Activation of notch 3/c-MYC/CHOP axis regulates apoptosis and promotes sensitivity of lung cancer cells to mTOR inhibitor everolimus

Fangchinoline protects hepatic ischemia/reperfusion liver injury in rats through anti-oxidative stress and anti-inflammation properties: an in silico study

Liver ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is a common cause of organ failure, developed by a sudden block in the blood and oxygen supply and subsequent restoration. I/R damage is responsible for acute and chronic rejection after organ transplantation, accounting for 10% of early graft failure. The study investigated the therapeutic properties of fangchinoline in liver injury-induced rats. The rats were divided into three groups: Sham, I/R without pretreatment, and I/R + 10 mg/kg fangchinoline pretreatment. Blood and liver samples were collected for assays, and an in silico docking analysis was conducted to determine fangchinoline's inhibitory effect. The pretreatment with 10 mg/kg of fangchinoline effectively reduced hepatic marker enzymes such as AST, LDH, and ALT in the serum of rats with liver I/R damage. Fangchinoline treatment significantly reduced interleukin-8 (IL-8), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in I/R-induced rats, boosting antioxidants and decreasing MDA. Histopathological studies showed liver injury protection, and fangchinoline inhibited TNF-α and IL-6 with improved binding affinity. Fangchinoline has hepatoprotective properties by reducing inflammation in rats with liver I/R damage, as demonstrated in the current study. Hence, it can be an effective salutary agent in preventing liver damage caused by I/R.

Glutathione S-Transferase α4 Alleviates Hyperlipidemia-Induced Vascular Neointimal Hyperplasia in Arteriovenous Grafts via Inhibiting Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress

ABSTRACT

Neointimal hyperplasia causes the failure of coronary artery bypass grafting. Our previous studies have found that endothelial dysfunction is 1 candidate for triggering neointimal hyperplasia, but which factors are involved in this process is unclear. Glutathione S-transferase α4 (GSTA4) plays an important role in metabolizing 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), a highly reactive lipid peroxidation product, which causes endothelial dysfunction or death. Here, we investigated the role of GSTA4 in neointima formation after arteriovenous grafts (AVGs) with or without high-fat diet (HFD). Compared with normal diet, HFD caused endothelial dysfunction and increased neointima formation, concomitantly accompanied by downregulated expression of GSTA4 at the mRNA and protein levels. In vitro, overexpression of GSTA4 attenuated 4-HNE-induced endothelial dysfunction and knockdown of GSTA4 aggravated endothelial dysfunction. Furthermore, silencing GSTA4 expression facilitated the activation of 4-HNE-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress and inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway alleviated 4-HNE-induced endothelial dysfunction. In addition, compared with wild-type mice, mice with knockout of endothelial-specific GSTA4 (GSTA4 endothelial cell KO) exhibited exacerbated vascular endothelial dysfunction and increased neointima formation caused by HFD. Together, these results demonstrate the critical role of GSTA4 in protecting the function of endothelial cells and in alleviating hyperlipidemia-induced vascular neointimal hyperplasia in arteriovenous grafts.

Microvascular rarefaction caused by the NOTCH signaling pathway is a key cause of TKI-apatinib-induced hypertension and cardiac damage

With the advancement of tumour-targeted therapy technology, the survival of cancer patients has continued to increase, and cardiovascular events have gradually become an important cause of death in cancer patients. This phenomenon occurs due to adverse cardiovascular reactions caused by the cardiovascular toxicity of antitumour therapy. Moreover, the increase in the proportion of elderly patients with cancer and cardiovascular diseases is due to the extension of life expectancy. Hypertension is the most common cardiovascular side effect of small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). The increase in blood pressure induced by TKIs and subsequent cardiovascular complications and events affect the survival and quality of life of patients and partly offset the benefits of antitumour therapy. Many studies have confirmed that in the pathogenesis of hypertension, arterioles and capillary thinness are involved in its occurrence and development. Our previous findings showing that apatinib causes microcirculation rarefaction of the superior mesenteric artery and impaired microvascular growth may inspire new therapeutic strategies for treating hypertension. Thus, by restoring microvascular development and branching patterns, total peripheral resistance and blood pressure are reduced. Therefore, exploring the key molecular targets of TKIs that inhibit the expression of angiogenic factors and elucidating the specific molecular mechanism involved are key scientific avenues for effectively promoting endothelial cell angiogenesis and achieving accurate repair of microcirculation injury in hypertension patients.

