Lycorine inhibits breast cancer growth and metastasis via inducing apoptosis and blocking Src/FAK-involved pathway

Cytotoxic lycorine alkaloids of the plant family Amaryllidaceae

The plant family Amaryllidaceae is embellished with a diverse array of antiproliferative alkaloid principles. Chief amongst these are the lycorine alkaloids, which have attracted considerable attention as potential anticancer drugs. This account tracks developments in the field with these substances encompassing the years 2015-2019. Twenty-nine compounds were screened against nearly eighty cancer cell lines representing seventeen different types of cancer. Submicromolar level activities were recorded against leukemia, myeloma and breast cancer cells. The response of lycorine (IC50 0.6 μM) to HL-60 myeloid leukemia cells was particularly striking. Promising activities were also documented from in vivo models of brain, lung, colon, prostate and breast cancer cells (in the 5-10 mg/kg/day dosage range). The screenings indicated these compounds to be efficacious without attendant detrimental effects towards control animals. Structure-activity relationship studies afforded useful insight to the elements of the anticancer pharmacophore, such as the necessity for the A-ring methylenedioxy and C-ring hydroxy functionalities. The mechanisms of action were intensively examined, with over twenty individual areas identified wherein such probes have been made. Of prominence here was the apoptosis-inducing abilities of lycorine against (amongst others) leukemia, pancreatic, bladder, liver and bone cancer cells, involving the modulation of key mediators such as caspase-3, p53, PARP, Bax and Bcl-2. Useful insights also emerged from docking studies undertaken with various cancer-related proteins, such as VEGF, HDAC, PI3Kα, c-Met kinase and EGFR. The lycorine alkaloids have proved to be highly versatile entities, readily embracing multiple facets of anticancer drug discovery.

Lycorine Pre-Treatment Alleviates Microglia Inflammation After Cerebral Ischemia by Inhibiting NF-κB Phosphorylation

BACKGROUND

Middle-aged and elderly individuals may experience detrimental health effects due to ischemic stroke (IS). The inflammatory response triggered during IS exacerbates neuronal damage, becoming a barrier to effective IS treatment and leading to poor patient prognosis. Nevertheless, the specific role of microglia in the inflammatory response triggered by IS remains mostly unclear. The primary target of this investigation is to study the neuroinflammatory impact of lycorine (LYC) during the IS process. Our objective is to evaluate whether LYC deploys its anti-inflammatory effect with modulation of the NF-κB signaling pathway, thereby reducing IS symptoms.

METHODS

In this research, BV-2 cells were pre-treated with LYC for 24 h before LPS was added to induce inflammation.

RESULTS

It has been discovered that LYC suppresses BV-2 cell polarization and reduces the levels of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α), showing its potential anti-inflammatory effects in vitro. Furthermore, IκBα and p65 play crucial roles in regulating the inflammatory response within the NF-κB signaling pathway. Mechanistic exploration indicates that LYC can activate the expression of IκBα in LPS-induced BV-2 cells. IκBα inhibits NF-κB by binding to its p65 subunit, sequestering it in the cytoplasm and preventing its translocation to the nucleus, thereby inhibiting inflammation. Additionally, p65 is a key transcription factor for pro-inflammatory genes, and its downregulation leads to decreased transcriptional activity of these genes. The combined effect of increased IκBα and decreased p65 results in significantly reduced NF-κB activity, thereby alleviating the inflammatory response. Meanwhile, in vivo studies indicate that LYC pre-treatment significantly reduces the infarct size caused by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in rats. The assessment of cerebral infarction volume, neurological scores, brain edema rate and inflammation levels in MCAO rats pre-treated with LYC indicates positive therapeutic effects.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, our research indicates that LYC pre-treatment has significant anti-inflammatory effects by attenuating inflammation levels through NF-κB inhibition, which contributes to potential therapeutic benefits in ischemic stroke (IS) and may improve disease prognosis. LYC may serve as an adjunctive clinical pre-treatment for IS, which has to be confirmed by clinical trials in the future.

Alkaloids in Cancer therapy: Targeting the tumor microenvironment and metastasis signaling pathways

The use of phytomedicine in cancer therapy is a growing field of research that takes use of the medicinal properties of plant-derived compounds. Under the domain of cancer therapy and management, alkaloids, a prominent group of natural compounds, have showed significant potential. Alkaloids often affect a wide range of essential cellular mechanisms involved in cancer progression. These multi-targeting capabilities, can give significant advantages to alkaloids in overcoming resistance mechanisms. For example, berberine, an alkaloid found in Berberis species, is widely reported to induce apoptosis by activating caspases and regulating apoptotic pathways. Notably, alkaloids like as quinine have showed promise in inhibiting the formation of new blood vessels required for tumor growth. In addition, alkaloids have shown anti-proliferative and anticancer properties mostly via modulating key signaling pathways involved in metastasis, including those regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition. This work provides a comprehensive overview of naturally occurring alkaloids that exhibit anticancer properties, with a specific emphasis on their underlying molecular mechanisms of action. Furthermore, many methods to modify previously reported difficult physicochemical properties using nanocarriers in order to enhance its systemic bioavailability have been discussed as well. This study also includes information on newly discovered alkaloids that are now being studied in clinical trials for their potential use in cancer treatment. Further, we have also briefly mentioned on the application of high-throughput screening and molecular dynamics simulation for acceleration on the identification of potent alkaloids based compounds to target and treat cancer.

Plant-Based Anticancer Compounds With a Focus on Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is a common form of cancer among women characterized by the growth of malignant cells in the breast tissue. The most common treatments for this condition include chemotherapy, surgical intervention, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, and biological therapy. The primary issues associated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy are their adverse events and significant financial burden among patients in underdeveloped countries. This highlights the need to explore and develop superior therapeutic options that are less detrimental and more economically efficient. Plants provide an abundant supply of innovative compounds and present a promising new avenue for investigating cancer. Plants and their derivations are undergoing a revolution due to their reduced toxicity, expediency, cost-effectiveness, safety, and simplicity in comparison to conventional treatment methods. Natural products are considered promising candidates for the development of anticancer drugs, due perhaps to the diverse pleiotropic effects on target events. The effects of plant-derived products are limited to cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unaffected. Identification of compounds with strong anticancer properties and development of plant-based medications for cancer treatment might be crucial steps in breast cancer therapy. Although bioactive compounds have potent anticancer properties, they also have drawbacks that need to be resolved before their application in clinical trials and improved for the approved drugs. This study aims to give comprehensive information on known anticancer compounds, including their sources and molecular mechanisms of actions, along with opportunities and challenges in plant-based anticancer therapies.

Uncover the anticancer potential of lycorine

BACKGROUND

Natural products have a long history in drug discovery. Lycorine is an alkaloid derived from Amaryllidaceae plants, demonstrating significant pharmacological potential. Lycorine and its hydrochloride salt, lycorine hydrochloride, have shown outstanding anticancer effects both in vitro and in vivo.

PURPOSE

This review aims to comprehensively summarize recent research advancements regarding the anticancer potential of lycorine and lycorine hydrochloride. It intends to elucidate current research limitations, optimization strategies, and future research directions to guide clinical translation.

METHODS

Various databases, e.g., Web of Science, PubMed, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, are systematically searched for relevant articles using keywords such as lycorine, cancer, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity. The retrieved literature is then categorized and summarized to provide an overview of the research advancements in the anticancer potential of lycorine and lycorine hydrochloride.

RESULTS

Lycorine and lycorine hydrochloride demonstrate significant anticancer activities against various types of cancer both in vitro and in vivo, employing diverse mechanisms such as inducing cell cycle arrest, triggering cellular senescence, regulating programmed cell death, inhibiting angiogenesis, suppressing metastasis, and modulating immune system. Furthermore, pharmacokinetic profiles and toxicity data are summarized. Additionally, this review discusses the druggability, limitations, optimization strategies, and target identification of lycorine, offering insights for future preclinical studies.

CONCLUSION

The anticancer effects and safety profile of lycorine and lycorine hydrochloride suggest promising potential for clinical applications. Further research on their in-depth mechanisms and optimization strategies targeting their limitations will enhance the understanding and druggability of lycorine and lycorine hydrochloride.

