis of EC and a tumor suppressor in AA against EC.

Apigenin and its octoic acid diester attenuated glycidol-induced autophagic-dependent apoptosis via inhibiting the ERK/JNK/p38 signaling pathways in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs)

Glycidol is a well-known food contaminant mainly formed in refined edible oils and various thermally processed foods. Here, we studied the toxicity effects and related mechanism of glycidol on Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Glycidol was found to induce Gap period 2 (G2)/Mitosis (M) phase cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and autophagy in HUVECs. Inhibition of autophagy by 3-methyladenine (3-MA) attenuated glycidol-induced cell death, suggesting that glycidol-induced apoptosis was autophagy-dependent. Moreover, glycidol treatment induced phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase (JNK), and p38. Inhibition of ERK, JNK, and p38 phosphorylation by the inhibitors U0126, SP600125, and SB203580 attenuated glycidol-induced autophagy and prevented glycidol-mediated reduction in cell viability, demonstrating that glycidol inhibited HUVECs growth by inducing autophagic-dependent apoptosis through activation of the ERK, JNK and p38 signaling pathways. In addition, apigenin (API) and its octoic acid diester apigenin-7 (API-C8), 4'-O-dioctanoate were found to significantly attenuate glycidol-induced cell growth inhibition by inhibiting the above signaling pathways. Collectively, glycidol induces autophagic-dependent apoptosis via activating the ERK/JNK/p38 signaling pathways in HUVECs and API-C8 could attenuate the toxicity effects.

Protective effects of the phenolic compounds from mung bean hull against H2O2-induced skin aging through alleviating oxidative injury and autophagy in HaCaT cells and HSF cells

To add value to food waste and seek skin aging suppressor, petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and water phenolic extracts were produced from mung bean hulls subjected to ultrasound-assisted ethanolic extraction. The four extracts all contained protocatechuic acid, isovitexin, vitexin, caffeic acid, 4-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, rutin and chlorogenic acid (revealed by UHPLC-MS/MS). The effects of the four extracts and their main phenolic compounds against H₂O₂-caused cell damage and aging in HaCaT and HSF cells were examined (including cell viability, ROS, MDA, SOD, GSH-px and β-galactosidase levels). The four extracts and the eight phenolic compounds exhibited different protective effects on H₂O₂-treated HaCaT/HSF cells viability, with the ethyl acetate extract among the extracts, and isovitexin and vitexin among the eight compounds, exerting the greatest protection. Therefore, isovitexin and vitexin may be the key oxidative stress and autophagy modulators of mung bean hull, and they inhibit skin aging and damage likely through suppressing Nrf2/keap1/HO-1 related oxidative damage and LC3II/p62/GATA4 related autophagy.

Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside mitigates benzo[a]pyrene-induced liver and kidney toxicity in mice via miR-101a/MKP-1-mediated p38 and ERK pathway

Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) can cause hepatorenal toxicity. Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG), a polyphenolic compound present in flaxseed, has shown a variety of biological activities including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic effects. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects and working mechanisms of SDG against BaP-induced hepatorenal injury. Forty male mice were administrated daily (via gastric gavage; 4 weeks) with 0.9% saline (control), BaP (75 mg/kg body weight (b.w.)), SDG (100 mg/kg b.w.), SDG (100 mg/kg b.w.)+BaP (75 mg/kg b.w.). Results showed that the mice treated with SDG + BaP had significantly (P < 0.05) higher body weight, lower organ-to-body weight ratio, alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities, and less levels of serum creatinine (CRE) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) than those treated with BaP alone. SDG administration alleviated BaP-induced oxidative damages, inflammation and apoptosis. Furthermore, it significantly (P < 0.05) downregulated phosphor-p38 (p-p38) and phosphor-extracellular regulated protein kinases (p-ERK) levels, upregulated mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) level, and suppressed miR-101a expression compared with BaP alone group. Taken together, these results showed for the first time that SDG has protective effects against BaP-induced liver and kidney toxicity in mice through regulating oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis via miR-101a/MKP-1-mediated p38 and ERK pathway.

MiR-182-5p/TLR4/NF-κB axis contributes to the protective effect of caffeic acid phenethyl ester against cadmium-induced spleen toxicity and associated damage in mice

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal pollutant that can be accumulated in organs including the spleen, thereby threatening human health. In this study, the effect of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE, a bioactive component of honeybee propolis) on CdCl2-induced spleen toxicity and underlying mechanisms were examined in mice. Histological examinations revealed that CAPE (10 μmol/kg/day b.w.) could mitigate spleen damage induced by CdCl2 (1.5 mg/kg/day b.w.) in mice. Compared to the mice treated only by CdCl2, CAPE administration increased the body weight while decreasing the spleen weight, spleen Cd content and spleen to body ratio of the CdCl2-treated mice. Western blot and ELISA tests revealed that CAPE suppressed CdCl2-induced inflammation (indicated by the decreases in the levels of inflammatory indictors). TUNEL and Western blot results showed that CAPE suppressed CdCl2-induced apoptosis through reducing the percentage of TUNEL-positive cells and regulating apoptosis factors. The antagonistic effect of CAPE against CdCl2-induced spleen toxicity was realized by increasing miR-182-5p expression to regulate the TLR4/NF-κB pathway. Therefore, CAPE could be a food-derived spleen protector to counteract Cd-induced spleen toxicity through alleviating apoptosis and inflammation via the miR-182-5p/TLR4/NF-κB axis.