Matrine inhibiting pancreatic cells epithelial-mesenchymal transition and invasion through ROS/NF-κB/MMPs pathway

Cancer-Specific Activation of the Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Matrix by Survivin Promoter in Breast Cancer Cells

Oncolytic viral-based therapy and specific gene expression by promoters are modern targeted oncotherapy approaches that have gained significant attention in recent years. In this study, both strategies were combined by designing cancer-specific activation of vesicular stomatitis virus matrix expression under the survivin promoter. The matrix sequence was cloned downstream of the survivin promoter (pM). After transfecting MCF-7 cells with pM, cell proliferation and apoptosis induction were assessed. Additionally, the transcript levels of matrix and apoptosis-related genes in response to pM was assessed. The proliferation of MCF-7 cells was significantly reduced by the constructed matrix-expressing plasmid at 48 and 72 h post-transfection (p < 0.05). Enhanced matrix expression resulted in the down-regulation of MMP-9, TP53, and NF-kB, while simultaneously up-regulating Bax transcripts. Evaluating the effect of pM vector on apoptosis induction revealed a significant increase in the MCF-7 cells compared to untreated cells (p < 0.05). The absence of significant matrix gene expression in HDF cells, relative to MCF-7 cells, further underscores the specific function of the Survivin promoter in cancer cells. These findings suggest that the matrix may have various biological functions in a diverse set of non-apoptotic pathways. Further research on the association of the matrix with other genes could provide insights into the biomedical significance and future perspectives of the matrix in cancer gene therapy.

The activity of pyrazolo[4,3-e][1,2,4]triazine and pyrazolo[4,3-e]tetrazolo[1,5-b][1,2,4]triazine sulphonamide derivatives in monolayer and spheroid breast cancer cell cultures

In the last decade, an increasing interest in compounds containing pyrazolo[4,3-e][1,2,4]triazine moiety is observed. Therefore, the aim of the research was to synthesise a novel sulphonyl pyrazolo[4,3-e][1,2,4]triazines (2a, 2b) and pyrazolo[4,3-e]tetrazolo[1,5-b][1,2,4]triazine sulphonamide derivatives (3a, 3b) to assess their anticancer activity. The MTT assay showed that 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b have stronger cytotoxic activity than cisplatin in both breast cancer cells (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) and exhibited weaker effect on normal breast cells (MCF-10A). The obtained results showed that the most active compound 3b increased apoptosis via caspase 9, caspase 8, and caspase 3/7. It is worth to note that compound 3b suppressed NF-κB expression and promoted p53, Bax, and ROS which play important role in activation of apoptosis. Moreover, our results confirmed that compound 3b triggers autophagy through increased formation of autophagosomes, expression of beclin-1 and mTOR inhibition. Thus, our study defines a possible mechanism underlying 3b-induced anti-cancer activity against breast cancer cell lines.

Matrine Suppresses Arsenic-Induced Malignant Transformation of SV-HUC-1 Cells via NOX2

Arsenic (As) has been classified as a carcinogen for humans. There is abundant evidence indicating that arsenic increases the risk of bladder cancer among human populations. However, the underlying mechanisms have yet to be fully understood and elucidated. NADPH oxidases (NOXs) are the main enzymes for ROS production in the body. NADPH Oxidase 2 (NOX2), which is the most distinctive and ubiquitously expressed subunit of NOXs, can promote the formation and development of tumors. The utilization of NOX2 as a therapeutic target has been proposed to modulate diseases resulting from the activation of NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 (NLRP3). Matrine has been reported to exhibit various pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory, antifibrotic, antitumor, and analgesic properties. However, it has not been reported whether matrine can inhibit malignant transformation induced by arsenic in uroepithelial cells through NOX2. We have conducted a series of experiments using both a sub-chronic NaAsO2 exposure rat model and a long-term NaAsO2 exposure cell model. Our findings indicate that arsenic significantly increases cell proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis in vivo and in vitro. Arsenic exposure resulted in an upregulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), NOX2, and NLRP3 inflammasome expression. Remarkably, both in vivo and in vitro, the administration of matrine demonstrated a significant improvement in the detrimental impact of arsenic on bladder epithelial cells. This was evidenced by the downregulation of proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis, as well as the expression of the NOX2 and NLRP3 inflammasomes. Collectively, these findings indicate that matrine possesses the ability to reduce NOX2 levels and inhibit the transformation of bladder epithelial cells.

Dendrobium polysaccharide (DOP) ameliorates the LL-37-induced rosacea by inhibiting NF-κB activation in a mouse model

BACKGROUND

Rosacea, a common chronic inflammatory skin disease worldwide, is currently incurable with complex pathogenesis. Dendrobium polysaccharide (DOP) may exert therapeutic effects on rosacea via acting on the NF-κB-related inflammatory and oxidative processes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, an LL-37-induced rosacea-like mouse model was established. HE staining was used to assess the skin lesions, erythema severity scores, pathological symptoms, and inflammatory cell numbers of mice in each group. The inflammation level was quantitatively analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and reverse transcription-quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The expression levels of TLR4 and p-NF-κB were finally detected.

RESULTS

DOP improved skin pathological symptoms of rosacea mice. DOP also alleviated the inflammation of rosacea mice. Moreover, the TLR4/NF-κB pathway was observed to be inhibited in the skin of mice after DOP application. These findings evidenced the anti-inflammatory effects of DOP on the LL-37-induced rosacea mouse model. DOP could inhibit NF-κB activation, suppress neutrophil infiltration, and reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines production, which may be the reason for DOP protecting against rosacea.

CONCLUSION

This study may propose an active candidate with great potential for rosacea drug development and lay a solid experimental foundation for promoting DOP application in rosacea therapy.

Chinese herbal injections in combination with radiotherapy for advanced pancreatic cancer: A systematic review and network meta-analysis

Background

Advanced pancreatic cancer (APC) is a fatal disease with limited treatment options. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of different Chinese herbal injections (CHIs) as adjuvants for radiotherapy (RT) in APC and compare their treatment potentials using network meta-analysis.

Methods

We systematically searched three English and four Chinese databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from inception to July 25, 2023. The primary outcome was the objective response rate (ORR). Secondary outcomes included Karnofsky performance status (KPS) score, overall survival (OS), and adverse events (AEs). The treatment potentials of different CHIs were ranked using the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA). The Cochrane RoB 2 tool and CINeMA were used for quality assessment and evidence grading.

Results

Eighteen RCTs involving 1199 patients were included. Five CHIs were evaluated. Compound Kushen injection (CKI) combined with RT significantly improved ORR compared to RT alone (RR 1.49, 95 % CrI 1.21-1.86). Kanglaite (KLT) plus RT (RR 1.58, 95 % CrI 1.20-2.16) and CKI plus RT (RR 1.49, 95 % CrI 1.16-1.95) were associated with improved KPS score compared to radiation monotherapy, with KLT+RT being the highest rank (SUCRA 72.28 %). Regarding AEs, CKI plus RT was the most favorable in reducing the incidence of leukopenia (SUCRA 90.37 %) and nausea/vomiting (SUCRA 85.79 %).

Conclusions

CKI may be the optimal choice of CHIs to combine with RT for APC as it may improve clinical response, quality of life, and reduce AEs. High-quality trials are necessary to establish a robust body of evidence.

Protocol registration

PROSPERO, CRD42023396828.

Zerumbone ameliorates the inflammatory response and organ damage in severe acute pancreatitis via the ROS/NF-κB pathway

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the current study was to determine the mechanism by which Zerumbone (ZER) ameliorates inflammation and organ damage in a rat model of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).