Lycorine inhibits Ang II-induced heart remodeling and inflammation by suppressing the PI3K-AKT/NF-κB pathway

BACKGROUND

Ang II induces hypertensive heart failure (HF) via hemodynamic and non-hemodynamic actions. Lycorine (LYC) is an alkaloid derived from Lycoris bulbs, and it possesses anti-cardiovascular disease-related activities. Herein, we explored the potential LYC-mediated regulation of Ang II-induced HF.

METHODS

Over 4 weeks, we established a hypertensive HF mouse model by infusing Ang II into C57BL/6 mice using a micro-osmotic pump. For the final two weeks, mice were administered LYC via intraperitoneal injection. The LYC signaling network was then deduced using RNA sequencing.

RESULTS

LYC administration strongly suppressed hypertrophy, myocardial fibrosis, and cardiac inflammation. As a result, it minimized heart dysfunction while causing no changes in blood pressure. The Nuclear Factor kappa B (NF-κB) network/phosphoinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)-protein kinase B (AKT) was found to be a major modulator of LYC-based cardioprotection using RNA sequencing study. We further confirmed that in cultured cardiomyocytes and mouse hearts, LYC reduced the inflammatory response and downregulated the Ang II-induced PI3K-AKT/NF-κB network. Moreover, PI3K-AKT or NF-κB axis depletion in cardiomyocytes completely abrogated the anti-inflammatory activities of LYC.

CONCLUSION

Herein, we demonstrated that LYC safeguarded hearts in Ang II -stimulated mice by suppressing the PI3K-AKT/NF-κB-induced inflammatory responses. Given the evidence mentioned above, LYC is a robust therapeutic agent for hypertensive HF.

Molecular mechanism of lycorine in the treatment of glioblastoma based on network pharmacology and molecular docking

Lycorine is a naturally active alkaloid that has been shown to have inhibitory effects on a variety of cancers. However, the underlying mechanism of lycorine in the treatment of glioblastoma (GBM) is unclear. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of lycorine in the treatment of GBM based on network pharmacology and molecular docking. Lycorine-related targets overlapped with GBM-related targets to obtain intersections that represent potential anti-GBM targets for lycorine. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using the STRING online database and analyzed by Cytoscape software, and 10 key target genes (AKT1, SRC, HSP90AA1, HRAS, MMP9, BCL2L1, IGF1, MAPK14, STAT1, and KDR) were obtained, which played an important role in the therapeutic effect of lycorine on GBM. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis showed that lycorine acts on GBM by multiple pathways, including inducing apoptosis and reactive oxygen species production. The molecular docking results showed that lycorine had strong binding efficiency with the 10 key genes. In addition, we found that the use of lycorine-induced apoptosis in U-87 MG glioblastoma cells. Here, the mechanism of action of lycorine against GBM was elucidated and verified by experiments, which provided evidence support for its clinical application.

Preparation and Evaluation of Folate Modified PEG-PLLA Nanoparticles Loaded with Lycorine for Glioma Treatment

Lycorine is a kind of natural active ingredient with a strong antitumor effect. In this study, folate ligand-conjugated polyethylene glycol-block-poly(l-lactide) (PEG-PLLA) nanoparticles (FA-PEG-PLLA NPs) were designed to deliver lycorine to enhance its anti-glioma activity. The successful preparation of the FA-PEG-PLLA polymer was confirmed by 1H-NMR, FT-IR, XRD, TGA, and DSC. The optimal formulation for LYC@FA-PEG-PLLA NPs was determined by response surface analysis as follows: sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) of 1%, carrier material of 0.03 g, organic phase volume of 3 mL, and ultrasonic power of 20%. The LYC@FA-PEG-PLLA NPs exhibited an encapsulation efficiency of 83.58% and a particle size of 49.71 nm, demonstrating good stability. Hemolysis experiments, MTT assays, and cell scratch assays revealed excellent biocompatibility of FA-PEG-PLLA and superior anti-glioma activity of LYC@FA-PEG-PLLA NPs compared to the raw drug. Additionally, cell apoptosis assays, ROS experiments, and western blot analysis demonstrated that LYC@FA-PEG-PLLA NPs contributed to cell apoptosis by inducing ROS generation and increasing the expression of NF-κB inhibitory protein IκBα. These results suggested that LYC@FA-PEG-PLLA NPs hold promise for glioma treatment.

Lycorine eliminates B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells by targeting PSAT1 through the serine/glycine metabolic pathway

B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) has been confirmed as the most common malignant hematologic neoplasm among children. A novel antitumor mechanism of lycorine was elucidated in this study. As revealed by the result of this study, lycorine significantly inhibited the growth and proliferation of REH and NALM-6 and induced their apoptosis. The result of the RNA-seq analysis suggested that lycorine targeted PSAT1 of serine/glycine metabolism in B-ALL cells. As indicated by the result of the GSEA analysis, the genes enriched in the amino acid metabolic pathways were down-regulated by lycorine. As revealed by the results of ectopic expression, shRNA knockdown assays, and further liquid-phase tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis, lycorine reduced serine/glycine metabolites by down-regulating PSAT1, further disrupting carbon metabolism and eliminating B-ALL cells. Furthermore, lycorine showed a synergistic effect with cytarabine in ALL treatments. Lastly, lycorine significantly down-regulated leukemia progression in the cell line-derived xenograft (CDX) model. In brief, this study has suggested for the first time that lycorine is a promising anti-ALL drug, and a novel amino acid metabolism-associated property of lycorine was identified.

Lycorine inhibits pancreatic cancer cell growth and neovascularization by inducing Notch1 degradation and downregulating key vasculogenic genes

Pancreatic cancer is highly metastatic and lethal with an increasing incidence globally and a 5-year survival rate of only 8%. One of the factors contributing to the high mortality is the lack of effective drugs in the clinical setting. We speculated that effective compounds against pancreatic cancer exist in natural herbs and explored active small molecules among traditional Chinese medicinal herbs. The small molecule lycorine (MW: 323.77) derived from the herb Lycoris radiata inhibited pancreatic cancer cell growth with an IC50 value of 1 μM in a concentration-dependent manner. Lycorine markedly reduced pancreatic cancer cell viability, migration, invasion, neovascularization, and gemcitabine resistance. Additionally, lycorine effectively suppressed tumor growth in mouse xenograft models without obvious toxicity. Pharmacological studies revealed that the levels and half-life of Notch1 oncoprotein in the pancreatic cancer cells Panc-1 and Patu8988 were notably reduced. Moreover, the expression of the key vasculogenic genes Semaphorin 4D (Sema4D) and angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) were also significantly inhibited by lycorine. Mechanistically, lycorine strongly triggered the degradation of Notch1 oncoprotein through the ubiquitin-proteasome system. In conclusion, lycorine effectively inhibits pancreatic cancer cell growth, migration, invasion, neovascularization, and gemcitabine resistance by inducing degradation of Notch1 oncoprotein and downregulating the key vasculogenic genes Sema4D and Ang-2. Our findings provide a new therapeutic candidate and treatment strategy against pancreatic cancer.

Lycorine suppresses the malignancy of breast carcinoma by modulating epithelial mesenchymal transition and β-catenin signaling

Lycorine, an isoquinoline alkaloid can exhibit significant anti-cancer effects. The present study was conducted to illustrate the underlying mechanisms of action of lycorine on breast carcinoma under in vitro and in vivo settings Tandem Mass Tag assay and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis revealed that 20 signaling pathways were closely related to tumorigenesis, especially Wnt signaling pathway and tight junctions. The results demonstrated that lycorine evidently inhibited the proliferation of MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells with IC50 values of 1.84 ± 0.21 μM and 7.76 ± 1.16 μM, respectively. It also blocked cell cycle in G2/M phase, caused a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential, and induced apoptosis pathways through regulating caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9, and PARP expression. Moreover, lycorine effectively repressed the β-catenin signaling and reversed epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. Furthermore, 4T1/Luc homograft tumor model was used to further demonstrate that lycorine significantly inhibited the growth and metastasis of breast tumor. These findings highlight the significance of lycorine as potential anti-neoplastic agent to combat breast cancer.