RPTOR blockade suppresses brain metastases of NSCLC by interfering the ceramide metabolism via hijacking YY1 binding

BACKGROUND

Ceramide metabolism is crucial in the progress of brain metastasis (BM). However, it remains unexplored whether targeting ceramide metabolism may arrest BM.

METHODS

RNA sequencing was applied to screen different genes in primary and metastatic foci and whole-exome sequencing (WES) to seek crucial abnormal pathway in BM + and BM-patients. Cellular arrays were applied to analyze the permeability of blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the activation or inhibition of pathway. Database and Co-Immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assay were adopted to verify the protein-protein interaction. Xenograft and zebrafish model were further employed to verify the cellular results.

RESULTS

RNA sequencing and WES reported the involvement of RPTOR and ceramide metabolism in BM progress. RPTOR was significantly upregulated in BM foci and increased the permeability of BBB, while RPTOR deficiency attenuated the cell invasiveness and protected extracellular matrix. Exogenous RPTOR boosted the SPHK2/S1P/STAT3 cascades by binding YY1, in which YY1 bound to the regions of SPHK2 promoter (at -353 ~ -365 nt), further promoting the expression of SPHK2. The latter was rescued by YY1 RNAi. Xenograft and zebrafish model showed that RPTOR blockade suppressed BM of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and impaired the SPHK2/S1P/STAT3 pathway.

CONCLUSION

RPTOR is a key driver gene in the brain metastasis of lung cancer, which signifies that RPTOR blockade may serve as a promising therapeutic candidate for clinical application.

Modulation of Notch Signaling by Small-Molecular Compounds and Its Potential in Anticancer Studies

Notch signaling is responsible for conveying messages between cells through direct contact, playing a pivotal role in tissue development and homeostasis. The modulation of Notch-related processes, such as cell growth, differentiation, viability, and cell fate, offer opportunities to better understand and prevent disease progression, including cancer. Currently, research efforts are mainly focused on attempts to inhibit Notch signaling in tumors with strong oncogenic, gain-of-function (GoF) or hyperactivation of Notch signaling. The goal is to reduce the growth and proliferation of cancer cells, interfere with neo-angiogenesis, increase chemosensitivity, potentially target cancer stem cells, tumor dormancy, and invasion, and induce apoptosis. Attempts to pharmacologically enhance or restore disturbed Notch signaling for anticancer therapies are less frequent. However, in some cancer types, such as squamous cell carcinomas, preferentially, loss-of-function (LoF) mutations have been confirmed, and restoring but not blocking Notch functions may be beneficial for therapy. The modulation of Notch signaling can be performed at several key levels related to NOTCH receptor expression, translation, posttranslational (proteolytic) processing, glycosylation, transport, and activation. This further includes blocking the interaction with Notch-related nuclear DNA transcription. Examples of small-molecular chemical compounds, that modulate individual elements of Notch signaling at the mentioned levels, have been described in the recent literature.

Total alkaloids in Stephania tetrandra induce apoptosis by regulating BBC3 in human non-small cell lung cancer cells

PURPOSE

This study investigated the effects of total alkaloids in Stephania tetrandra (TAS) and the main alkaloid components tetrandrine, fangchinoline and cepharanthine on the biological function of lung cancer cells and the mechanism underlying the synergistic antitumor effects of TAS and cisplatin.

METHODS

RNA sequencing analysis was performed on TAS-treated H1299 cells. Differentially expressed genes were identified and analyzed, and the regulatory pathway was identified by gene set enrichment analysis. The mRNA and protein expression levels of the differentially expressed genes in cells were determined using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blotting, respectively. Cell viability and wound healing assays evaluated the biological function of TAS and the main alkaloid components in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. Flow cytometry was used to determine the apoptosis rate in NSCLC cells.

RESULTS

TAS inhibited the proliferation and migration of A549 and H1299 cells and increased the apoptosis rate in a time- and dose-dependent manner. When H1299 cells were treated with TAS (7.5 µg/ml), MGLL and BBC3 were identified as the possible differentially expressed genes. Pathways associated with cisplatin resistance were screened to investigate the effect of TAS on the apoptosis of NSCLC cells. TAS may regulate fatty acid metabolism and induce apoptosis through the upregulated expression of MGLL and BBC3. The combination of TAS at noncytotoxic concentrations (A549: 1.0 μg/ml; H1299: 3.0 μg/ml) and cisplatin significantly inhibited the viability of A549 and H1299 cells.