METHODS

Different concentrations of ZER (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg) were administered by femoral vein puncture 30 min prior to establishment of the SAP model. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining was used to assess pathological changes in the pancreatic tissue of SAP-induced rats. The lung wet/dry (W/D) ratio was assessed and serum levels of amylase (AMY), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatinine (Cr), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and phospholipase A2 (PLA2) were measured. Western blot analysis was used to examine changes in the expression of ROS/NF-κB pathway-associated proteins.

RESULTS

SAP was confirmed by significant histopathological damage to the pancreas. ZER (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg) was found to alleviate pancreatitis and decrease ascites volume, lung W/D ratio, pancreatic pathology score, oxidative stress and inflammatory damage. High concentrations (20 and 40 mg/kg) of ZER were shown to increase levels of hepatorenal toxicity. In contrast, 10 mg/kg ZER was found to attenuate liver enzyme levels, reduce pathological damage to the liver, and protect against extrapancreatic organ damage to the liver in SAP-induced rats. Moreover, ZER showed no significant side effects in normal rats. Finally, we demonstrated that ZER mediated its anti-inflammatory effects on SAP through the ROS/NF-κB signaling pathway.

CONCLUSION

ZER alleviated SAP-induced oxidative stress and inflammatory injury via the ROS/NF-κB pathway, and had a protective effect on lung injury and liver damage.

Advances in the treatment of pancreatic cancer with traditional Chinese medicine

Pancreatic cancer is a common malignancy of the digestive system. With a high degree of malignancy and poor prognosis, it is called the "king of cancers." Currently, Western medicine treats pancreatic cancer mainly by surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. However, the curative effect is not satisfactory. The application of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in the treatment of pancreatic cancer has many advantages and is becoming an important facet of comprehensive clinical treatment. In this paper, we review current therapeutic approaches for pancreatic cancer. We also review the protective effects shown by TCM in different models and discuss the potential molecular mechanisms of these.

The initiation of oxidative stress and therapeutic strategies in wound healing

When the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is overloaded surpassing the capacity of the reductive rheostat, mammalian cells undergo a series of oxidative damage termed oxidative stress (OS). This phenomenon is ubiquitously detected in many human pathological conditions. Wound healing program implicates continuous neovascularization, cell proliferation, and wound remodeling. Increasing evidence indicates that reactive oxygen species (ROS) have profound impacts on the wound healing process through regulating a series of the physiological and pathological program including inflammatory response, cell proliferation, angiogenesis, granulation as well as extracellular matrix formation. In most pathological wound healing processes, excessive ROS exerts a negative role on the wound healing process. Interestingly, the moderate increase of ROS levels is beneficial in killing bacteria at the wound site, which creates a sterile niche for revascularization. In this review, we discussed the physiological rhythms of wound healing and the role of ROS in this progress, aim to explore the potential manipulation of OS as a promising therapeutic avenue.

Recent advances in glioblastoma multiforme therapy: A focus on autophagy regulation

Despite conventional treatment options including chemoradiation, patients with the most aggressive primary brain tumor, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), experience an average survival time of less than 15 months. Regarding the malignant nature of GBM, extensive research and discovery of novel treatments are urgently required to improve the patients' prognosis. Autophagy, a crucial physiological pathway for the degradation and recycling of cell components, is one of the exciting targets of GBM studies. Interventions aimed at autophagy activation or inhibition have been explored as potential GBM therapeutics. This review, which delves into therapeutic techniques to block or activate autophagy in preclinical and clinical research, aims to expand our understanding of available therapies battling GBM.

Identification of the Mechanism of Matrine Combined with Glycyrrhizin for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment through Network Pharmacology and Bioinformatics Analysis

Matrine and glycyrrhizin are representative active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) used in clinical practice. Studies have demonstrated that matrine has antitumor pharmacological effects and that glycyrrhizin protects liver function. However, the potential bioactive compounds and mechanisms remain unknown, as well as whether they have synergistic effects in killing cancer cells and protecting liver cells. To investigate the synergistic effects and mechanism of matrine combined with glycyrrhizin in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment, we used both network pharmacology and bioinformatics analyses. First, the chemical gene interaction information of matrine and glycyrrhizin was obtained from the PubChem database. The pathogenic genes of HCC were accessed from five public databases. The RNA sequencing data and clinical information of HCC patients were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Next, the overlapping genes among the potential targets of matrine and glycyrrhizin and HCC-related targets were determined using bioinformatics analysis. We constructed the drug-target interaction network. Prognosis-associated genes were acquired through the univariate Cox regression model and Lasso-Cox regression model. The results were verified by the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) database. Finally, we predicted the immune function of the samples. The drug-target interaction network consisted of 10 matrine and glycyrrhizin targets. We selected a Lasso-Cox regression model consisting of 3 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) to predict the efficacy of the combination in HCC. Subsequently, we successfully predicted the overall survival of HCC patients using the constructed prognostic model and investigated the correlation of the immune response. Matrine and glycyrrhizin have synergistic effects on HCC. The model we obtained consisted of three drug-target genes by Lasso-Cox regression analysis. The model independently predicted the combined effect of matrine and glycyrrhizin in HCC treatment and OS, which will be helpful for guiding clinical treatment. The prognostic model was correlated with the immune cells and immune checkpoints of patients, which had an adjuvant effect on HCC immunotherapy. Matrine and glycyrrhizin can have therapeutic effects on HCC by promoting the production or enhancing the core gene activity in the drug network and improving the immune system function of patients.

Plumbagin relieves rheumatoid arthritis through nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) pathway

This study aimed to explore the effects of plumbagin on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and its mechanism. The RA cell model was simulated following the treatment of interleukin-1β (IL-1β). After the treatment of various concentrations of plumbagin, the impact of plumbagin on the cell viability was examined by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model was established using the solution of bovine type II collagen. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the changes of ankle joint tissue, while enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and western blot were applied to detect the level of inflammatory cytokines. Plumbagin inhibited the viability of human fibroblast-like synoviocytes (HFLS) at the concentration of 1 ~ 3.5 μM. The inhibitory effect of 1 μM plumbagin on cell proliferation was similar to that of methotrexate, the drug used as the positive control. Plumbagin downregulated the levels of inflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in IL-1β-treated HFLS, and suppressed the activation of IκB and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) as well as the entry of p65 into the nucleus. It was also demonstrated in animal experiments that plumbagin inhibited the activation of NF-κB pathway, down-regulated the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and MMPs, and alleviated joint damage in CIA-modeled mice. Collectively speaking, plumbagin might down-regulate the levels of inflammatory cytokines and MMPs through inhibiting the activation of the NF-κB pathway, thereby attenuating RA-induced damage to cells and joints.

Abbreviations: CIA: Collagen-induced arthritis; ELISA: Enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay; HFLS: Human fibroblast-like synoviocytes; IL-6: Interleukin-6; IL-1β: Interleukin-1β; NF-κB: nuclear factor kappa-B; MTT: 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide; MMPs: Matrix metalloproteinase; OD: Optical density; RA: Rheumatoid arthritis; SDS: Sodium dodecyl sulfate; SD: Standard deviation; TNF-α: Tumor necrosis factor-α; PVDF: Polyvinylidene fluoride.

Natural Products in Preventing Tumor Drug Resistance and Related Signaling Pathways

Drug resistance is still an obstacle in cancer therapy, leading to the failure of tumor treatment. The emergence of tumor drug resistance has always been a main concern of oncologists. Therefore, overcoming tumor drug resistance and looking for new strategies for tumor treatment is a major focus in the field of tumor research. Natural products serve as effective substances against drug resistance because of their diverse chemical structures and pharmacological effects. We reviewed the signaling pathways involved in the development of tumor drug resistance, including Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Renin-angiotensin system (Ras), Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt), Wnt, Notch, Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), and their specific signaling pathway inhibitors derived from natural products. This can provide new ideas for the prevention of drug resistance in cancer therapy.