Lycorine transfersomes modified with cell-penetrating peptides for topical treatment of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Topical anticancer drugs offer a potential therapeutic modality with high compliance for treating cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). However, the existing topical treatments for cSCC are associated with limited penetrating ability to achieve the desired outcome. Therefore, there remains an urgent requirement to develop drugs with efficient anticancer activity suitable for treating cSCC and to overcome the skin physiological barrier to improve the efficiency of drug delivery to the tumor.

RESULTS

We introduced lycorine (LR) into the topical treatment for cSCC and developed a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP)-modified cationic transfersome gel loaded with lycorine-oleic acid ionic complex (LR-OA) (LR@DTFs-CPP Gel) and investigated its topical therapeutic effects on cSCC. The anti-cSCC effects of LR and skin penetration of LR-OA transfersomes were confirmed. Simultaneously, cationic lipids and modification of R5H3 peptide of the transfersomes further enhanced the permeability of the skin and tumor as well as the effective delivery of LR to tumor cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Topical treatment of cSCC-xenografted nude mice with LR@DTFs-CPP Gel showed effective anticancer properties with high safety. This novel formulation provides novel insights into the treatment and pathogenesis of cSCC.

Evaluation of the Anticancer Activity and Mechanism Studies of Glycyrrhetic Acid Derivatives toward HeLa Cells

In this paper, a series of glycyrrhetic acid derivatives 3a–3f were synthesized via the esterification reaction. The cytotoxicity of these compounds against five tumor cells (SGC-7901, BEL-7402, A549, HeLa and B16) and normal LO2 cells was investigated using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method. The results showed that compound 3a exhibited high antiproliferative activity against HeLa cells (IC50 = 11.4 ± 0.2 μM). The anticancer activity was studied through apoptosis, cloning, and scratching; the levels of the intracellular ROS, GSH, and Ca2+; and the change in the mitochondrial membrane potential, cell cycle arrest and RNA sequencing. Furthermore, the effects of compound 3a on gene expression levels and metabolic pathways in HeLa cells were investigated via transcriptomics. The experimental results showed that this compound can block the cell cycle in the S phase and inhibit cell migration by downregulating Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) expression. Moreover, the compound can reduce the intracellular glutathione (GSH) content, increase the Ca2+ level and the intracellular ROS content, and induce a decrease in the mitochondrial membrane potential, further leading to cell death. In addition, it was also found that the mechanism of compounds inducing apoptosis was related to the regulation of the expression of mitochondria-related proteins B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-Associated X (Bax), and the activation of the caspase proteins. Taken together, this work provides a help for the development of glycyrrhetinic acid compounds as potential anticancer molecules.

Amaryllidaceae alkaloids in skin cancer management: Photoprotective effect on human keratinocytes and anti-proliferative activity in melanoma cells

Skin cancer has high rates of mortality and therapeutic failure. In this study, to develop a multi-agent strategy for skin cancer management, the selective cytotoxicity of several alkaloid fractions and pure alkaloids isolated from Amaryllidaceae species was evaluated in melanoma cells. In addition, UVB-stimulated keratinocytes (HaCaT) were exposed to seven alkaloid fractions characterized by GC-MS, and the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and IL-6, were measured to evaluate their photoprotection effects. The Eucharis caucana (bulb) alkaloid fraction (20 μg/ml) had a clear effect on the viability of melanoma cells, reducing it by 45.7% without affecting healthy keratinocytes. This alkaloid fraction and tazettine (both at 2.5 μg/ml) suppressed UVB-induced ROS production by 31.6% and 29.4%, respectively. The highest anti-inflammatory potential was shown by the Zephyranthes carinata (bulb) alkaloid fraction (10 μg/ml), which reduced IL-6 production by 90.8%. According to the chemometric analysis, lycoramine and tazettine had a photoprotective effect on the UVB-exposed HaCaT cells, attenuating the production of ROS and IL-6. These results suggest that Amaryllidaceae alkaloids have photoprotective and therapeutic potential in skin cancer management, especially at low concentrations.

Lycorine weakens tamoxifen resistance of breast cancer via abrogating HAGLR-mediated epigenetic suppression on VGLL4 by DNMT1

Much is known about the significance of lycorine, a natural alkaloid, in combating various types of cancer, including breast cancer (BC), but whether it participates in regulating tamoxifen (TAM) resistance and its underlying mechanism remain to be elucidated. Tamoxifen-resistant (TAMR) BC cells were first established by continuously exposed to increasing concentrations of TAM. Levels of targeted gene including HOXD antisense growth-associated lncRNA (HAGLR) and Vestigial like family member 4 (VGLL4) were analyzed by qRT-PCR and western blot, respectively. Cell proliferation ability was assessed by MTT and EdU assays. Flow cytometry was carried out to evaluate the apoptosis. VGLL4 promoter methylation was examined using methylation specific PCR (MSP). The role of HAGLR acting on the expression of VGLL4 via DNA hypermethylation was confirmed by RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP). Here, we reported that lycorine administration reduced the survival ratio of TAMR BC cells, decreased the IC₅₀ of TAM, and strengthened TAM-induced apoptosis. HAGLR, observed to be highly expressed in TAMR BC cells, was identified to be a downstream effector of lycorine, of which overexpression abolished lycorine-mediated TAMR inhibition. VGLL4 served as a target of HAGLR in regulating lycorine-mediated suppression on tamoxifen resistance of TAMR BC cells. Mechanistically, HAGLR epigenetically suppressed VGLL4 expression via DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1)-mediated DNA hypermethylation. Taken together, our data highlights the pivotal role of lycorine in TAM resistance of BC, which may provide a potential agent for improving the effectiveness and efficacy of BC resistance.

Phenolic Acids and Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids Profiles in Leucojum aestivum L. In Vitro Plants Grown under Different Light Conditions

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have emerged as efficient light sources for promoting in vitro plant growth and primary and secondary metabolite biosynthesis. This study investigated the effects of blue, red, and white-red LED lights on plant biomass growth, photosynthetic pigments, soluble sugars, phenolic compounds, the production of Amaryllidaceae alkaloids, and the activities of antioxidant enzymes in Leucojum aestivum L. cultures. A white fluorescent light was used as a control. The plants that were grown under white-red and red light showed the highest fresh biomass increments. The blue light stimulated chlorophyll a, carotenoid, and flavonoid production. The white-red and blue lights were favourable for phenolic acid biosynthesis. Chlorogenic, p-hydroxybenzoic, caffeic, syringic, p-coumaric, ferulic, sinapic, and benzoic acids were identified in plant materials, with ferulic acid dominating. The blue light had a significant beneficial effect both on galanthamine (4.67 µg/g of dry weight (DW)) and lycorine (115 µg/g DW) biosynthesis. Red light treatment increased catalase and superoxide dismutase activities, and high catalase activity was also observed in plants treated with white-red and blue light. This is the first report to provide evidence of the effects of LED light on the biosynthesis of phenolic acid and Amaryllidaceae alkaloids in L. aestivum cultures, which is of pharmacological importance and can propose new strategies for their production.

A Comparative Study between Lycorine and Galantamine Abilities to Interact with AMYLOID β and Reduce In Vitro Neurotoxicity

Galantamine is a natural alkaloid extracted from the Amaryllidaceae plants and is used as the active ingredient of a drug approved for the treatment of the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. It mainly acts as an acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor, increasing concentrations of the acetylcholine neurotransmitter. Recent cellular studies have also shown the ability of galantamine to protect SH-SY5Y cell lines against amyloid-β (Aβ)-induced toxicity. Such investigations have supported and validated further in-depth studies for understanding the chemical and molecular features associated with galantamine-protective abilities. In addition to galantamine, other natural alkaloids are known to possess AChE inhibitory activity; among them lycorine has been extensively investigated for its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antitumoral activities as well. Despite its interesting biological properties, lycorine's neuroprotective functions against Aβ-induced damages have not been explored so far. In this research study, the ability of galantamine and lycorine to suppress Aβ-induced in vitro neuronal toxicity was evaluated by investigating the chemical interactions of the two alkaloids with Aβ peptide. A multi-technique spectroscopic analysis and cellular cytotoxicity assays were applied to obtain new insights on these molecular associations. The comparison between the behaviors exhibited by the two alkaloids indicates that both compounds possess analogue abilities to interact with the amyloidogenic peptide and protect cells.