CONCLUSION

TAS and the main alkaloid components exert anticancer activity in NSCLC by regulating tumor cell proliferation and apoptosis. Therefore, TAS and the main alkaloid components have the potential to be used as multi-targeted drugs for lung cancer treatment.

A γ-Secretase Inhibitor Attenuates Cell Cycle Progression and Invasion in Human Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: An In Vitro Study

Notch signaling is associated with many human malignancies, including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). However, the exact function of Notch signaling in OSCC remains unclear. Here, we investigated the effect of Notch signaling inhibition using a γ-secretase inhibitor (DAPT) on OSCC behaviours in vitro. Bioinformatic analysis of public-available gene expression profiles revealed the dysregulation of the Notch signaling pathway in OSCC compared with normal tissues, indicating the role of Notch signaling in OSCC regulation. RNA sequencing analysis of DAPT-treated human OSCC cells revealed the dysregulation of genes related to cell cycle-related pathways. Blocking Notch signaling significantly inhibited cell proliferation. DAPT-induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest induced cell apoptosis. Furthermore, cell migration and invasion were also reduced in DAPT-treated cells. These findings indicate that Notch signaling activation participates in OSCC regulation by promoting cell growth, cell cycle progression, cell migration, and invasion. These mechanisms could facilitate OSCC progression. These results imply the potential use of Notch signaling inhibitors as a candidate adjuvant treatment in OSCC patients.

Alkaloids in genus stephania (Menispermaceae): A comprehensive review of its ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Approximately 60 species of the genus Stephania (Menispermaceae) are distributed worldwide. Among these, 39 species are located in South and Southwest China; in particular, these plants are rich in alkaloids and were used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) against numerous ailments.

AIM OF THIS REVIEW

The purpose of this study was to provide organized information on the ethnopharmacological uses as well as the phytochemical, pharmacological, and toxicological evaluation of the alkaloids derived from plant species included in the genus Stephania. In addition, we aimed to provide comprehensive basic knowledge on the medicinal properties of these plants and establish meaningful guidelines for further research.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Information related to the Stephania genus was collected from scientific databases, such as Web of Science, PubMed, Baidu Scholar, and China Academic Journals (CNKI), within the last 20 years on phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology of the plants in genus Stephania. Furthermore, information was obtained from the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China. Chinese Pharmacopoeia and Flora of China.

RESULTS

Plant species belonging to the genus Stephania have been mentioned as traditional remedies and various alkaloidal compounds have been identified and isolated, including aporphine, proaporphine, morphinane, hasubanane, protoberberine, benzylisoquinoline, and bisbenzylisoquinoline and among others. The isolated alkaloidal compounds reportedly exhibited promising pharmacological properties, such as antimicrobial, antiviral, antitumor, antioxidant, antihyperglycemic, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, anti-multidrug resistance, neuroprotective, and cardioprotective activities.

CONCLUSIONS

The genus Stephania is widely used in TCM. The ethnopharmacological uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of the Stephania sp. Described in this review demonstrated that these plants contain numerous alkaloids and active constituents and display myriad pharmacological activities. Typically, research on the plants' pharmacological activity focuses on parts of the plants and the associated compounds. However, many Stephania species have rarely been studied, and the ethnomedicinal potential of those discovered has not been scientifically evaluated and needs to be further elucidated. Furthermore, quality control and toxicology studies are warranted in the future.

Fangchinoline induces gallbladder cancer cell apoptosis by suppressing PI3K/Akt/XIAP axis

Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is the most common biliary tract malignancy with a dismal prognosis. The development of new drugs may help to improve prognosis. This study found that fangchinoline, a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids, inhibited the proliferation and clone formation of GBC cells in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, Hoechst staining, TUNEL assays, and flow cytometry demonstrated that fangchinoline effectively induced apoptosis in GBC cells. Further studies found that an anti-apoptotic pathway, the PI3K/Akt/XIAP axis, was significantly inhibited in GBC cells after treating with fangchinoline. Finally, we confirmed that fangchinoline restrained xenograft tumor growth in vivo. Our findings indicate that fangchinoline can be considered a potential drug for GBC treatment.

Fangchinoline inhibited proliferation of neoplastic B-lymphoid cells and alleviated Sjögren's syndrome-like responses in NOD/Ltj mice via the Akt/mTOR pathway

Backgound: Fangchinoline is a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid extracted from Stephania tetrandra S. Moore that is conventionally used as an analgesic, antirheumatic, and antihypertensive drug in China. However, the application of Fanchinoline in Sjögren syndrome (SS) remains unreported.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to identify the potential role of Fangchinoline in the treatment of SS via altering Akt/mTOR signaling.