Identification of m6A-Related lncRNA to Predict the Prognosis of Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. In the past decades, HCC treatment has achieved great progress; however, the overall prognosis remains poor. Therefore, it is the need of the hour to identify new prognostic biomarkers which can advance our understanding related to the underlying molecular mechanism of adverse prognosis and apply them to clinical work in prognosis prediction. In the present study, data of 576 HCC patients and 292 normal control cases from TCGA and ICGC databases were enrolled to our bioinformatic analysis. SNHG1 and SNHG3 were identified as overlapping genes in TCGA and ICGC databases using Pearson correlation analysis and univariate Cox regression analysis. Further, we used the median of the SNHG1 and SNHG3 expression values as the cutoff values to define the HCC patient groups with high or low expression level. The subsequent analysis revealed that abnormal high expression of SNHG1 or SNHG3 affected the immune infiltration patterns and the crosstalk among immune cells. Moreover, high expression of SNHG1 or SNHG3 resulted in drug resistant to AKT inhibitor VII, bexarotene, bicalutamide, dasatinib, erlotinib, and gefitinib. In addition, lower tumor neoantigen burden was observed in high SNHG1 or SNHG3 group. Further, we found significant relation between the aberrant upregulation of SNHG1 and SNHG3 in tumor grade and stage. We established a nomogram to systematically predict the 5- and 8-year overall survival of liver cancer patients with good accuracy. Finally, the in vitro assays suggest that SNHG1 and SNHG3 promote the proliferative, migratory, and invasive abilities of HCC cells.

Matrine Exerts Pharmacological Effects Through Multiple Signaling Pathways: A Comprehensive Review

As The main effective monomer of the traditional Chinese medicine Sophora flavescens Ait, matrine has a broad scope of pharmacological activities such as anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-fibrotic, anti-viral, anti-arrhythmia, and improving immune function. These actions explain its therapeutic effects in various types of tumors, cardiopathy, encephalomyelitis, allergic asthma, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoporosis, and central nervous system (CNS) inflammation. Evidence has shown that the mechanism responsible for the pharmacological actions of matrine may be via the activation or inhibition of certain key molecules in several cellular signaling pathways including the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/AKT/mTOR), transforming growth factor-β/mothers against decapentaplegic homolog (TGF-β/Smad), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), Wnt (wingless/ integration 1)/β-catenin, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), and Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling pathways. This review comprehensively summarizes recent studies on the pharmacological mechanisms of matrine to provide a theoretical basis for molecular targeted therapies and further development and utilization of matrine.

Research progress of matrine's anticancer activity and its molecular mechanism

BACKGROUND

and ethnopharmacological relevance: Matrine (MT), a type of alkaloid extracted from the Sophora family of traditional Chinese medicine, has been documented to exert a variety of pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-viral, anti-fibrosis, and cardiovascular protection. Sophora flavescens Aiton is a traditional Chinese medicine that is bitter and cold. Additionally, it also exhibits the effects of clearing heat, eliminating dampness, expelling insects, and promoting urination. Malignant tumors are the most important medical issue and are also the second leading cause of death worldwide. Numerous natural substances have recently been revealed to have potent anticancer properties, and several have been used in clinical trials.

AIMS OF THE STUDY

To summarize the antitumor effects and associated mechanisms of MT, we compiled this review by combining a huge body of relevant literature and our previous research.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

As demonstrated, we grouped the pharmacological effects of MT via a PubMed search. Further, we described the mechanism and current pharmacological research on MT's antitumor activity.

RESULTS

Additionally, extensive research has demonstrated that MT possesses superior antitumor properties, including accelerating cell apoptosis, inhibiting tumor cell growth and proliferation, inducing cell cycle arrest, inhibiting cancer metastasis and invasion, inhibiting angiogenesis, inducing autophagy, reversing multidrug resistance and inhibiting cell differentiation, thus indicating its significant potential for cancer treatment and prognosis.

CONCLUSION

This article summarizes current advances in research on the anticancer properties of MT and its molecular mechanism, to provide references for future research.

In vitro antimetastatic activity of Momordica balsamina crude acetone extract in HT-29 human colon cancer cells

Plant-derived compounds and/or extracts have proven to be beneficial for the treatment of a broad spectrum of cancers with minimal side effects. In this study, we investigated whether a crude acetone extract of Momordica balsamina (MBE) can interfere with the metastatic ability of HT-29 colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. The phytochemical composition of MBE was determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography and cytotoxic effects by the MTT and acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining assays. The effect of MBE on the formation of reactive oxygen species was assessed using the DCFH₂ -DA assay. Wound healing assay, transwell cell invasion assay, cell adhesion assay, and the extracellular matrix-cell adhesion array were used to assess the antimetastatic effects of MBE. The effect of MBE on the expression of TNF-α, NF-κB, TIMP-3, MMP-2, and MMP-9 was assessed by western blot analysis. Our results showed that MBE consists of a mixture of compounds without a known anticancer activity in CRC and exhibits cytotoxicity against HT-29 cells. MBE also suppressed reactive oxygen species formation, cell invasion, cell migration, and cell adhesion. The reduction of cell invasion was associated with the downregulation of TNF-α, NF-κB, MMP2, and MMP9 and upregulation of TIMP-3 proteins. We concluded that MBE inhibits the metastatic ability of HT-29 CRC cells in vitro.

Irisin ameliorates doxorubicin-induced cardiac perivascular fibrosis through inhibiting endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition by regulating ROS accumulation and autophagy disorder in endothelial cells

The dose-dependent toxicity to cardiomyocytes has been well recognized as a central characteristic of doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC), however, the pathogenesis of DIC in the cardiac microenvironment remains elusive. Irisin is a new hormone-like myokine released into the circulation in response to exercise with distinct functions in regulating apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Recent advances revealed the role of irisin as a novel therapeutic method and an important mediator of the beneficial effects of exercise in cardioprotection. Here, by using a low-dose long-term mouse DIC model, we found that the perivascular fibrosis was involved in its myocardial toxicity with the underlying mechanism of endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT). Irisin treatment could partially reverse DOX-induced perivascular fibrosis and cardiotoxicity compared to endurance exercise. Mechanistically, DOX stimulation led to excessive accumulation of ROS, which activated the NF-κB-Snail pathway and resulted in EndMT. Besides, dysregulation of autophagy was also found in DOX-treated endothelial cells. Restoring autophagy flux could ameliorate EndMT and eliminate ROS. Irisin treatment significantly alleviated ROS accumulation, autophagy disorder, NF-κB-Snail pathway activation as well as the phenotype of EndMT by targeting uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2). Our results also initially found that irisin was mainly secreted by cardiomyocytes in the cardiac microenvironment, which was significantly reduced by DOX intervention, and had a protective effect on endothelial cells in a paracrine manner. In summary, our study indicated that DOX-induced ROS accumulation and autophagy disorders caused an EndMT in CMECs, which played a role in the perivascular fibrosis of DIC. Irisin treatment could partially reverse this phenomenon by regulating UCP2. Cardiomyocytes were the main source of irisin in the cardiac microenvironment. The current study provides a novel perspective elucidating the pathogenesis and the potential treatment of DIC.

Dual Role of Reactive Oxygen Species and their Application in Cancer Therapy

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a dual role in the initiation, development, suppression, and treatment of cancer. Excess ROS can induce nuclear DNA, leading to cancer initiation. Not only that, but ROS also inhibit T cells and natural killer cells and promote the recruitment and M2 polarization of macrophages; consequently, cancer cells escape immune surveillance and immune defense. Furthermore, ROS promote tumor invasion and metastasis by triggering epithelial-mesenchymal transition in tumor cells. Interestingly, massive accumulation of ROS inhibits tumor growth in two ways: (1) by blocking cancer cell proliferation by suppressing the proliferation signaling pathway, cell cycle, and the biosynthesis of nucleotides and ATP and (2) by inducing cancer cell death via activating endoplasmic reticulum stress-, mitochondrial-, and P53- apoptotic pathways and the ferroptosis pathway. Unfortunately, cancer cells can adapt to ROS via a self-adaption system. This review highlighted the bidirectional regulation of ROS in cancer. The study further discussed the application of massively accumulated ROS in cancer treatment. Of note, the dual role of ROS in cancer and the self-adaptive ability of cancer cells should be taken into consideration for cancer prevention.