The Antioxidant and Proapoptotic Effects of Sternbergia clusiana Bulb Ethanolic Extract on Triple-Negative and Estrogen-Dependent Breast Cancer Cells In Vitro

BACKGROUND

Sternbergia clusiana belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family and is recognized for the valuable biological activity of its major bioactive compounds. The aim of the current is to evaluate the anticancer effects of the ethanolic bulb extract of Sternbergia clusiana (ScBEE) on breast cancer cells in vitro and to further reveal the underlying cellular mechanism.

METHODS

An MTS cell viability assay was performed on MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells, along with cell cycle analysis, cell death ELISA, Western blot analysis and an ROS production assay to decipher the mechanism of death. LC-MS/MS was also performed to identify the chemical composition of this ethanolic extract.

RESULTS

The results show a selective antiproliferative effect on both cell lines with no effect on normal mesenchymal stem cells. Further analysis suggested the activation of the apoptotic pathway as reflected by the increase in cellular and DNA fragmentation and alterations in apoptotic proteins such as Bax, Bcl-2 and c-PARP. ScBEE was also found to exhibit antioxidant effect, as shown by a decrease in ROS production. The underlying mechanism of action was explained by the presence of several bioactive compounds identified by LC-MS/MS, including alkaloids, terpenoids and phenols, which are elaborated in the manuscript.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the antioxidant and anticancerous properties of S.clusiana for breast cancer treatment.

Role of Medicinal plant-derived Nutraceuticals as a potential target for the treatment of breast cancer

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most challenging cancers to treat, accounting for many cancer-related deaths. Over some years, chemotherapy, hormone treatment, radiation, and surgeries have been used to treat cancer. Unfortunately, these treatment options are unsuccessful due to crucial adverse reactions and multidrug tolerance/resistance. Although it is clear that substances in the nutraceuticals category have a lot of anti-cancer activity, using a supplementary therapy strategy, in this case, could be very beneficial. Nutraceuticals are therapeutic agents, which are nutrients that have drug-like characteristics and can be used to treat diseases. Plant nutraceuticals categorized into polyphenols, terpenoids, vitamins, alkaloids, and flavonoids are part of health food products, that have great potential for combating BC. Nutraceuticals can reduce BC's severity, limit malignant cell growth, and modify cancer-related mechanisms. Nutraceuticals acting by attenuating Hedgehog, Nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), Notch, and Wnt/β-catenin signaling are the main pathways in controlling the self-renewal of breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs). This article reviews some important nutraceuticals and their modes of action, which can be very powerful versus BC. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Nutraceuticals' importance to the control and diagnosis of breast cancer is undeniable and cannot be overlooked. Natural dietary compounds have a wide range of uses and have been used in traditional medicine. In addition, these natural chemicals can enhance the effectiveness of other traditional medicines. They may also be used as a treatment process independently because of their capacity to affect several cancer pathways. This study highlights a variety of natural chemicals, and their mechanisms of action, routes, synergistic effects, and future potentials are all examined.

Lycorine and organ protection: Review of its potential effects and molecular mechanisms

BACKGROUND

Multiorgan dysfunction, especially sepsis-related multiorgan damage, remains a major cause of high mortality in the late stages of infection and a great clinical challenge. In recent years, natural drugs have received widespread attention because of their low cost, wide sources, high efficacy, low toxicity, and limited side effects. Lycorine, a natural compound extracted from Amaryllidaceae, exhibits multiple pharmacological activities, including in the regulation of autophagy and the induction of cancer cell apoptosis, and has anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antiviral, antimalarial, and antitumor activities. However, studies on lycorine have mainly focused on its antitumor properties, and research on its use for organ protection, especially in sepsis-related organ injury, is relatively limited.

PURPOSE

To review and discuss the effects and mechanisms of lycorine in the treatment of multi-organ dysfunction, especially sepsis.

METHODS

Literature searches in electronic databases, such as Web of Science, Science Direct, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus, were performed using 'Lycorine', 'Amaryllidaceae', 'Pharmacology', 'Pharmacokinetics', 'Anti-inflammation', 'Autophagy', 'Apoptosis', 'Anti-microbial and anti-parasitic', 'Antitumor', 'Organ protection', and 'Sepsis' as keywords, the correlated literature was extracted and conducted from the databases mentioned above.

RESULTS

By summarizing the progress made in existing research, we found that the general effects of lycorine involve the regulation of autophagy and the induction of cancer cell apoptosis, and anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antiviral, antimalarial, and antitumor effects; through these pathways, the compound can ameliorate organ damage. In addition, lycorine was found to have an important effect on organ damage in sepsis.

CONCLUSION

Lycorine is a promising natural organ protective agent. This review will provide a new theoretical basis for the treatment of organ protection, especially in sepsis.

Endophytic bacteria from in vitro culture of Leucojum aestivum L. a new source of galanthamine and elicitor of alkaloid biosynthesis

Leucojum aestivum is known for its ability to biosynthesize alkaloids with therapeutic properties, among which galanthamine used for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. New sources of this alkaloid are still being explored. In this study, a novel strain PLV of endophytic bacterium Paenibacillus lautus was isolated from in vitro L. aestivum plants. We report the whole genome sequence of that strain and its capacity to produce alkaloids and growth regulators. The effect of elicitation with autoclaved bacteria on the production of alkaloids was examined. Ten alkaloids were identified in bacteria extracts: galanthamine, lycorine, ismine, lycoramine, haemanthamine, tazettine, galanthine, homolycorine, 1,2-dihydrochlidanthine, and hippeastrine. The mean contents of galanthamine and lycorine were 37.51 µg/g of dry weight (DW) and 129.93 µg/g of DW, respectively. Moreover, isolated P. lautus strain synthesized: indole-3-acetic acid, t-zeatin, c-zeatin, kinetin, gibberellin A₁, abscisic acid, salicylic acid, benzoic acid. In vitro elicitation of cultures with P. lautus increased dry biomass, stimulated galanthamine and lycorine production, contributed to 8,9-desmethylenebis (oxy)-7,9 dimethoxy-crinan biosynthesis, change pigments content, and antioxidant enzymes activities. Our findings for the first time point out that galanthamine can be synthesized by an microorganism. Moreover isolated strain can be used as a new elictor of Amaryllidaceae alkaloids biosynthesis.

Repositioning anticancer drugs as novel COVID-19 antivirals: targeting structural and functional similarities between viral proteins and cancer

The current COVID-19 pandemic contributed by the SARS-CoV-2 has put in place an urgent need for new and promising antiviral therapeutics. The viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) enzyme plays a vital role in viral replication for all RNA viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, thereby making it a prime and promising candidate for novel antiviral targeting. Interestingly, the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), a common catalytic subunit of the telomerase enzyme in many cancers, has also been identified with structural and functional similarities to the viral RdRp. Therefore, it becomes essential to evaluate and consider anticancer drugs that target hTERT towards antiviral RdRp activity, and vice versa. For instance, Floxuridine, an hTERT inhibitor, and VX-222, a hepatitis C virus RdRp inhibitor, are now gaining recognition as a potential antiviral against SARS-CoV-2 and anti-hTERT for cancer, simultaneously. While limited studies on hTERT inhibitors for use as viral RdRp, and anti-RdRp inhibitors as hTERT inhibitors are available, in this review, we aim at bringing to light this close structural and functional relationship between both these enzymes. We punctuate this idea with specific examples on how potential anticancer inhibitors can effectively be brought to use as inhibitors against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, a relatively new pathogen, compared to the very well-studied field of cancer research.

