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Yang M, Chen X, Cheng C, Yan W, Guo R, Wang Y, Zhang H, Chai J, Cheng Y, Zhang F. Cucurbitacin B induces ferroptosis in oral leukoplakia via the SLC7A11/mitochondrial oxidative stress pathway. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 129:155548. [PMID: 38583347 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2024.155548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Oral leukoplakia (OLK), characterized by abnormal epithelial hyperplasia, is the most common precancerous oral mucosa lesion and is closely related to oxidative stress. Cucurbitacin B (CuB), a tetracyclic triterpenoid molecule derived from plants, has shown promising anti-proliferative and antioxidant effects in preclinical studies. However, whether CuB can play an antiproliferative role in OLK by regulating oxidative stress remains elusive. PURPOSE To investigate the role of CuB in inhibiting the malignant progression of oral leukoplakia and to further explore its underlying mechanisms of action. METHODS In vitro, the effect of CuB on the proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and cell cycle of OLK cells DOK was detected. The core genes and key pathways of OLK and CuB were analyzed in the transcriptome database, by using immunofluorescence, qRT-PCR, and Western blot to evaluate the expression levels of the ferroptosis markers ROS, GSH, MDA, Fe2+, and marker genes SLC7A11, GPX4, and FTH1. Immunohistochemistry of human tissue was performed to investigate the expression of the SLC7A11. In vivo, the model of OLK was established in C57BL/6 mice and the biosafety of CuB treatment for OLK was further evaluated. RESULTS CuB substantially suppressed the proliferation of DOK cells. Bioinformatics analysis showed that the core targets of OLK crossing with CuB include SLC7A11 and that the essential pathways involve ROS and ferroptosis. In vitro experiments indicated that CuB might promote ferroptosis by down-regulating the expression of SLC7A11. We observed a gradual increase in SLC7A11 expression levels during the progression from normal oral mucosa to oral leukoplakia with varying degrees of epithelial dysplasia. In vivo experiments demonstrated that CuB inhibited the malignant progression of OLK by promoting ferroptosis in OLK mice and exhibited a certain level of biosafety. CONCLUSION This study demonstrated for the first time that CuB could effectively inhibit the malignant progression of OLK by inducing ferroptosis via activating the SLC7A11/ mitochondrial oxidative stress pathway. These findings indicate that CuB could serve as the lead compound for the future development of anti-oral leukoplakia drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyuan Yang
- Shanxi Medical University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Shanxi Province Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases Prevention and New Materials, No.63 Xinjian South Road, Yingze District, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Xin Chen
- Shanxi Medical University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Shanxi Province Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases Prevention and New Materials, No.63 Xinjian South Road, Yingze District, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Chen Cheng
- Shanxi Medical University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Shanxi Province Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases Prevention and New Materials, No.63 Xinjian South Road, Yingze District, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Wenpeng Yan
- Shanxi Medical University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Shanxi Province Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases Prevention and New Materials, No.63 Xinjian South Road, Yingze District, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Rongrong Guo
- Shanxi Medical University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Shanxi Province Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases Prevention and New Materials, No.63 Xinjian South Road, Yingze District, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Yajun Wang
- Shanxi Medical University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Shanxi Province Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases Prevention and New Materials, No.63 Xinjian South Road, Yingze District, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Heng Zhang
- Shanxi Medical University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Shanxi Province Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases Prevention and New Materials, No.63 Xinjian South Road, Yingze District, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Jiawei Chai
- Shanxi Medical University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Shanxi Province Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases Prevention and New Materials, No.63 Xinjian South Road, Yingze District, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - YaHsin Cheng
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Fang Zhang
- Shanxi Medical University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Shanxi Province Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases Prevention and New Materials, No.63 Xinjian South Road, Yingze District, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China.