Diagnostic and prognostic value of tumor-infiltrating B cells in lymph node metastases of papillary thyroid carcinoma

Lymph node metastases are strongly associated with unfavorable prognosis in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients. However, there are few sensitive or specific indicators that can diagnose or predict lymph node metastases in PTC. The objective of our study was to identify reliable indicators for the diagnosis and prediction of lymph node metastases of PTC. The PTC data set was obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort. Information on tumor-infiltrating immune cells in PTC was acquired using single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA). Then, the progression-free survival (PFS) rates of PTC patients were evaluated by Kaplan-Meier curves. A tissue microarray including 58 normal thyroid tissues and 57 PTC tissues was processed for CD19 immunohistochemistry staining. Finally, evaluation of phenotype permutations was performed using gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). There was an appreciable association between immune infiltration and lymph node metastases in PTC. Among those immune cells, B cells and cytotoxic cells showed significant predictive accuracy for lymph node metastases in PTC. Tumor-infiltrating B cells and NK cells were associated with favorable prognosis, while tumor-associated NK CD56^bright cells were correlated with poor prognosis in PTC patients. IHC analyses of PTC further confirmed a notably negative correlation between B cell infiltration and lymph node metastases in PTC. Additionally, mutations in BRAF, a dominant cause of tumor mutation burden (TMB), were positively correlated with reduced B cell infiltration and lymph node metastases in PTC. GSEA revealed that epithelial-mesenchymal transition, IL-6/JAK/STAT3 signaling, the inflammatory response, and TNF-α signaling via the NFκB pathway were remarkably suppressed pathways in patients with BRAF mutations. Tumor-associated lymphocytic infiltration, especially B cell infiltration, provides diagnostic and prognostic value for lymph node metastases in PTC.

Current advances of Dendrobium officinale polysaccharides in dermatology: a literature review

Context

Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo (Orchidaceae) is a naturally occurring precious traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) originally used in treating yin-deficiency diseases. The main active substances of Dendrobium officinale are polysaccharides (DOP). Recent findings highlighted the potential of DOP as a promising natural material for medical use with a diversity of pharmaceutical effects.

Objective

In this review, we provide a systematic discussion of the current development and potential pharmacological effects of Dendrobium officinale polysaccharides in dermatology.

Methods

English and Chinese literature from 1987 to 2019 indexed in databases including PubMed, PubMed Central, Web of Science, ISI, Scopus and CNKI (Chinese) was used. Dendrobium officinale, Dendrobium officinale polysaccharides, phytochemistry, chemical constituents, biological activities, and pharmacological activities were used as the key words.

Results

Dendrobium officinale polysaccharides have been found to possess hair growth promoting, skin moisturising and antioxidant effects, which are highly valued by doctors and cosmetic engineers. We highlighted advances in moisturising and antioxidant properties from in vivo and in vitro studies. Dendrobium officinale polysaccharides exhibited strong antioxidant effects by decreasing free radicals, enhancing antioxidant system, inhibiting nuclear factor-kappa B and down-regulating inflammatory response.

Conclusions

Our review is a foundation to inspire further research to facilitate the application of Dendrobium officinale polysaccharides in dermatology and promote active research of the use of TCM in dermatology.

Cross talk between autophagy and oncogenic signaling pathways and implications for cancer therapy

Autophagy is a highly conserved metabolic process involved in the degradation of intracellular components including proteins and organelles. Consequently, it plays a critical role in recycling metabolic energy for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis in response to various stressors. In cancer, autophagy either suppresses or promotes cancer progression depending on the stage and cancer type. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer metastasis are directly mediated by oncogenic signal proteins including SNAI1, SLUG, ZEB1/2, and NOTCH1, which are functionally correlated with autophagy. In this report, we discuss the crosstalk between oncogenic signaling pathways and autophagy followed by possible strategies for cancer treatment via regulation of autophagy. Although autophagy affects EMT and cancer metastasis, the overall signaling pathways connecting cancer progression and autophagy are still illusive. In general, autophagy plays a critical role in cancer cell survival by providing a minimum level of energy via self-digestion. Thus, cancer cells face nutrient limitations and challenges under stress during EMT and metastasis. Conversely, autophagy acts as a potential cancer suppressor by degrading oncogenic proteins, which are essential for cancer progression, and by removing damaged components such as mitochondria to enhance genomic stability. Therefore, autophagy activators or inhibitors represent possible cancer therapeutics. We further discuss the regulation of autophagy-dependent degradation of oncogenic proteins and its functional correlation with oncogenic signaling pathways, with potential applications in cancer therapy.

Matrine: A review of its pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, toxicity, clinical application and preparation researches

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

"Dogel ebs" was known as Sophora flavescens Ait., which has been widely utilized in the clinical practice of traditional Chinese Mongolian herbal medicine for thousands of years. Shen Nong's Materia Medica (Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing in Chinese pinyin) recorded that it is bitter in taste and cold in nature with the effect of clearing heat and eliminating dampness, insecticide, diuresis. Due to its extensive application in the fields of ethnopharmacological utilization, the pharmaceutical researches of Sophora flavescens Ait.s keeps deepening. Modern pharmacological studies have exhibited that matrine, which is rich in this traditional herbal medicine, mediates its main biological properties.

AIMS OF THE REVIEW

This review aimed at summarizing the latest and comprehensive information of matrine on the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, toxicity, clinical application and preparation researches to explore the therapeutic potential of this natural ingredient. In addition, outlooks and perspective for possible future researches that related are also discussed.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Related information concerning matrine was gathered from the internet database of Google scholar, Pubmed, ResearchGate, Web of Science and Wiley Online Library with the keywords including "matrine", "pharmacology", "toxicology" and "pharmacokinetics", "clinical application", etc. RESULTS: Based on literatures, matrine has a variety of pharmacological effects, including anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, detoxification and so on. Nevertheless, there are still some doubts about it due to the toxicity and questionable bioavailability that does exist.

CONCLUSIONS

Future researches directions probably include elucidate the mechanism of its toxicity and accurately tracing the in vivo behavior of its drug delivery system. Without doubt, integration of toxicity and efficiency and structure modification based on it are also pivotal methods to enhance pharmacological activity and bioavailability.

TGF-β promote epithelial-mesenchymal transition via NF-κB/NOX4/ROS signal pathway in lung cancer cells

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), transforming growth factor β(TGF-β) and reactive oxygen species(ROS) plays a central role in cancer metastasis. Moreover, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate 4(NOX4) is one of the main sources of ROS in lung cancer cells suggesting that NOX4 is associated with tumor cell migration. NF-κB(Nuclear factor-Kappa-B) is known to regulate ROS-mediated EMT process by activating Snail transcription factor in A549 cells. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between NF-κB and NOX4 in ROS production during TGF-β induced EMT process. Several fractions have been pooled to evaluates the EMT process on lung cancer cells through real-time PCR, Western Blot and flow cytometry with DCFH-DA probe etc. Cells proliferation and migration activities were monitored by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay and wound healing assay respectively. The result showed that TGF-β induction decreased the expression of E-cadherin, increased the Vimentin and the EMT transcription factor Snail in A549 cells. DPI (Diphenyleneiodonium chloride, an inhibitor of NOX4) inhibited the NOX4 expression and reduced ROS production induced by TGF-β, but didn't affect the activation of NF-κB induced by TGF-β (P > 0.05). BAY11-7082 (an inhibitor of NF-κB) inhibited the NF-κB (p65) expression and prevented the increase of NOX4 expression and ROS production induced by TGF-β (P < 0.001), which has also verified reduced TGF-β induced cell migration by inhibiting the EMT process, and also reduced cell proliferation of A549 cells (P < 0.001). The current research confirmed the TGF-β mediated EMT process via NF-κB/NOX4/ROS signaling pathway, NF-κB and NOX4 are likely to be the potential therapeutic targets for lung cancer metastasis.