Prognostic Pathways Guide Drug Indications in Pan-Cancers

Pathway-level analysis is a powerful approach enabling the interpretation of post-genomic data at a higher level than that of individual molecules. Molecular-targeted therapy focusing on cascade signaling pathways has become a new paradigm in anticancer therapy, instead of a single protein. However, the approaches to narrowing down the long list of biological pathways are limited. Here, we proposed a strategy for in silico Drug Prescription on biological pathways across pan-Cancers (CDP), by connecting drugs to candidate pathways. Applying on a list of 120 traditional Chinese medicines (TCM), we especially identified the “TCM–pathways–cancers” triplet and constructed it into a heterogeneous network across pan-cancers. Applying them into TCMs, the computational prescribing methods deepened the understanding of the efficacy of TCM at the molecular level. Further applying them into Western medicines, CDP could promote drug reposition avoiding time-consuming developments of new drugs.

Lycorine nanoparticles induce apoptosis through mitochondrial intrinsic pathway and inhibit migration and invasion in HepG2 cells

Lycorine-nanoparticles (LYC-NPs) were successfully synthesized using anti-solvent precipitation-freeze drying method, and characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), particle size analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Then, the antitumor effects of LYC-NPs against HepG2 cells were investigated, and the underlying molecular mechanisms were explored. Our results showed that LYC-NPs displayed potent antiproliferative against HepG2 cells concentration dependently. Flow cytometry analysis exhibited that LYC-NPs triggered apoptosis and impeded cell cycle in G0/G1 phase. Moreover, the up-regulated expression of cleaved caspases-3 and Bax, and decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential and the Bcl-2 expression were involved in LYC-NPs apoptosis, implying that LYC-NPs induced apoptosis via the mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis pathway. Furthermore, LYC-NPs distinctly impaired HepG2 cells migration and invasion with down-regulation of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9 expression. These results indicated that LYC-NPs could be an favorable agent for restraining the growth and metastasis of HepG2 cells.

Lycorine ameliorates isoproterenol-induced cardiac dysfunction mainly via inhibiting inflammation, fibrosis, oxidative stress and apoptosis

Alleviating cardiac dysfunction improves the prognosis of heart failure patients. Lycorine is an alkaloid with several beneficial biological properties. Here, we used mice to evaluate the effect of lycorine on cardiac dysfunction elicited by isoproterenol. Mice were divided into four groups: control, lycorine, isoproterenol, and isoproterenol + lycorine. Mice in the combined group were treated daily with 10 mg/kg isoproterenol intraperitoneally for 2 weeks and 5 mg/kg lycorine was given simultaneously intraperitoneally for 4 weeks. Cardiac structure and function were assessed by echocardiography, hematoxylin and eosin staining, and Masson's trichrome staining. Isoproterenol-induced cardiac dysfunction and histopathological injury that was significantly improved by treatment with lycorine. Western blotting and the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction were used to explore the molecular mechanisms of these effects. Levels of the inflammatory cytokines, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α, were increased by treatment with isoproterenol; these increases were significantly reduced by lycorine, with involvement of the NF-κB signaling pathway. The fibrotic factors, collagen I and collagen III, were increased by isoproterenol and decreased by treatment with lycorine through inhibiting activation of the Smad signaling pathway. In addition, lycorine alleviated oxidative stress as evidenced by a reduction in total reactive oxygen species in the isoproterenol + lycorine group compared to the isoproterenol group. Lycorine exerted an anti-apoptotic effect as evidenced by upregulating Bcl-2 and downregulating Bax. Overall, our findings demonstrate that lycorine protects against cardiac dysfunction induced by isoproterenol by inhibiting inflammation, fibrosis, oxidative stress, and apoptosis.

Identification of molecular anti-metastasis mechanisms of lycorine in colorectal cancer by RNA-seq analysis

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Metastasis is the major cause of death in patients with CRC. Lycorine, the phenanthridine alkaloid most commonly found in spp of the Amaryllidaceae family, has shown promising anticancer activities with minor side effects. However, the effects and the detailed mechanism of lycorine against metastasis of CRC remains unclear.

STUDY DESIGN/METHODS

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of lycorine on CRC and characterize the molecular mechanisms observed in lycorine-treated CRC cells using RNA-sequencing. MTT assay, colony formation assay, acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) staining and Annexin V-FITC/Propidium iodide (PI) staining were conducted to examine the effects of lycorine on cell proliferation and apoptosis in CRC cells. RNA sequencing, real-time PCR assays and western blot were performed. Migration and invasion abilities of lycorine-treated CRC cells were investigated by wound healing and transwell invasion assays. The mouse CRC lung metastasis model was established and was used to detect the effect of lycorine on CRC in vivo.

RESULTS

Our results demonstrated that lycorine inhibited the proliferation and colony formation of CRC cells in a concentration-dependent manner. AO/EB staining and Annexin V-FITC/PI staining showed that lycorine induced apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner. Lycorine also reduced lung metastasis of CRC in vivo. Moreover, transcriptomic analysis suggested that lycorine regulated the expression of 3556 genes. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway was implicated according to the differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and multiple pathways including those of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), relaxin, Ras, phosphatidylinositol 3‑kinase (PI3K)-protein kinase B (Akt) and Wnt/β-catenin were selected by functional enrichment analyses. Furthermore, based on transcriptomic analysis, we found that the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) pathway and endoplasmic reticulum stress were responsible for lycorine-induced apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONS

These results obtained in this study demonstrated that lycorine has the potential to suppress CRC in vitro and in vivo through the lycorine-regulated multiple signaling pathways.

Lycorine inhibits cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and primarily exerts in vitro cytostatic effects in human colorectal cancer via activating the ROS/p38 and AKT signaling pathways

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a life‑threatening malignant tumor of the digestive tract. Diverse gene mutations and complicated alterations to the signaling pathways in CRC lead to heterogeneity in response to chemotherapy. Moreover, anticancer drugs for CRC chemotherapy are limited due to adverse events. Therefore, developing more effective, tolerable and safe drugs for the treatment of CRC is important. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of lycorine on human CRC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, cell cycle distribution, as well as the underlying molecular mechanism. The crystal violet staining and MTT assay results demonstrated that lycorine suppressed cell proliferation in a dose‑ and time‑dependent manner in the three CRC cell lines, HCT116, LoVo and SW480. Similarly, verified by performing wound healing and Transwell assays, lycorine significantly inhibited HCT116 and LoVo cell migration and invasion in vitro compared with the control group. In LoVo cells, the protein expression levels of matrix metallopeptidases, snail family transcriptional repressor 1, Vimentin and N‑cadherin were significantly downregulated, whereas the protein expression levels of E‑cadherin were significantly upregulated by lycorine treatment compared with the control group. The Hoechst 33258 staining and flow cytometry assay results indicated that lycorine mediated its cytostatic effect on CRC cells potentially via inducing cell cycle arrest, but not apoptosis. Compared with the control group, lycorine significantly induced HCT116 cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase, but significantly induced LoVo cell cycle arrest at the S and G2/M phases. Furthermore, lycorine significantly downregulated the protein expression levels of cyclin D1 and cyclin E1, but significantly increased p21 and Smad4 protein expression levels in HCT116 and LoVo cells compared with the control group. The intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) measurement results also indicated that compared with the control group, lycorine significantly induced ROS accumulation, and increased phosphorylated‑p38 expression levels and AKT phosphorylation. Collectively, the present study suggested that lycorine might induce cell cycle arrest and exert cytostatic effects potentially via activating ROS/p38 and AKT signaling pathways in CRC cells.