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Huifu H, Shefrin S, Yang S, Zhang Z, Kaul SC, Sundar D, Wadhwa R. Cucurbitacin-B inhibits cancer cell migration by targeting mortalin and HDM2: computational and in vitro experimental evidence. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:2643-2652. [PMID: 37129211 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2206914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Cancer metastasis, a highly complex process wherein cancer cells move from the primary site to other sites in the body, is a major hurdle in its therapeutics. A large array of synthetic chemotherapeutic molecules used for the treatment of metastatic cancers, besides being extremely expensive and unaffordable, are known to cause severe adverse effects leading to poor quality of life (QOL) of the patients. In this premise, natural compounds (considered safe, easily available and economic) that possess the potential to inhibit migration of cancer cells are deemed useful and hence are on demand. Cucurbitacin-B (19-(10→9β)-abeo-10-lanost-5-ene triterpene, called Cuc-B) is a steroid mostly found in plants of Cucurbitaceae family. It has been shown to possess anticancer activity although the molecular mechanism remains poorly defined. We present evidence that Cuc-B has the ability to interact with mortalin and HDM2 proteins that are enriched in cancer cells, suppress wild type p53 function and promote cancer cell migration. Computational analyses showed that Cuc-B interacts with mortalin similar to MKT077 and Withanone, both have been shown to reactivate p53 function and inhibit cell migration. Furthermore, Cuc-B interacted with HDM2 similar to Y30, a well-known inhibitor of HDM2. Experimental cell and molecular analyses demonstrated the downregulation of several proteins, critically involved in cell migration in Cuc-B (low non-toxic doses)-treated cancer cells and exhibited inhibition of cell migration. The data suggested that Cuc-B is a potential natural drug that warrants further mechanistic and clinical studies for its use in the management of metastatic cancers.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- He Huifu
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
- AIST-INDIA DAILAB, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science & Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Seyad Shefrin
- DAILAB, Department of Biochemical Engineering & Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Shi Yang
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
- AIST-INDIA DAILAB, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science & Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Zhenya Zhang
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Sunil C Kaul
- AIST-INDIA DAILAB, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science & Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Durai Sundar
- DAILAB, Department of Biochemical Engineering & Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Renu Wadhwa
- AIST-INDIA DAILAB, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science & Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
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Khan F, Pandey P, Verma M, Upadhyay TK. Terpenoid-Mediated Targeting of STAT3 Signaling in Cancer: An Overview of Preclinical Studies. Biomolecules 2024; 14:200. [PMID: 38397437 PMCID: PMC10886526 DOI: 10.3390/biom14020200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer has become one of the most multifaceted and widespread illnesses affecting human health, causing substantial mortality at an alarming rate. After cardiovascular problems, the condition has a high occurrence rate and ranks second in terms of mortality. The development of new drugs has been facilitated by increased research and a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind the emergence and advancement of the disease. Numerous preclinical and clinical studies have repeatedly demonstrated the protective effects of natural terpenoids against a range of malignancies. Numerous potential bioactive terpenoids have been investigated in natural sources for their chemopreventive and chemoprotective properties. In practically all body cells, the signaling molecule referred to as signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is widely expressed. Numerous studies have demonstrated that STAT3 regulates its downstream target genes, including Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, cyclin D1, c-Myc, and survivin, to promote the growth of cells, differentiation, cell cycle progression, angiogenesis, and immune suppression in addition to chemotherapy resistance. Researchers viewed STAT3 as a primary target for cancer therapy because of its crucial involvement in cancer formation. This therapy primarily focuses on directly and indirectly preventing the expression of STAT3 in tumor cells. By explicitly targeting STAT3 in both in vitro and in vivo settings, it has been possible to explain the protective effect of terpenoids against malignant cells. In this study, we provide a complete overview of STAT3 signal transduction processes, the involvement of STAT3 in carcinogenesis, and mechanisms related to STAT3 persistent activation. The article also thoroughly summarizes the inhibition of STAT3 signaling by certain terpenoid phytochemicals, which have demonstrated strong efficacy in several preclinical cancer models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fahad Khan
- Center for Global Health Research, Saveetha Medical College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai 602105, India;
| | - Pratibha Pandey
- University Centre for Research and Development, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali 140413, India
| | - Meenakshi Verma
- University Centre for Research and Development, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali 140413, India
- Department of Chemistry, University Institute of Sciences, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali 140413, India
| | - Tarun Kumar Upadhyay
- Department of Biotechnology, Parul Institute of Applied Sciences and Research and Development Cell, Parul University, Vadodara 391760, India;