Lumacaftor and Matrine: Possible Therapeutic Combination to Counteract the Inflammatory Process in Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis is a monogenic, autosomal, recessive disease characterized by an alteration of chloride transport caused by mutations in the CFTR (Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator) gene. The loss of Phe residue in position 508 (ΔF508-CFTR) causes an incorrect folding of the protein causing its degradation and electrolyte imbalance. CF patients are extremely predisposed to the development of a chronic inflammatory process of the bronchopulmonary system. When the cells of a tissue are damaged, the immune cells are activated and trigger the production of free radicals, provoking an inflammatory process. In addition to routine therapies, today drugs called correctors are available for mutations such as ΔF508-CFTR as well as for others less frequent ones. These active molecules are supposed to facilitate the maturation of the mutant CFTR protein, allowing it to reach the apical membrane of the epithelial cell. Matrine induces ΔF508-CFTR release from the endoplasmic reticulum to cell cytosol and its localization on the cell membrane. We now have evidence that Matrine and Lumacaftor not only restore the transport of mutant CFTR protein, but probably also counteract the inflammatory process by improving the course of the disease.

Fucoxanthin extracted from Laminaria Japonica inhibits metastasis and enhances the sensitivity of lung cancer to Gefitinib

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Laminaria japonica, a brown seaweed, has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to treat a variety of diseases including lung cancer.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To demonstrate the effects of Fucoxanthin (FX), a major active component extracted from Laminaria japonica on metastasis and Gefitinib (Gef) sensitivity in human lung cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Invasion and migration of lung cancer cells were detected using the wound healing assay and transwell assay. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) factors and PI3K/AKT/NF-κB pathways were analyzed by western blotting. RNA interference (RNAi) technology was used to silence TIMP-2 gene expression in A549 cells. The anti-metastatic effect of FX was evaluated in vivo in an experimental lung metastatic tumor model. On the other hand, cell counting kit-8 assay was used to study the cell viability of human lung cancer PC9 cells and Gef resistant PC9 cells (PC9/G) after Gef, FX or FX combined with Gef treatment. PC9 xenograft model was established to explore the anti-tumor effect of FX or combined with Gef. Immunohistochemistry staining assay and immunofluorescence staining assay were used to reveal the effects of FX on lung cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis.

RESULTS

FX was able to significantly inhibit lung cancer cells migration and invasion in vitro. FX suppressed the expressions of Snail, Twist, Fibronectin, N-cadherin, MMP-2, PI3K, p-AKT and NF-κB, and increased the expression of TIMP-2. Furthermore, knockdown of TIMP-2 attenuated FX-mediated invasion inhibition. Additionally, we demonstrated that FX inhibited lung cancer cells metastasis in vivo. The anti-metastatic effects of FX on lung cancer cells might be attributed to inhibition of EMT and PI3K/AKT/NF-κB pathway. We further demonstrated that the anti-tumor activity of FX was not only limited to the drug sensitive cell lines, but also prominent on lung cancer cells with Gef resistant phenotype. Furthermore, in vivo xenograft assay confirmed that FX inhibited tumor growth and enhanced the sensitivity of lung cancer cells to Gef and this effect may be due to inhibition of tumor cell proliferation and activation of apoptosis.

CONCLUSION

Collectively, our findings suggested that FX suppresses metastasis of lung cancer cells and overcomes EGFR TKIs resistance. Thus, FX is worthy of further investigation as a drug candidate for the treatment of lung cancer.

Anticancer activities of TCM and their active components against tumor metastasis

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has the characteristics of multiple targets, slight side effects and good therapeutic effects. Good anti-tumor effects are shown by Traditional Chinese Medicine prescription, Chinese patent medicine, single Traditional Chinese Medicine and Traditional Chinese medicine monomer compound. Clinically, TCM prolonged the survival time of patients and improved the life quality of patients, due to less side effects. Cancer metastasis is a complex process involving numerous steps, multiple genes and their products. During the process of tumor metastasis, firstly, cancer cell increases its proliferative capacity by reducing autophagy and apoptosis, and then the cancer cell capacity is stimulated by increasing the ability of tumors to absorb nutrients from the outside through angiogenesis. Both of the two steps can increase tumor migration and invasion. Finally, the purpose of tumor metastasis is achieved. By inhibiting autophagy and apoptosis of tumor cells, angiogenesis and EMT outside the tumor can inhibit the invasion and migration of cancer, and consequently achieve the purpose of inhibiting tumor metastasis. This review explores the research achievements of Traditional Chinese Medicine on breast cancer, lung cancer, hepatic carcinoma, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer and other cancer metastasis in the past five years, summarizes the development direction of TCM on cancer metastasis research in the past five years and makes a prospect for the future.

Matrine Inhibitory Effect on Self-renewal and Re-sensitization of 5-FU Resistant NSCLC Stem Cells were through Let-7b dependent Downregulation of CCND1

Matrine is one of the major alkaloids extracted from Sophora flavescens Ait of the traditional Chinese medicine, was the main chemical ingredient of compounds of Kushen injection. The Matrine is considered as a promising therapeutic agent for curing nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC), used either alone or combined with chemotherapeutic agents. In the present study, we focused on the possible roles of Matrine exerted on the self-renewal ability of stem-like cells of the NSCLC group, as well as the cytotoxicity of chemotherapeutic agents, in vitro and in vivo. Here we reported that Matrine inhibits cancer stem-like cell (CSC) properties through upregulation of Let-7b and suppression of the Wnt pathway. Overexpression of Let-7b suppressed the ability of tumorsphere formation, decreased Wnt pathway activation through inhibiting its transcriptional activity in lung CSCs. Further studies revealed that Let-7b directly targeted CCND1 and decreased its expression, whereas Matrine increased Let-7b levels and followed by inactivation of the CCND1/Wnt signaling pathway and inhibition of EMT, which was characterized by loss of epithelial markers and acquisition of a mesenchymal phenotype in lung CSCs. What is more, we found that Matrine increased Let-7b level in an endoribonuclease DICER1-dependent manner. And xenografts in nude mice evidenced that Matrine increased the sensitivity of lung CSCs to 5-FU and inhibited the accumulation of CCND1 in tumor tissues induced by 5-FU. Taken together, these data illustrate the role of Let-7b in regulating lung CSCs traits and DICER1/let-7/CCND1 axis in Matrine or in combination with 5-FU intervention of lung CSCs' expansion, helping to fulfill the anti-cancer action of Matrine.

EMT, cancer stem cells and autophagy; The three main axes of metastasis

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and Cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) are major factors contributing to the metastasis of cancer cells. Consequently, the signaling pathways involved in both processes are appropriate therapeutic targets in the treatment of metastasis. Autophagy is another process that has recently attracted the attention of many researchers; depending on the type of cancer and tissue and the stage of cancer, this process can play a dual role in the development of cancer cells. Studies on cancer cells have shown that different signaling pathways are involved in all three processes, namely, cancer stem cells, autophagy, and EMT. The purpose of this study was to investigate and elucidate the relationship between the effective signaling pathways in all three processes, which could play an effective role in determining appropriate therapeutic goals.