Molecular Identification of Endophytic Bacteria in Leucojum aestivum In Vitro Culture, NMR-Based Metabolomics Study and LC-MS Analysis Leading to Potential Amaryllidaceae Alkaloid Production

In this study, endophytic bacteria belonging to the Bacillus genus were isolated from in vitro bulblets of Leucojum aestivum and their ability to produce Amaryllidaceae alkaloids was studied. Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (¹H NMR)-based metabolomics combined with multivariate data analysis was chosen to compare the metabolism of this plant (in vivo bulbs, in vitro bulblets) with those of the endophytic bacteria community. Primary metabolites were quantified by quantitative ¹H NMR (qNMR) method. The results showed that tyrosine, one precursor of the Amaryllidaceae alkaloid biosynthesis pathway, was higher in endophytic extract compared to plant extract. In total, 22 compounds were identified including five molecules common to plant and endophyte extracts (tyrosine, isoleucine, valine, fatty acids and tyramine). In addition, endophytic extracts were analyzed using Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) for the identification of compounds in very low concentrations. Five Amaryllidaceae alkaloids were detected in the extracts of endophytic bacteria. Lycorine, previously detected by ¹H NMR, was confirmed with LC-MS analysis. Tazettine, pseudolycorine, acetylpseudolycorine, 1,2-dihydro-chlidanthine were also identified by LC-MS using the positive ionization mode or by GC-MS. In addition, 11 primary metabolites were identified in the endophytic extracts such as tyramine, which was obtained by decarboxylation of tyrosine. Thus, Bacillus sp. isolated from L. aestivum bulblets synthesized some primary and specialized metabolites in common with the L.aestivum plant. These endophytic bacteria are an interesting new approach for producing the Amaryllidaceae alkaloid such as lycorine.

Lycorine hydrochloride suppresses stress-induced premature cellular senescence by stabilizing the genome of human cells

Lycorine, a natural compound isolated from the traditional Chinese medicinal herb Lycoris radiata, exhibits multiple pharmacological effects, such as anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and anticancer effects. Accumulating evidence also indicates that lycorine might hold the potential to treat age-associated Alzheimer's disease. However, whether lycorine is involved in delaying the onset of cellular senescence and its underlying mechanisms has not been determined. Here, we demonstrate that the salt of lycorine, lycorine hydrochloride, significantly suppressed stress-induced premature cellular senescence (SIPS) by ~2-fold, as determined by senescence-associated beta-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) staining and the expression of p16 and p21. In addition, pretreating cells with lycorine hydrochloride significantly inhibited the expression of CXCL1 and IL1α, two factors of the senescence-associated secreted phenotype (SASP) in SIPS cells. Further experiments revealed that lycorine hydrochloride promoted both the homologous recombination (HR) and nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) pathways of DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair. Mechanistic studies suggested that lycorine hydrochloride treatment promoted the transcription of SIRT1 and SIRT6, critical longevity genes positively regulating both HR and NHEJ repair pathways, thereby stimulating DSB repair and stabilizing genomes. Inhibiting SIRT1 enzymatic activity abrogated the protective effect of lycorine hydrochloride on delaying the onset of SIPS, repairing DSBs, and restoring genome integrity. In summary, our work indicates that lycorine hydrochloride might hold therapeutic potential for treating age-associated diseases or promoting healthy aging by stabilizing genomes.

Biologically active indolizidine alkaloids

Indolizidine alkaloids are chemical constituents isolated from various marine and terrestrial plants and animals, including but not limited to trees, fungi, ants, and frogs, with a myriad of important biological activities. In this review, we discuss the biological activity and pharmacological effects of indolizidine alkaloids and offer new avenues toward the discovery of new and better drugs based on these naturally occurring compounds.

Lycorine attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury through the HMGB1/TLRs/NF-κB pathway

Lung injury associated with systemic inflammatory response is a common problem affecting human health. Previous studies have shown that lycorine exerts a anti-inflammatory effect. However, whether lycorine alleviates lung injury remains unclear. To explore this issue, BALB/c mice and MLE-12 cells were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to establish lung injury mouse model and cell model, respectively. Glycyrrhizic acid, known as an inhibitor of ALI, was also used to study the effects of lycorine in vitro. Our results showed that after LPS treatment, the lung injury score, lung wet-to-dry weight ratio, and malondialdehyde (MDA) production in the lung tissues and the expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, and interleukin-6 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were significantly increased, whereas their levels were decreased by lycorine. Additionally, LPS injection activated the high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1)/Toll-like receptors (TLRs)/NF-κB pathway. However, lycorine treatment attenuated the activity of the HMGB1/TLRs/NF-κB pathway in the lung tissues. In vitro studies showed that lycorine administration significantly decreased the levels of inflammatory cytokines and MDA and attenuated the activity of the HMGB1/TLRs/NF-κB pathway in LPS-treated cells. Moreover, the inhibitory effects of lycorine on the inflammatory response and oxidative stress in LPS-treated lung cells were similar with that of glycyrrhizic acid, and this inhibition was intensified by both lycorine and glycyrrhizic acid treatment. We suggest that lycorine could alleviate LPS-induced lung injury of inflammation and oxidative stress by blocking the HMGB1/TLRs/NF-κB pathway, which gives a new perspective for ALI therapy to treat lycorine as a potential treatment clinically.

Correction of the tumor suppressor Salvador homolog-1 deficiency in tumors by lycorine as a new strategy in lung cancer therapy

Salvador homolog-1 (SAV1) is a tumor suppressor required for activation of the tumor-suppressive Hippo pathway and inhibition of tumorigenesis. SAV1 is defective in several cancer types. SAV1 deficiency in cells promotes tumorigenesis and cancer metastasis, and is closely associated with poor prognosis for cancer patients. However, investigation of therapeutic strategies to target SAV1 deficiency in cancer is lacking. Here we found that the small molecule lycorine notably increased SAV1 levels in lung cancer cells by inhibiting SAV1 degradation via a ubiquitin-lysosome system, and inducing phosphorylation and activation of the SAV1-interacting protein mammalian Ste20-like 1 (MST1). MST1 activation then caused phosphorylation, ubiquitination, and degradation of the oncogenic Yes-associated protein (YAP), therefore inhibiting YAP-activated transcription of oncogenic genes and tumorigenic AKT and NF-κB signal pathways. Strikingly, treating tumor-bearing xenograft mice with lycorine increased SAV1 levels, and strongly inhibited tumor growth, vasculogenic mimicry, and metastasis. This work indicates that correcting SAV1 deficiency in lung cancer cells is a new strategy for cancer therapy. Our findings provide a new platform for developing novel cancer therapeutics.

Carbohydrates stimulated Amaryllidaceae alkaloids biosynthesis in Leucojum aestivum L. plants cultured in RITA® bioreactor

Background

Leucojum aestivum L. is an important medicinal plant which produces Amaryllidaceae alkaloids, especially galanthamine and lycorine. Research is currently exploring the possibility of producing these alkaloids using biotechnological methods, including in vitro cultures. The biosynthesis of alkaloids may be affected by the types and concentrations of carbohydrate sources used in the medium. In the present investigation we performed such studies on in vitro cultures of L. aestivum with a view to obtaining plant material of good quality, characterized, in particular, by a high content of valuable Amaryllidaceae alkaloids.

Methods

We examined the effects of various types of carbohydrate sources—sucrose, glucose, fructose and maltose—at different concentrations (30, 60 and 90 g/L)—on the quality of L. aestivum plants grown in the RITA^® bioreactor. The plants’ quality was assessed by their biomass increments, as well by as analysing photosynthetic pigments, endogenous sugar, phenolics and Amaryllidaceae alkaloid content. We also investigated the effect of sugars on the activity of the antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD).

Results

The highest biomass increments were observed in plants cultivated in the medium containing 90 g/L sucrose. The highest CAT activity was noted in cultures growing in the medium supplemented with 90 g/L maltose, while the highest POD activity was observed in the presence of 90 g/L fructose and 60 g/L maltose. No differences in SOD activity were observed. Moreover, the sugars did not affect the contents of chlorophyll a and carotenoids, whereas the highest amount of chlorophyll b was recorded in plants growing in the medium with 60 g/L maltose. No statistically significant differences were observed in the contents of endogenous sugars and phenolics in any in vitro conditions. However, the addition of sugar had a decisive effect on the biosynthesis of the Amaryllidaceae alkaloids. The highest distribution of alkaloids occurred in plants cultured in the medium containing 60 g/L sucrose. Six Amaryllidaceae alkaloids were detected in the plant tissue. The addition of 30 g/L fructose in the medium resulted in the accumulation of five alkaloids, including ismine, which was not identified in other analysed tissues. The highest concentration of galanthamine was observed in plants cultured in the presence of 30 g/L fructose and 60 g/L sucrose (39.2 and 37.5 µg/g of dry weight (DW), respectively). The plants grown in the medium containing 60 g/L sucrose exhibited the highest lycorine content (1048 µg/g of DW).