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Yin HZ, Zhang MC, Wu H. Clinical and Immunological Significance of ANKRD52 in Pan-Cancer. Biochem Genet 2024:10.1007/s10528-023-10645-w. [PMID: 38296907 DOI: 10.1007/s10528-023-10645-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Ankyrin repeat domain 52 (ANKRD52) is a regulatory component of the protein phosphatase 6 (PP6) holoenzyme. Evidence has emerged to suggest involvement of ANKRD52 in tumor metastases and cancer cell escape from T cell-mediated elimination and immunotherapy but there has been no research across different cancer types. The current study explored the biological functions of ANKRD52 by combining data from many databases. The aim was to expose new diagnostic or treatment biomarkers for malignant tumors. The roles of ANKRD52 with respect to immunotherapy in 33 human cancer types were analyzed by combining data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx), Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE), UCSC Xena, the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER), TISIDB and Cellminer. Bioinformatics methods were used to analyze the association between ANKRD52 expression and prognosis, immunological indicators (immune cell infiltration, ESTIMATE scores and tumor microenvironment (TME) signatures), tumor mutational burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI) and drug sensitivity. ANKRD52 expression was generally higher in 24 tumor tissues than in normal tissues and was associated with poor prognosis, especially in kidney chromophobe (KICH). Lower expression was observed in advanced cancer. ANKRD52 expression was strongly linked to major immunological indicators, such as immune cell infiltration, ESTIMATE scores, TME signatures, as well as expression of immune and tumor-related genes. Expression was also associated with indicators of immunotherapy efficacy and outcome, such as TMB in 7 cancer types and MSI in 12. In addition, ANKRD52 expression was linked to sensitivity to a number of anticancer drugs. ANKRD52 had a distinct immune function in breast invasive carcinoma (BRCA) that correlated negatively with most immune indicators. Expression was enriched in proliferation-, differentiation- and metabolism-related pathways and linked to other immune cells and TME signatures. A nomogram to predict 3- or 5-year overall survival (OS) of patients with BRCA was constructed. ANKRD52 may have utility as an oncological and immunological biomarker. New insights into oncogenesis are presented and the development of ANKRD52-targeting to increase the therapeutic efficacy of immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Zi Yin
- Department of Breast Radiotherapy, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, 150 Haping Road, Harbin, 150081, China
- Translational Medicine Research and Cooperation Center of Northern China, Heilongjiang Academy of Medical Sciences, 157 Baojian Road, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Meng-Chun Zhang
- Translational Medicine Research and Cooperation Center of Northern China, Heilongjiang Academy of Medical Sciences, 157 Baojian Road, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Hao Wu
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Biotherapy, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, 150 Haping Road, Harbin, 150081, China.
- Translational Medicine Research and Cooperation Center of Northern China, Heilongjiang Academy of Medical Sciences, 157 Baojian Road, Harbin, 150081, China.
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Li Y, Li Y, Yao Y, Li H, Gao C, Sun C, Zhuang J. Potential of cucurbitacin as an anticancer drug. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 168:115707. [PMID: 37862969 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
In Chinese medicine, the Cucurbitaceae family contains many compounds known as cucurbitacins, which have been categorized into 12 classes ranging from A to T and more than 200 derivatives. Cucurbitacins are a class of highly oxidized tetracyclic triterpenoids with potent anticancer properties. The eight components of cucurbitacins with the strongest anticancer activity are cucurbitacins B, D, E, I, IIa, L-glucoside, Q, and R. Cucurbitacins have also been reported to suppress JAK-STAT 3, mTOR, VEGFR, Wnt/β-catenin, and MAPK signaling pathways, all of which are crucial for the survival and demise of cancer cells. In this paper, we review the progress in research on cucurbitacin-induced apoptosis, autophagy, cytoskeleton disruption, cell cycle arrest, inhibition of cell proliferation, inhibition of invasion and migration, inhibition of angiogenesis, epigenetic alterations, and synergistic anticancer effects in tumor cells. Recent studies have identified cucurbitacins as promising molecules for therapeutic innovation with broad versatility in immune response. Thus, cucurbitacin is a promising class of anticancer agents that can be used alone or in combination with chemotherapy and radiotherapy for the treatment of many types of cancer.Therefore, based on the research reports in the past five years at home and abroad, we further summarize and review the structural characteristics, chemical and biological activities, and studies of cucurbitacins based on the previous studies to provide a reference for further development and utilization of cucurbitacins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Li
- College of Chinese Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Yingrui Li
- College of Chinese Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Yan Yao
- College of First Clinical Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250022, China
| | - Huayao Li
- College of Chinese Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Chundi Gao
- College of Chinese Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Changgang Sun
- College of Chinese Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China; Department of Oncology, Weifang Traditional Chinese Hospital, Weifang 261000, China
| | - Jing Zhuang
- Department of Oncology, Weifang Traditional Chinese Hospital, Weifang 261000, China.