Traditional Chinese medicine may be further explored as candidate drugs for pancreatic cancer: A review

Pancreatic cancer is a disease with a high mortality rate. Although survival rates for different types of cancers have improved in recent years, the five-year survival rate of pancreatic cancer stands at 8%. Moreover, the current first-line therapy, gemcitabine, results in low remission rates and is associated with drug resistance problems. Alternative treatments for pancreatic cancer such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy provide marginal remission and survival rates. This calls for the search of more effective drugs or treatments. Traditional Chinese medicine contains numerous bioactive ingredients some of which show activity against pancreatic cancer. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms of five types of traditional Chinese medicine monomers. In so-doing, we provide new potential drug candidates for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

A Systematic Review of the Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacokinetics of Matrine

Matrine (MT) is a naturally occurring alkaloid and an bioactive component of Chinese herbs, such as Sophora flavescens and Radix Sophorae tonkinensis. Emerging evidence suggests that MT possesses anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, antiviral, antimicrobial, anti-fibrotic, anti-allergic, antinociceptive, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, and neuroprotective properties. These pharmacological properties form the foundation for its application in the treatment of various diseases, such as multiple types of cancers, hepatitis, skin diseases, allergic asthma, diabetic cardiomyopathy, pain, Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and central nervous system (CNS) inflammation. However, an increasing number of published studies indicate that MT has serious adverse effects, the most obvious being liver toxicity and neurotoxicity, which are major factors limiting its clinical use. Pharmacokinetic studies have shown that MT has low oral bioavailability and short half-life in vivo. This review summarizes the latest advances in research on the pharmacology, toxicology, and pharmacokinetics of MT, with a focus on its biological properties and mechanism of action. The review provides insight into the future of research on traditional Chinese medicine.

Matrine: A Promising Natural Product With Various Pharmacological Activities

Matrine is an alkaloid isolated from the traditional Chinese medicine Sophora flavescens Aiton. At present, a large number of studies have proved that matrine has an anticancer effect can inhibit cancer cell proliferation, arrest cell cycle, induce apoptosis, and inhibit cancer cell metastasis. It also has the effect of reversing anticancer drug resistance and reducing the toxicity of anticancer drugs. In addition, studies have reported that matrine has a therapeutic effect on Alzheimer's syndrome, encephalomyelitis, asthma, myocardial ischemia, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, and the like, and its mechanism is mainly related to the inhibition of inflammatory response and apoptosis. Its treatable disease spectrum spans multiple systems such as the nervous system, circulatory system, and immune system. The antidisease effect and mechanism of matrine are diverse, so it has high research value. This review summarizes recent studies on the pharmacological mechanism of matrine, with a view to providing reference for subsequent research.

Triptolide inhibits epithelial‑mesenchymal transition and induces apoptosis in gefitinib‑resistant lung cancer cells

The epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI), gefitinib, is used widely to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with EGFR-activating mutations. Unfortunately, the acquired drug resistance promoted by epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markedly limits the clinical effects and remains a major barrier to a cure. Our previous isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation-based proteomics analysis revealed that the E-cadherin protein level was markedly upregulated by triptolide (TP). The present study aimed to determine whether TP reverses the gefitinib resistance of human lung cancer cells by regulating EMT. It was revealed that TP combined with gefitinib synergistically inhibited the migration and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549; the combination treatment had a significantly better outcome than that of TP and gefitinib alone. Moreover, TP effectively increased the sensitivity of drug resistant A549 cells to gefitinib by upregulating E-cadherin protein expression and downregulating the MMP9, SNAIL, and vimentin expression levels. The dysregulated E-cadherin expression of gefitinib-sensitive cells induced gefitinib resistance, which could be overcome by TP. Finally, TP combined with gefitinib significantly inhibited the growth of xenograft tumors induced using gefitinib-resistant A549 cells, which was associated with EMT reversal and E-cadherin signaling activation in vivo. The present results indicated that the combination of TP and TKIs may be a promising therapeutic strategy to treat patients with NSCLCs harboring EGFR mutations.

H19/let‑7/Lin28 ceRNA network mediates autophagy inhibiting epithelial‑mesenchymal transition in breast cancer

Long non‑coding RNA (lncRNA) H19 and Lin28 protein have been shown to participate in various pathophysiological processes, including cellular proliferation, autophagy and epithelial‑mesenchymal transition (EMT). A number of studies have investigated lncRNAs, microRNAs and mRNAs, and their roles in the initiation and progression of cancer, in doing so identifying competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks, including the H19/let‑7/Lin28 network. However, whether the H19/let‑7/Lin28 ceRNA network is involved in autophagy and EMT in breast cancer (BC) remains unclear. The present study demonstrated that the H19/let‑7/Lin28 loop was required for the downregulation of autophagy in BC cells via western blot analysis, reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR and autophagy flux monitoring. Using wound healing, migration and invasion assays, and morphological assays, the H19/let‑7/Lin28 loop was revealed to promote EMT in BC cells. Moreover, the H19/let‑7/Lin28 network was found to contribute to autophagy by inhibiting EMT in BC cells. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to suggest the important roles of the H19/let‑7/Lin28 ceRNA network in BC autophagy and EMT, thus providing insight for the use of these molecules as prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in BC metastasis.

Hyperoside Induces Breast Cancer Cells Apoptosis via ROS-Mediated NF-κB Signaling Pathway

Hyperoside (quercetin 3-o-β-d-galactopyranoside) is one of the flavonoid glycosides with anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, and anti-cancer effects. But it remains unknown whether it had effects on breast cancer. Here, different concentrations of hyperoside were used to explore its therapeutic potential in both breast cancer cells and subcutaneous homotransplant mouse model. CCK-8 and wound healing assays showed that the viability and migration capability of Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) and 4T1 cells were inhibited by hyperoside, while the apoptosis of cells were increased. Real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot analysis were used to detect mRNA and the protein level, respectively, which showed decreased levels of B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP), and increased levels of Bax and cleaved caspase-3. After exploration of the potential mechanism, we found that reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was reduced by the administration of hyperoside, which subsequently inhibited the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway. Tumor volume was significantly decreased in subcutaneous homotransplant mouse model in hyperoside-treated group, which was consistent with our study in vitro. These results indicated that hyperoside acted as an anticancer drug through ROS-related apoptosis and its mechanism included activation of the Bax-caspase-3 axis and the inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway.

PM2.5, Fine Particulate Matter: A Novel Player in the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition?

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) refers to the conversion of epithelial cells to mesenchymal phenotype, which endows the epithelial cells with enhanced migration, invasion, and extracellular matrix production abilities. These characteristics link EMT with the pathogenesis of organ fibrosis and cancer progression. Recent studies have preliminarily established that fine particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 μm (PM_2.5) is correlated with EMT initiation. In this pathological process, PM_2.5 particles, excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) derived from PM_2.5, and certain components in PM_2.5, such as ions and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), have been implicated as potential EMT mediators that are linked to the activation of transforming growth factor β (TGF-β)/SMADs, NF-κB, growth factor (GF)/extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK), GF/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt, wingless/integrated (Wnt)/β-catenin, Notch, Hedgehog, high mobility group box B1 (HMGB1)-receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE), and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) signaling cascades and to cytoskeleton rearrangement. These pathways directly and indirectly transduce pro-EMT signals that regulate EMT-related gene expression in epithelial cells, finally inducing the characteristic alterations in morphology and functions of epithelia. In addition, novel associations between autophagy, ATP citrate lyase (ACLY), and exosomes with PM_2.5-induced EMT have also been summarized. However, some debates and paradoxes remain to be consolidated. This review discusses the potential molecular mechanisms underlying PM_2.5-induced EMT, which might account for the latent role of PM_2.5 in cancer progression and fibrogenesis.