METHODS

First, we examined levels of p-Akt and p-mTOR in infiltrating lymphocytes of labial glands from SS patients by immunohistochemistry. Then, the effects of Fangchinoline on Raji cells and Daudi cells were investigated using the CCK-8 assay, and propidium iodide (PI)/RNase and Annexin V/PI staining. Western blotting was used to identify the levels of Akt, p-Akt(ser473), mTOR, and p-mTOR. For in vivo analyses, NOD/Ltj and wild-type ICR mice were treated with a Fangchinoline solution, a LY294002 solution (an inhibitor of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway) or their solvent for 28 days. Then, salivary flow assays and hematoxylin and eosin staining of submandibular glands were performed to determine the severity of SS-like responses in the mice.

RESULTS

Immunohistochemical staining of labial glands from SS patients showed that activation of p-Akt and p-mTOR in infiltrating lymphocytes might be correlated with SS development. In vitro, Fangchinoline and LY294002 inhibited proliferation, induced cell cycle arrest, and promoted apoptosis in Raji and Daudi cells by altering Akt/mTOR signaling. In vivo, Fangchinoline and LY294002 significantly improved the salivary secretion by NOD/Ltj mice and reduced the number of lymphocytic foci in the submandibular glands.

CONCLUSION

These results indicated that Fangchinoline could effectively inhibit the proliferation of neoplastic B-lymphoid cells and reduce SS-like responses in NOD/Ltj mice. Our study highlights the potential value of the clinical application of Fangchinoline for SS treatment.

Involvement of endoplasmic reticulum stress-activated PERK-eIF2α-ATF4 signaling pathway in T-2 toxin-induced apoptosis of porcine renal epithelial cells

T-2 toxin is a highly toxic trichothecene that can induce toxic effects in a variety of organs and tissues, but the pathogenesis of its nephrotoxicity has not been elucidated. In this study, we assessed the involvement of protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (PERK)-mediated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and apoptosis in PK-15 cells cultured at different concentrations of T-2 toxin. Cell viability, antioxidant capacity, intracellular calcium (Ca²⁺) content, apoptotic rate, levels of ER stress, and apoptosis-related proteins were studied. T-2 toxin inhibited cell proliferation; increased the apoptosis rate; and was accompanied by increased cleaved caspase-3 expression, altered intracellular oxidative stress marker levels, and intracellular Ca²⁺ overloading. The ER stress inhibitor 4-phenylbutyrate (4-PBA) and PERK selective inhibitor GSK2606414 prevented the decrease of cell activity and apoptosis caused by T-2 toxin. The altered expression of glucose regulatory protein 78 (GRP78), C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), and caspase-12 proved that ER stress was involved in cell injury triggered by T-2 toxin. T-2 toxin activated the phosphorylation of PERK and the alpha subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2α) and upregulated the activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), thereby triggering ER stress via the GRP78/PERK/CHOP signaling pathway. This study provides a new perspective for understanding the nephrotoxicity of T-2 toxin.

The Anti-Cancer Effects of a Zotarolimus and 5-Fluorouracil Combination Treatment on A549 Cell-Derived Tumors in BALB/c Nude Mice

Zotarolimus is a semi-synthetic derivative of rapamycin and a novel immunosuppressive agent used to prevent graft rejection. The pharmacological pathway of zotarolimus restricts the kinase activity of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), which potentially leads to reductions in cell division, cell growth, cell proliferation, and inflammation. These pathways have a critical influence on tumorigenesis. This study aims to examine the anti-tumor effect of zotarolimus or zotarolimus combined with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) on A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cell line implanted in BALB/c nude mice by estimating tumor growth, apoptosis expression, inflammation, and metastasis. We established A549 xenografts in nude mice, following which we randomly divided the mice into four groups: control, 5-FU (100 mg/kg/week), zotarolimus (2 mg/kg/day), and zotarolimus combined with 5-FU. Compared the results with those for control mice, we found that mice treated with zotarolimus or zotarolimus combined with 5-FU retarded tumor growth; increased tumor apoptosis through the enhanced expression of cleaved caspase 3 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation; decreased inflammation cytokines levels (e.g., IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6); reduced inflammation-related factors such as cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) mRNA; enhanced anti-inflammation-related factors including IL-10 and inhibitor of NF-κB kinase α (IκBα) mRNA; and inhibited metastasis-related factors such as transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), CD44, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Notably, mice treated with zotarolimus combined with 5-FU had significantly retarded tumor growth, reduced tumor size, and increased tumor inhibition compared with the groups of mice treated with 5-FU or zotarolimus alone. The in vivo study confirmed that zotarolimus or zotarolimus combined with 5-FU could retard lung adenocarcinoma growth and inhibit tumorigenesis. Zotarolimus and 5-FU were found to have an obvious synergistic tumor-inhibiting effect on lung adenocarcinoma. Therefore, both zotarolimus alone and zotarolimus combined with 5-FU may be potential anti-tumor agents for treatment of human lung adenocarcinoma.