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Chen W, Liu Q, Huang Z, Le C, Wang Y, Yang J. Cucurbitacin C as an effective anti-cancer agent: unveiling its potential role against cholangiocarcinoma and mechanistic insights. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2023; 149:13123-13136. [PMID: 37474681 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-023-05188-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a malignant epithelial tumor characterized by a dismal prognosis. Given the lack of therapeutic strategies and durable treatment options currently available, identifying innovative treatments for CCA is an urgent unmet clinical need. Cucurbitacin C (CuC) is a distinct variant of the cucurbitacin family, displaying promising anti-cancer activity against various tumor types. The primary objective of our research is to elucidate the promising effects of CuC on CCA. METHODS The impact of CuC on CCA cell lines was assessed by cell count kit-8 assay, EdU staining assay, colony formation assay, wound-healing assay, and Transwell assay. Flow cytometric analysis was conducted to explore the function of CuC treatments on cell-cycle distribution and apoptosis in CCA cells. Computational biology and network pharmacology approaches were utilized to predict potential targets of CuC. Furthermore, a tumor xenograft mouse model was established using CCA cells to explore the anti-cancer effects of CuC in vivo. RESULTS Our research findings revealed that CuC exerted a suppressive effect on CCA cell progression. Cell viability assays, EdU staining assays, and colony formation assays demonstrated that CuC effectively suppressed viability and proliferation of CCA cells. Wound-healing assays and Transwell assays indicated that CuC effectively inhibits the migratory and invasive capabilities of CCA cells. Flow cytometry analysis elucidated that CuC played its anti-proliferative role in CCA cells by arresting G0/G1 phase and increasing apoptosis. Through bioinformatics and network pharmacology analysis, in conjunction with western blot analysis, we demonstrated CuC mediated the inhibition of CCA cell progression through modulation of JAK2/STAT3 pathway. Additionally, the CCA xenograft tumor model was established, and the results supported the inhibition of CuC treatment against CCA progression in vivo. CONCLUSION Our study demonstrates that CuC possesses notable capabilities to suppress cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in CCA. Importantly, the inhibitory effects of CuC on CCA progression are attributed to its modulation of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. Altogether, our study demonstrated that CuC holds promise as a prospective therapeutic agent for treating CCA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wangyang Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 261 Huansha Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Biliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang Province, China
- Hangzhou Institute of Digestive Diseases, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Qiang Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 261 Huansha Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Biliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang Province, China
- Hangzhou Institute of Digestive Diseases, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Zhicheng Huang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 261 Huansha Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Biliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang Province, China
- Hangzhou Institute of Digestive Diseases, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Chenyu Le
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 261 Huansha Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Biliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang Province, China
- Hangzhou Institute of Digestive Diseases, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 261 Huansha Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang Province, China.
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Biliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang Province, China.
- Hangzhou Institute of Digestive Diseases, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang Province, China.
| | - Jianfeng Yang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 261 Huansha Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang Province, China.
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Biliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang Province, China.
- Hangzhou Institute of Digestive Diseases, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang Province, China.
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Oncology and Intelligent Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang Province, China.
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Cancer Pharmacology and Toxicology Research, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang Province, China.