Compound Kushen Injection as an Adjunctive Therapy for the Treatment of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Objectives

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of compound Kushen injection (CKI) combined with chemo treatment (chemo) for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods

We systematically searched the literature published in seven databases, including Embase, PubMed, central, MEDLINE, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP, from their inception to April 2019 for all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing CKI plus chemo with chemo alone in patients with NSCLC. Our main end point was clinical efficiency and the secondary outcomes were Karnofsky performance score (KPS), immune function, and adverse events. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was applied for quality assessment.

Results

10 studies involving 1019 participants were included. The clinical response rate (relative risk (RR) = 1.21, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06 to 1.37; P=0.003), KPS (RR = 2.18, 95% CI: 1.49 to 3.17; P < 0.0001), immune function (mean differences (MD) = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.12 to 1.52; P=0.02) and adverse effects (RR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.60 to 0.74; P < 0.00001) in the CKI plus chemo group showed significant differences when compared with chemo alone.

Conclusions

CKI combined with chemo can improve clinical efficiency, KPS, and immune function and reduce adverse reactions in patients with NSCLC when compared with chemo alone. However, more rigorously designed RCTs are needed to validate this benefit, as some of the included RCTs are of low methodological quality.

Polyphyllin I induces cell cycle arrest in prostate cancer cells via the upregulation of IL6 and P21 expression

BACKGROUND

Polyphyllin I has been reported to possess anticancer properties in various cancer types, including prostate cancer. However, little is known about the potential of Polyphyllin I in induction of prostate cancer cell cycle arrest and its underlying mechanisms.

METHODS

The anti-proliferation activity of Polyphyllin I was tested using cell counting kit-8 assay. The cell cycle arrest effects of Polyphyllin I were confirmed by flow cytometry. Western blot was used to test the effect of Polyphyllin I on cell cycle-related protein expression. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to test the expression of genes regulating P21 expression.

RESULTS

Polyphyllin I induced prostate cancer cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase in concentration-dependent manner. Polyphyllin I induced cell cycle arrest by upregulating the expression of P21. Further studies showed that the upregulation of p21 expression induced by Polyphyllin I via the upregulation of IL6 expression.

CONCLUSION

Polyphyllin I could induce cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase in prostate cancer cells by upregulating the expression of P21 and IL6.

Traditional Chinese Medicine and regulatory roles on epithelial-mesenchymal transitions

Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a critical biological process allowing epithelial cells to de-differentiate into mesenchymal cells. Orchestrated signaling pathways cooperatively induce EMT and effect physiological, sometimes pathological outcomes. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been clinically prescribed for thousands of years and recent studies have found that TCM therapies can participate in EMT regulation. In this review, the historical discovery of EMT will be introduced, followed by a brief overview of its major roles in development and diseases. The second section will focus on EMT in organ fibrosis and tissue regeneration. The third section discusses EMT-induced cancer metastasis, and details how EMT contribute to distant dissemination. Finally, new EMT players are described, namely microRNA, epigenetic modifications, and alternative splicing. TCM drugs that affect EMT proven through an evidence-based research approach will be presented in each section.

Prevention of early liver metastasis after pancreatectomy by perioperative administration of a nuclear factor-κB inhibitor in mice

BACKGROUND

Liver metastasis is a common problem after pancreatectomy for pancreatic cancer. In pancreatic cancer cells, nuclear factor-κB is activated constitutively. Nuclear factor-κB activates matrix metalloproteinase-2/9, which plays an important role in cancer metastasis. Because the serine protease inhibitor FUT-175 suppresses nuclear factor-κB, we hypothesized that perioperative treatment with FUT-175 for pancreatic cancer may help to prevent liver metastasis.

METHODS

We compared in vitro cell viability, cell invasiveness, nuclear factor-κB signaling, and the expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase signals between the control group (C group) and the FUT-175 group (F group) using the murine pancreatic cancer cells PAN02. In addition, we evaluated the in vivo effect of pretreatment with FUT-175 using an established model of liver metastasis in mice. Metastatic liver lesions were assessed with magnetic resonance imaging. Liver recurrence and overall survival were evaluated. Also, the antimetastatic effect of systemic administration of FUT-175 was examined.

RESULTS

FUT-175 did not suppress the cell viability of PAN02 cells at or after 24 hours of treatment (P > .05); however, cell invasion was suppressed in the F group compared with the C group (P < .05). The levels of nuclear factor-κB activation, membrane type-1 (MT-1) matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)/matrix metalloproteinase-14 (MMP-14), and matrix metalloproteinase-2/9 (MMP-2/9) were lower in the F group compared with the C group. In vivo, both disease-free and overall survivals were prolonged in the F group compared with the C group. Systemic administration was also effective in suppressing the number of metastases.

CONCLUSION

Perioperative treatment with FUT-175 may help to prevent early liver metastasis after pancreatectomy for pancreatic cancer.

Crosstalk between autophagy and epithelial-mesenchymal transition and its application in cancer therapy

Autophagy is a highly conserved catabolic process that mediates degradation of pernicious or dysfunctional cellular components, such as invasive pathogens, senescent proteins, and organelles. It can promote or suppress tumor development, so it is a “double-edged sword” in tumors that depends on the cell and tissue types and the stages of tumor. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a complex biological trans-differentiation process that allows epithelial cells to transiently obtain mesenchymal features, including motility and metastatic potential. EMT is considered as an important contributor to the invasion and metastasis of cancers. Thus, clarifying the crosstalk between autophagy and EMT will provide novel targets for cancer therapy. It was reported that EMT-related signal pathways have an impact on autophagy; conversely, autophagy activation can suppress or strengthen EMT by regulating various signaling pathways. On one hand, autophagy activation provides energy and basic nutrients for EMT during metastatic spreading, which assists cells to survive in stressful environmental and intracellular conditions. On the other hand, autophagy, acting as a cancer-suppressive function, is inclined to hinder metastasis by selectively down-regulating critical transcription factors of EMT in the early phases. Therefore, the inhibition of EMT by autophagy inhibitors or activators might be a novel strategy that provides thought and enlightenment for the treatment of cancer. In this article, we discuss in detail the role of autophagy and EMT in the development of cancers, the regulatory mechanisms between autophagy and EMT, the effects of autophagy inhibition or activation on EMT, and the potential applications in anticancer therapy.

Downregulation of fibroblast growth factor 5 inhibits cell growth and invasion of human nonsmall-cell lung cancer cells

The morbidity and mortality rates of nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have increased in recent years. We aimed to explore the biological role of fibroblast growth factor 5 (FGF5) in NSCLC. We first established that the expression of FGF5 was increased in NSCLC tissues compared with the normal adjacent tissues. The expression of FGF5 was also increased in NSCLC cell lines. The effect of FGF5 silencing on cell proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of H661 and CALU1 cells was then examined. Downregulation of FGF5 significantly inhibited cell proliferation and induced G1 phase cell cycle arrest compared with the negative control small interfering (siNC) groups. Cell apoptosis was promoted by siFGF5 treatment. Cell migration and invasion of H661 and CALU1 cells with siFGF5 transfection were markedly diminished compared with the siNC groups. In addition, migration and invasion-associated proteins (E-cadherin, matrix metalloproteinase-2 [MMP-2], and MMP-9) and epithelial mesenchymal transition markers (N-cadherin, vimentin, snail, and slug) were also regulated by FGF5 siRNA treatment. Gene set enrichment analysis on The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset showed that the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) cell cycle and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathways were correlated with FGF5 expression, which was further confirmed in NSCLC cells by Western blot analysis. Our results indicated that FGF5 silencing suppressed cell growth and invasion via regulation of the cell cycle and VEGF pathways. Therefore, FGF5 may serve as a promising therapeutic strategy for NSCLC.