Conclusions

The type and concentration of sugar used in the medium have an essential influence on the biosynthesis of Amaryllidaceae alkaloids in L. aestivum plants cultured in a RITA^® bioreactor. The results point to an interesting approach for commercial production of galanthamine and lycorine.

Molecular heterogeneity in breast carcinoma cells with increased invasive capacities

Background Metastatic progression of breast cancer is still a challenge in clinical oncology. Therefore, an elucidation how carcinoma cells belonging to different breast cancer subtypes realize their metastatic capacities is needed. The aim of this study was to elucidate a similarity of activated molecular pathways underlying an enhancement of invasiveness of carcinoma cells belonging to different breast carcinoma subtypes. Materials and methods In order to reach this aim, parental and invasive (INV) MDA-MB-231 (triple-negative), T47D (hormone receptor-positive), and Au565 (Her2-positive) breast carcinoma cells were used and their molecular phenotypes were compared using a proteomic approach. Results Independently from breast cancer subtypes, INV cells have demonstrated fibroblast-like morphology accompanied by enhancement of invasive and migratory capacities, increased expression of cancer stem cell markers, and delayed tumor growth in in vivo animal models. However, the global proteomic analysis has highlighted that INV cells were different in protein expressions from the parental cells, and Her2-positive Au565-INV cells showed the most pronounced molecular differences compared to the triple-negative MDA-MB-231-INV and hormone receptor-positive T47D-INV cells. Although Au565-INV breast carcinoma cells possessed the highest number of deregulated proteins, they had the lowest overlapping in proteins commonly expressed in MDA-MB-231-INV and T47D-INV cells. Conclusions We can conclude that hormone receptor-positive cells with increased invasiveness acquire the molecular characteristics of triple-negative breast cancer cells, whereas Her2-positive INV cells specifically changed their own molecular phenotype with very limited partaking in the involved pathways found in the MDA-MB-231-INV and T47D-INV cells. Since hormone receptor-positive invasive cells share their molecular properties with triple-negative breast cancer cells, we assume that these types of metastatic disease can be treated rather equally with an option to add anti-hormonal agents. In contrast, Her2-positive metastasis should be carefully evaluated for more effective therapeutic approaches which are distinct from the triple-negative and hormone-positive metastatic breast cancers.

Modulation of inflammatory response and gut microbiota in ankylosing spondylitis mouse model by bioactive peptide IQW

AIMS

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a widespread and chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease of unknown provenance. Naturally occurring peptides and proteins have shown significant promise as modulators of immune responses. Thus, the aims of this study were to assess the protective effects of the bioactive peptide IQW (Ile-Gln-Trp) with respect to inflammatory indicators, gut microbiota and oxidative stress, and to examine the potential mechanisms of these effects.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A mouse model was prepared by four injections of human proteoglycan extract (2 mg) in dimethyldioctadecylammonium solution (2 mg) over an interval of 2 weeks. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay results for the markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in the AS mice revealed increased concentrations of malondialdehyde, IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α, along with decreased concentrations of catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Treatment with IQW was found to decrease the concentrations of IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α, and increase the concentrations of CAT, GSH-PX and SOD. Moreover the quantification of the microbiota via 16s rRNA sequencing revealed a reduced microbial diversity in the AS mice, while a significantly increased microbial diversity was displayed by those treated with IQW. Whereas, there was a significant reduction in the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and an increased relative abundance of Verrucomicrobia in AS mice, this was reversed following the IQW treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

The results demonstrated that IQW exerts a beneficial influence in AS by delaying progression of the disease, reducing the arthritic grade of intervertebral joints, altering the concentrations of cytokines and modulating the microbial diversity and composition.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Oral IQW treatment might represent a new approach to mitigate the onset and development of AS.

Lycorine Induces Apoptosis and G1 Phase Arrest Through ROS/p38 MAPK Signaling Pathway in Human Osteosarcoma Cells In Vitro and In Vivo

STUDY DESIGN

Xenograft osteosarcoma mouse model.

OBJECTIVE

We determined the effect of lycorine on osteosarcoma.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

Osteosarcoma is an aggressive malignant neoplasm, is most prevalent in teenagers and adults and current treatment approaches have reached a survival plateau and attempts to improve osteosarcoma prognosis have proven unsuccessful. Thus there is clear evidence that development of new agents with high efficacy and fewer side effects to provide better prognostic outcome is urgently needed.

METHODS

The toxicity, function and mechanism of lycorine (LY) on osteosarcoma were accessed in vitro by CCK-8 assay, flow cytometry, and western blotting and in vivo by the xenograft osteosarcoma mouse model.

RESULTS

In this study, we found that LY exhibited dose-dependent and time-dependent cytotoxic effects on human osteosarcoma cell-lines SJSA-1 and U2OS, inducing G1 phase cell cycle arrest and cellular death via apoptosis. Mechanistically, LY treatment elevated ROS generation that activates the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and p53-dependent apoptotic program. Inhibition of ROS generation by NAC or p38 MAPK signaling by SB203580 attenuated the p53-mediated cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induced by LY. In vivo administration of LY markedly reduced tumor growth with little organ-related toxicity in a mouse xenograft model of osteosarcoma.

CONCLUSION

Collectively, our data suggests that LY exhibit therapeutic potential for the treatment of osteosarcoma.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

N/A.

Lycorine Induces autophagy-associated apoptosis by targeting MEK2 and enhances vemurafenib activity in colorectal cancer

Lycorine is a powerful anti-cancer agent against various cancer cell lines with minor side effects. However, the detailed mechanisms of its effects in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the function and mechanism of lycorine against CRC both in vitro and in vivo. Molecular docking modeling was used to identify potential inhibitory targets of lycorine in CRC. Cell viability was measured using the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, and apoptosis was measured using flow cytometry. Autophagosomes were examined using transmission electron microscopy and confocal microscopy. HCT116-derived xenografts were constructed to analyze the effect of lycorine in CRC in vivo. Using the CDOCKER algorithm, we determined that lycorine has four interactions with the conserved domain of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 2 (MEK2). This prediction was further confirmed by the degradation of phosphorylated MEK2 and its downstream targets after lycorine treatment, and MEK2 overexpression abolished lycorine-induced autophagy-associated apoptosis. Additionally, we revealed that the combination of vemurafenib and lycorine had better effects in CRC models in vitro and in vivo than monotherapy. Our findings identified lycorine as an effective MEK2 inhibitor and suggested that the combination of lycorine and vemurafenib could be used to treat CRC.

Lycorine Derivative LY-55 Inhibits EV71 and CVA16 Replication Through Downregulating Autophagy

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a global health concern, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. HFMD caused by Enterovirus 71 (EV71) and Coxsackievirus A16 (CVA16) infection is usually self-limited but occasionally leads to severe pulmonary edema, neurological complications, and even death. Unfortunately, no effective drugs are currently available in clinical practice for the prevention and treatment of HFMD. Thus, anti-HFMD drugs must be urgently developed. A previous study had reported that lycorine could inhibit EV71 replication. In the present study, we found that LY-55, a lycorine derivative, inhibited the replication of EV71 and CVA16 in vitro and provided partial protection to mice from EV71 infection, as indicated by the decreased viral load and protein expression levels in muscles, clinical scores, and increased survival rates of infected mice. Mechanistically, LY-55 was not directly viricidal. Instead, the LY-55-mediated inhibition of EV71 and CVA16 was found to be mechanistically possible, at least in part, through downregulating autophagy, which plays an important role for EV71 and CVA16 replication. These findings suggest that LY-55 could be a potential lead or supplement for the development of anti-HFMD agents in the future.