Fangchinoline exerts anticancer effects on colorectal cancer by inducing autophagy via regulation AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 pathway

Autophagy has become a promising target for cancer therapy. Fangchinoline (Fan) has been shown to exert anticancer effects in some types of cancers. However, the anticancer effects on colorectal cancer (CRC) and the underlying mechanisms have never been elucidated. More specifically, regulation of autophagy in CRC by Fan has never been reported before. In the present study, Fan was found to induce apoptosis and autophagic flux in the CRC cell lines HT29 and HCT116, which was reflected by the enhanced levels of LC3-II protein and p62 degradation, and the increased formation of autophagosomes and puncta formation by LC3-II. Meanwhile, combination with the early-stage autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) but not the late-stage autophagy inhibitor chloroquine (CQ) further increased Fan-induced cell death, which suggested the cytoprotective function of autophagy induced by Fan in both HT29 and HCT116 cells. Moreover, Fan treatment demonstrated a dose- and time-dependently increase in the phosphorylation of AMPK and decrease in the phosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and ULK1, leading to the activation of the AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 signaling pathway. Furthermore, in the HT29 xenograft model, Fan inhibited tumor growth in vivo. These results indicate that Fan inhibited CRC cell growth both in vitro and in vivo and revealed a new molecular mechanism involved in the anticancer effect of Fan on CRC, suggesting that Fan is a potent autophagy inducer and might be a promising anticancer agent.

Unravelling the Role of LncRNA WT1-AS/miR-206/NAMPT Axis as Prognostic Biomarkers in Lung Adenocarcinoma

Lung cancer is the world's highest morbidity and mortality of malignant tumors, with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) as a major subtype. The competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulative network provides opportunities to understand the relationships among different molecules, as well as the regulative mechanisms among them in order to investigate the whole transcriptome landscape in cancer pathology. We designed this work to explore the role of a key oncogene, MYC, in the pathogenesis of LUAD, and this study aims to identify important long noncoding RNA (lncRNA)-microRNA (miRNA)- transcription factor (TF) interactions in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using a bioinformatics analysis. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, containing mRNA expression data of NSCLC, was used to determine the deferentially expressed genes (DEGs), and the ceRNA network was composed of WT1-AS, miR-206, and nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) bashing on the MYC expression level. The Kaplan-Meier univariate survival analysis showed that these components may be closely related prognostic biomarkers and will become new ideas for NSCLC treatment. Moreover, the high expression of WT1-AS and NAMPT and low expression of miR-206 were associated with a shortened survival in NSCLC patients, which provided a survival advantage. In summary, the current study constructing a ceRNA-based WT1-AS/miR-206/NAMPT axis might be a novel important prognostic factor associated with the diagnosis and prognosis of LUAD.

The "Janus" Role of C/EBPs Family Members in Cancer Progression

CCAAT/enhancer-binding proteins (C/EBPs) constitute a family of transcription factors composed of six members that are critical for normal cellular differentiation in a variety of tissues. They promote the expression of genes through interaction with their promoters. Moreover, they have a key role in regulating cellular proliferation through interaction with cell cycle proteins. C/EBPs are considered to be tumor suppressor factors due to their ability to arrest cell growth (contributing to the terminal differentiation of several cell types) and for their role in cellular response to DNA damage, nutrient deprivation, hypoxia, and genotoxic agents. However, C/EBPs can elicit completely opposite effects on cell proliferation and cancer development and they have been described as both tumor promoters and tumor suppressors. This "Janus" role of C/EBPs depends on different factors, such as the type of tumor, the isoform/s expressed in cells, the type of dimerization (homo- or heterodimerization), the presence of inhibitory elements, and the ability to inhibit the expression of other tumor suppressors. In this review, we discuss the implication of the C/EBPs family in cancer, focusing on the molecular aspects that make these transcription factors tumor promoters or tumor suppressors.