Tetrandrine inhibits human brain glioblastoma multiforme GBM 8401 cancer cell migration and invasion in vitro

Tetrandrine (TET) has been reported to induce anti-cancer activity in many human cancer cells and also to inhibit cancer cell migration and invasion. However, there are no reports to show TET inhibits cell migration and invasion in human brain glioblastoma multiforme GBM 8401 cells. In this study, we investigated the anti-metastasis effects of TET on GBM 8401 cells in vitro. Under sub-lethal concentrations (from 1, 5 up to 10 μM), TET significantly inhibited cell mobility, migration and invasion of GBM 8401 cells that were assayed by wound healing and Transwell assays. Gelatin zymography assay showed that TET inhibited MMP-2 activity in GBM 8401 cells. Western blotting results indicated that TET inhibited several key metastasis-related proteins, such as p-EGFR_(Tyr1068) , SOS-1, GRB2, Ras, p-AKT_(Ser473) and p-AKT_(Thr308) , NF-κB-p65, Snail, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, NF-κB, MMP-2 and MMP-9 that were significant reduction at 24 and 48 hours treatment by TET. TET reduced MAPK signaling associated proteins such as p-JNK1/2 and p-c-Jun in GBM 8401 cells. The electrophoretic mobility shift (EMSA) assay was used to investigate NF-κB and DNA binding was reduced by TET in a dose-dependently. Based on these findings, we suggested that TET could be used in anti-metastasis of human brain glioblastoma multiforme GBM 8401 cells in the future.

Traditional Chinese medicine as targeted treatment for epithelial-mesenchymal transition-induced cancer progression

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) program, which loosens cell-cell adhesion complexes, endows cells with enhanced migratory and invasive properties. Furthermore, this process facilitates both the development of drug resistance and immunosuppression by tumor cells, which preclude the successful treatment of cancer. Recent research has demonstrated that many signaling pathways are involved in EMT progression. In addition, cancer stem cells (CSCs), vasculogenic mimicry (VM) and the tumor-related immune microenvironment all play important roles in tumor formation. However, there are few reports on the relationships between EMT and these factors. In addition, in recent years, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has developed a unique system for treating cancer. In this review, we summarize the crucial signaling pathways associated with the EMT process in cancer patients and discuss the interconnections between EMT and other molecular factors (such as CSCs, VM, and the tumor-related immune microenvironment). We attempt to identify common regulators that might be potential therapeutic targets to thereby optimize tumor treatment. In addition, we outline recent research on TCM approaches that target EMT and thereby provide a foundation for further research on the exact mechanisms by which TCMs affect EMT in cancer.

IL‑18 promotes the secretion of matrix metalloproteinases in human periodontal ligament fibroblasts by activating NF‑κB signaling

Chronic periodontitis is the most common periodontal disease and is characterized by progressive degeneration of periodontal tissue. Periodontal‑specific pathogens can induce the expression of various inflammatory cytokines in periodontal ligament cells and their secretion into peripheral blood. These inflammatory cytokines have an important role in the occurrence and development of chronic periodontitis. ELISA was used to detect the expression of interleukin‑18 (IL‑18) protein in the serum and saliva of 30 healthy volunteers and 30 patients with chronic periodontitis. The clinical parameters that were assessed included plaque index, gingival index, periodontal probing depth and attachment loss. The effect of IL‑18 on the viability of human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (hPDLFs) was examined using a Cell Counting Kit‑8 assay. The effects of IL‑18 on mRNA expression and secretion of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)1, MMP2, MMP3 and MMP9 in hPDLFs were detected by reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction and ELISA, respectively. The effect of IL‑18 on the phosphorylation of nuclear factor‑κB (NF‑κB) p65 protein and the protein expression of MMP1, MMP2, MMP3 and MMP9 in hPDLF cells was detected by western blotting. The expression level of IL‑18 in the serum of patients with chronic periodontitis was significantly higher than that of healthy volunteers, and the expression level of IL‑18 in saliva was positively correlated with the periodontal destruction. However, IL‑18 did not have a significant effect on the viability ability of hPDLFs. IL‑18 promoted phosphorylation of NF‑κB p65 protein in hPDLF, and increased the mRNA expression and protein secretion of MMP1, MMP2, MMP3 and MMP9. These findings indicate that IL‑18 promotes the secretion of MMP1, MMP2, MMP3, and MMP9 in hPDLFs by activating the NF‑κB signaling pathway, which has a key role in the development of chronic periodontitis. Therefore, targeting IL‑18 may be a new research direction for the treatment of chronic periodontal disease.

Sinomenine Hydrochloride Inhibits the Metastasis of Human Glioblastoma Cells by Suppressing the Expression of Matrix Metalloproteinase-2/-9 and Reversing the Endogenous and Exogenous Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition

As shown in our previous study, sinomenine hydrochloride (SH), the major bioactive alkaloid isolated from Sinomenium acutum Rehd. et Wils. (Fam. Menispermaceae), initiates the autophagy-mediated death of human glioblastoma cells by generating reactive oxygen species and activating the autophagy-lysosome pathway. However, its effects on the migration and invasion of human glioblastoma cells have not yet been elucidated. Therefore, human glioblastoma U87 and SF767 cells were treated with SH (0.125 and 0.25 mM) for 24 h, and cell migration and invasion were assessed using scratch wound healing, migration and invasion assays. SH promoted G0/G1 phase arrest, inhibited the migration and invasion of the two cell lines, suppressed the activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) and the expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2/-9, triggered endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, reversed the exogenous epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) induced by the inflammatory microenvironment and the endogenous EMT. Additionally, NFκB p65 overexpression blocked the SH-mediated inhibitory effects on MMP-2/-9 expression and cell invasion. SH-induced autophagy was reduced in CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) homologous protein (CHOP) or autophagy-related 5 (ATG5)-silenced human glioblastoma cells and cells treated with 4-phenylbutyric acid (4-PBA) or 3-methyladenine (3-MA), as shown by the decreased levels of the microtubule-associated protein light chain 3B (LC3B)-II and autophagic vacuoles (AVs) stained with monodansylcadaverine (MDC), respectively. Moreover, knockdown of CHOP or ATG5 and treatment with 4-PBA or 3-MA abolished the SH-mediated inhibition of mesenchymal markers (vimentin, Snail and Slug) expression and cell invasion, respectively. Importantly, SH also regulated the above related pathways in nude mice. Based on these findings, SH inhibited cell proliferation by inducing cell cycle arrest, and attenuated the metastasis of U87 and SF767 cells by suppressing MMP-2/-9 expression and reversing the endogenous and exogenous EMT in vitro and/or in vivo. Thus, SH might be a new potential anti-metastasis agent for the treatment of human glioblastoma.

Anti-Cancer Effects of Paris Polyphylla Ethanol Extract by Inducing Cancer Cell Apoptosis and Cycle Arrest in Prostate Cancer Cells

Objective

To evaluate the potential anti-prostate cancer effects of Paris polyphylla ethanol extract (PPEE) and its underlying mechanisms.

Materials and Methods

The anti-proliferation activity of PPEE was tested on PC3 and DU145 cells using Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. The pro-apoptotic and cell cycle arrest effects of PPEE were confirmed by flow cytometry. Apoptosis of prostate cancer cells was induced by PPEE through endogenous and exogenous pathways. A mouse xenograft model was used to examine its anti-prostate cancer effects in vivo.

Results

We found that the IC50 of PPEE on PC3 cells was 3.98 µg/ml and the IC50 of PPEE on DU145 cells was 8 µg/ml. PPEE induced prostate cancer cell apoptosis in a concentration dependent manner, through endogenous and exogenous pathways. PPEE induced PC3 cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 and G2/M phases, while in DU145cell it induced cell arrest in the G0/G1 phase. PPEE inhibited the growth of prostate cancer cells in vivo.

Conclusion

PPEE could inhibit prostate cancer growth in vitro and in vivo, induce apoptosis of prostate cancer cells, and cause cell cycle arrest, which laid the foundation for further research on the anti-tumor mechanism of PPEE.