Combined Supplementation with Vitamin B-6 and Curcumin is Superior to Either Agent Alone in Suppressing Obesity-Promoted Colorectal Tumorigenesis in Mice

In silico and animal studies on the anti-cancer mechanisms of Shaoyao Decoction against colitis-associated colorectal cancer

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

It is well known that Shaoyao Decoction (SYD), as a commonly used formula of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has a beneficial effect on the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC). It is found that SYD can also prevent colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC). However, its potential anti-cancer mechanism is still waiting to be revealed.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The aim of this study is to investigate the underlying mechanisms of SYD in inhibiting CAC through silico analysis as well as animal experiment validation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The primary active compounds, potential therapeutic targets and intervening signaling pathways, which SYD might inhibit the CAC process were predicted by network pharmacology analysis combined with our previous research result of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). We attempted to validate the acquired hub targets from molecular docking combined with the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), the Human Protein Atlas (HPA), and the cBioPortal database comprehensively. Subsequently, an animal model of CAC mice induced by azoxymethane (AOM) and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) was constructed and treated with SYD for 14 weeks, and tumor-related physical indicators were evaluated after sacrificed. In addition, samples of colon tissues were obtained for histologic and protein level studies to verify the predicted mechanism.

RESULTS

We obtained 166 active ingredients of SYD and predicted 148 potential targets through network pharmacology analysis, among which quercetin, berberine, kaempferol, wogonin and naringenin were selected as core drug ingredients, and TP53, AKT1, CASP3, PTGS2 and CCND1 were identified and included into the range of core targets. GO and KEGG analyses suggested that the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway might hold a crucial role in CAC prevention and treatment by promoting apoptosis and inhibiting tumor proliferation. In the animal experiment, both SYD and SASP treatments improved the inflammatory condition and pathological damage of the colon tissues in mice. After treatments with SYD and SASP, it was found that decreases of Cyclin D1 and Survivin expression levels and increases of p53 and Cleaved caspase-3 expression levels could be mediated by decreasing the phosphorylation levels of PI3K and Akt proteins in the colon tissues of mice.

CONCLUSION

The results of our study provide supports that SYD effectively inhibits CAC based on modulating PI3K-Akt signaling pathway to suppress tumor proliferation process as well as to promote tumor apoptosis process.

Enhancing the Bioavailability and Bioactivity of Curcumin for Disease Prevention and Treatment

Curcumin, a natural polyphenolic component from Curcuma longa roots, is the main bioactive component of turmeric spice and has gained increasing interest due to its proposed anti-cancer, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and lipid-lowering effects, in addition to its thermogenic capacity. While intake from dietary sources such as curry may be sufficient to affect the intestinal microbiome and thus may act indirectly, intact curcumin in the body may be too low (<1 microM) and not sufficient to affect signaling and gene expression, as observed in vitro with cultured cells (10-20 microM). Several strategies can be envisioned to increase curcumin levels in the body, such as decreasing its metabolism or increasing absorption through the formation of nanoparticles. However, since high curcumin levels could also lead to undesired regulatory effects on cellular signaling and gene expression, such studies may need to be carefully monitored. Here, we review the bioavailability of curcumin and to what extent increasing curcumin levels using nanoformulations may increase the bioavailability and bioactivity of curcumin and its metabolites. This enhancement could potentially amplify the disease-preventing effects of curcumin, often by leveraging its robust antioxidant properties.

Dietary Curcumin Attenuates Hepatic Cellular Senescence by Suppressing the MAPK/NF-κB Signaling Pathway in Aged Mice

Dietary interventions with bioactive compounds have been found to suppress the accumulation of senescent cells and senescence-associated secretory phenotypes (SASPs). One such compound, curcumin (CUR), has beneficial health and biological effects, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, but its ability to prevent hepatic cellular senescence is unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary CUR as an antioxidant on hepatic cellular senescence and determine its benefits on aged mice. We screened the hepatic transcriptome and found that CUR supplementation led to the downregulation of senescence-associated hepatic gene expressions in both usually fed and nutritionally challenged aged mice. Our results showed that CUR supplementation enhanced antioxidant properties and suppressed mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascades in the liver, particularly c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in aged mice and p38 in diet-induced obese aged mice. Furthermore, dietary CUR decreased the phosphorylation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), a downstream transcription factor of JNK and p38, and inhibited the mRNA expression of proinflammatory cytokines and SASPs. The potency of CUR administration was demonstrated in aged mice via enhanced insulin homeostasis along with declined body weight. Taken together, these results suggest that CUR supplementation may be a nutritional strategy to prevent hepatic cellular senescence.

Associations Between Different Dietary Vitamins and the Risk of Obesity in Children and Adolescents: A Machine Learning Approach

BACKGROUNDS

Simultaneous dietary intake of vitamins is considered as a common and real scenario in daily life. However, limited prospective studies have evaluated the association between multivitamins intake and obesity in children and adolescents.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the intake of different dietary vitamins and the risk of obesity in children (6-11 years) and adolescents (12-19 years).

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study based on data from U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2013-2016. A total of 3634 children and adolescents were included who had available data on dietary vitamins, obesity and covariates. We analyzed the dietary intake levels of nine vitamins, including vitamin A, vitamin B₁, vitamin B₂, vitamin B₆, vitamin B₁₂, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K. Multivariate logistic regression was used to model the associations between vitamins and obesity. Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) was employed to explore the joint and independent effects of vitamins on obesity among children and adolescents.

RESULTS

In the multivariate logistic regression model, five vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin B₁, vitamin B₂, vitamin B₁₂, and vitamin D) were negatively associated with obesity in children and adolescents. BKMR analysis showed that when the concentration of the nine vitamins was at or above the 55th percentile compared with the median value, the combined intake of these vitamins could significantly reduce the risk of obesity in children and adolescents. Potential interactions between vitamin B₂ and vitamin B₁₂ in increasing the risk of obesity in children and adolescents were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

We determine the combined effects of multivitamins on obesity in children and adolescents, and observe a significant interaction between vitamin B₂ and vitamin B₁₂. Further cohort studies are needed to clarify the health effects of multivitamins intake in a larger population.