Interplay Between Autophagy and Apoptosis in Lycorine Hydrochloride-Induced Cytotoxicity of HCT116 Cells

The aim of this study was to investigate the antitumor effect of lycorine hydrochloride (LH) and discuss the correlation between LH-induced apoptosis and autophagy in the human colorectal cancer cell line HCT116. Here the results by the Cell Counting Kit-8 and colony formation assays showed that LH concentration-dependently decreased cell viability and colony formation in HCT116 cells, suggesting inhibition of cell proliferation by LH. By flow cytometry, LH was found to increase apoptotic rate in HCT116 cells. Mechanistically, Western blot results revealed that LH increased the expression of the protein of Bax and Caspase-3, and decreased Bcl-2 proteins expression. Moreover, the reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis also showed that LH increased the expression of Beclin-1 and LC3B-II/LC3B-I ratio, indicating that autophagy was induced by LH. LH induced autophagy via downregulating phospho-mammalian target of rapamycin and upregulating phospho-AMPK (5′ adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase). Furthermore, to understand the role of LH-induced autophagy and its association with apoptosis, cells were analyzed after Beclin-1 small interfering RNA transfection. The results indicated that the proapoptotic ability of LH was increased by inhibition of autophagy. In conclusion, the present investigation suggested that LH induced apoptosis and autophagy in HCT116 cells via the mitochondrial and AMPK/mTOR pathways. The suppression of autophagy promoted LH-induced apoptosis by modulating Beclin-1 and Bcl-2.

Fibronectin promotes cervical cancer tumorigenesis through activating FAK signaling pathway

Cervical cancer is a cancer arising from the cervix, and it is the fourth most common cause of death in women. Overexpression of fibronectin 1 (FN1) was observed in many tumors and associated with the survival and metastasis of cancer cells. However, the mechanism by which FN1 promotes cervical cancer cell viability, migration, adhesion, and invasion, and inhibits cell apoptosis through focal adhesion kinase (FAK) signaling pathway remains to be investigated. Our results demonstrated that FN1 was upregulated in patients with cervical cancer and higher FN1 expression correlated with a poor prognosis for patients with cervical cancer. FN1 knockdown by small interfering RNA (siRNA) inhibited SiHa cell viability, migration, invasion, and adhesion, and promoted cell apoptosis. FN1 overexpression in CaSki cell promoted cell viability, migration, invasion, and adhesion, and inhibited cell apoptosis. Further, phosphorylation of FAK, a main downstream signaling molecule of FN1, and the protein expression of Bcl-2/Bax, matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2), matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), and N-cadherin was upregulated in CaSki cells with FN1 overexpression, but caspase-3 protein expression was downregulated. The FAK phosphorylation inhibitor PF573228 inhibited FN1 overexpression-induced expression of those proteins in CaSki cells with FN1 overexpression. In vivo experiment demonstrated that FN1 knockdown significantly inhibited FN1 expression, phosphorylation of FAK, and tumor growth in xenograft from the nude mice. These results suggest that FN1 regulates the viability, apoptosis, migration, invasion, and adhesion of cervical cancer cells through the FAK signaling pathway and is a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of cervical cancer.

Lycorine inhibits melanoma cell migration and metastasis mainly through reducing intracellular levels of β-catenin and matrix metallopeptidase 9

Metastatic melanoma accounts for 60% of death for skin cancer. Although great efforts have been made to treat the disease, effective drugs against metastatic melanoma still lack at the clinical setting. In the current study, we found that lycorine, a small molecule of isoquinoline alkaloid, significantly suppressed melanoma cell migration and invasion in vitro, and decreased the metastasis of melanoma cells to lung tissues in tumor-bearing mice, resulting in significant prolongation of the survival of the mice without obvious toxicity. Molecular mechanistic studies revealed that lycorine significantly reduced intracellular levels of β-catenin protein through degradation of the protein via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, and decreased the expression of β-catenin downstream prometastatic matrix metallopeptidase 9 and Axin2 genes. Collectively, our findings support the notion that targeting the oncogenic β-catenin by lycorine is a new option to inhibit melanoma cell metastasis, providing a good drug candidate potential for development novel therapeutics against metastatic melanoma.

Lycorine inhibited the cell growth of non-small cell lung cancer by modulating the miR-186/CDK1 axis

AIMS

Lycorine is a kind of natural alkaloid with anti-cancer potential. It has been demonstrated that lycorine processes high activity and specificity against the progression of cancers. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms by which lycorine regulates the formation and development of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain largely unknown.

MAIN METHODS

The effects of lycorine on the growth of NSCLC cells were determined by the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, colony formation and flow cytometry analysis. RT-qPCR was performed to detect the expression of microRNA with lycorine treatment. The binding of miRNA and target genes was confirmed by luciferase reporter assay.

KEY FINDINGS

Lycorine significantly inhibited the proliferation and induced apoptosis of NSCLC cells. Mechanistically, lycorine up-regulated the expression of microRNA-186 in NSCLC cells. Depletion of miR-186 significantly reversed the suppressive effect of lycorine on the proliferation of NSCLC cells. Furthermore, the cyclin dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) was identified as one of the binding candidates of miR-186. Experimental analysis showed that miR-186 bound the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of CDK1 and suppressed the level of CDK1 in NSCLC cells. Consistently, exposure of lycorine significantly decreased the expression of CDK1. Restoration of CDK1 remarkably attenuated the inhibition of lycorine on the proliferation of NSCLC cells.

SIGNIFICANCE

Our results uncovered the novel molecular mechanism of lycorine in suppressing the progression of NSCLC partially via regulating the miR-186/CDK1 axis.

Lycorine Induces Mitochondria-Dependent Apoptosis in Hepatoblastoma HepG2 Cells Through ROCK1 Activation

Lycorine, a naturally occurring compound extracted from the Amaryllidaceae plant family, has been reported to exhibit antitumor activity in various cancer cell types. In the present study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying lycorine-induced apoptosis in hepatoblastoma HepG2 cells. We found that lycorine induced mitochondria-dependent apoptosis in HepG2 cells accompanied by mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) loss, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) depletion, Ca²⁺ and cytochrome c (Cyto C) release, as well as caspase activation. Furthermore, we found Rho associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase 1 (ROCK1) cleavage/activation played a critical role in lycorine-induced mitochondrial apoptosis. In addition, the ROCK inhibitor Y-27632 was employed, and we found that co-treatment with Y-27632 attenuated lycorine-induced mitochondrial injury and cell apoptosis. Meanwhile, an in vivo study revealed that lycorine inhibited tumor growth and induced apoptosis in a HepG2 xenograft mouse model in association with ROCK1 activation. Taken together, all these findings suggested that lycorine induced mitochondria-dependent apoptosis through ROCK1 activation in HepG2 cells, and this may be a theoretical basis for lycorine's anticancer effects.

Leukemia Inhibitory Factor Receptor Is Involved in Apoptosis in Rat Astrocytes Exposed to Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (Lifr) protect CNS cells, specifically neurons and myelin-sheath oligodendrocytes, in conditions of oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD). In the case of astrocyte apoptosis resulting from reperfusion injury following hypoxia, the function of the Lifr remains to be fully elucidated. This study established models of in vivo ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) using an in vitro model of OGD to investigate the direct impact of silencing the Lifr on astrocyte apoptosis. Astrocytes harvested from newborn Wistar rats were exposed to OGD. Cell viability and apoptosis levels were determined by the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay and annexin V/propidium iodide (PI) staining assays, respectively. Apoptosis was further investigated by the TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) assay. A standard western blotting protocol was applied to determine levels of the protein markers Bcl2, Bax, p-Akt/Akt, p-Stat3/Stat3, and p-Erk/Erk. The cell viability assay (MTT) showed that astrocyte viability decreased in response to OGD. Furthermore, blocking RNA to silence the Lifr further reduces astrocyte viability and increases levels of apoptosis as detected by annexin V/PI double staining. Likewise, western blotting after Lifr silencing demonstrated increased levels of the apoptosis-related proteins Bax and p-Erk/Erk and correspondingly lower levels of Bcl2, p-Akt/Akt, and p-Stat/Stat3. The data gathered in these analyses indicate that the Lifr plays a pivotal role in the astrocyte apoptosis induced by hypoxic/low-glucose environments. Further investigation of the relationship between apoptosis and the Lifr may provide a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of neurological injuries.

Amaryllidaceae andSceletiumalkaloids

Recent progress on the isolation, identification, biological activity and synthetic studies of Amaryllidaceae alkaloids, as well as the structurally close alkaloids from theSceletiumgenus, published from July 2015 to June 2017 are reviewed.