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Xu D, Liu A, Liu Q, Zhang H, Tian M, Bian Y, Zhang X, Ying M, Shen H. Cucurbitacin C suppresses the progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma via inhibition of the cGMP-PKG-VASP axis. Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 217:115810. [PMID: 37717690 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the most devastating diseases; it has a considerably poor prognosis and may become the second most lethal malignancy in the next 10 years. Chemotherapeutic resistance is common in PDAC; thus, it is necessary to exploit effective alternative drugs. In recent years, traditional folk medicines and their extracts have shown great potential in cancer treatment. The seed of Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl. is a traditional medicine in Asia. Because of its analgesic effects and ability to reduce swelling, it is often used as an adjuvant treatment for abdominal tumors. Cucurbitacin compounds are extracts abundant in Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl. Here, we found that cucurbitacin C (CuC), a member of the cucurbitacin family, has apparent anti-PDAC therapeutic properties. CuC decreased the viability and suppressed the proliferation of PDAC cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Further studies revealed that CuC inhibited cell migration and invasion by inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In addition, G2/M arrest was induced, and the apoptotic pathway was activated. Transcriptomic and bioinformatic analyses showed that CuC inhibited the cGMP-PKG-VASP axis, increasing the content of cGMP to restore tumor characteristics. The antitumor activity of CuC in vivo was verified through animal experiments, and no obvious side effects were observed. Overall, our study indicates a candidate therapeutic compound for PDAC that is worthy of further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongchao Xu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China; Hangzhou Institute of Digestive Diseases, Hangzhou 310000, China; Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Biliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Ajuan Liu
- Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 311300, China
| | - Qiang Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China; Hangzhou Institute of Digestive Diseases, Hangzhou 310000, China; Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Biliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Hongchen Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China; Hangzhou Institute of Digestive Diseases, Hangzhou 310000, China; Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Biliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Mengyao Tian
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Ying Bian
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Xiaofeng Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China; Hangzhou Institute of Digestive Diseases, Hangzhou 310000, China; Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Biliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China.
| | - Meidan Ying
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
| | - Hongzhang Shen
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China; Hangzhou Institute of Digestive Diseases, Hangzhou 310000, China; Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Biliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China.
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Zieniuk B, Pawełkowicz M. Recent Advances in the Application of Cucurbitacins as Anticancer Agents. Metabolites 2023; 13:1081. [PMID: 37887406 PMCID: PMC10608718 DOI: 10.3390/metabo13101081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Cucurbitacins are tetracyclic triterpenoid secondary metabolites, widely distributed in the Cucurbitaceae family. These bitter-tasting compounds act primarily as defense mechanisms against external injuries, and thus against herbivores, and furthermore, they have also found use in folk medicine in the treatment of various diseases. Many studies have acknowledged significant biological activities of cucurbitacins, such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, antimicrobial properties, or antitumor potential. Overall, cucurbitacins have the ability to inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in various cancer cell lines. Both in vitro and in vivo studies were performed to evaluate the anticancer activity of varied cucurbitacins. Cucurbitacins offer a promising avenue for future cancer treatment strategies, and their diverse mechanisms of action make them attractive candidates for further investigation. The aim of the present study is to shed light on the chemical diversity of this group of compounds by providing the sources of origin of selected compounds and their chemical structure, as well as insight into their anticancer potential. In addition, within this paper molecular targets for cucurbitacins and signalling pathways important for cancer cell proliferation and/or survival that are affected by the described class of compounds have been presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bartłomiej Zieniuk
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Food Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Magdalena Pawełkowicz
- Department of Plant Genetics, Breeding and Biotechnology, Institute of Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
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Kumar A, Sharma B, Sharma U, Parashar G, Parashar NC, Rani I, Ramniwas S, Kaur S, Haque S, Tuli HS. Apoptotic and antimetastatic effect of cucurbitacins in cancer: recent trends and advancement. NAUNYN-SCHMIEDEBERG'S ARCHIVES OF PHARMACOLOGY 2023; 396:1867-1878. [PMID: 37010571 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-023-02471-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023]
Abstract
The Cucurbitaceae family produces a class of secondary metabolites known as cucurbitacins. The eight cucurbitacin subunits are cucurbitacin B, D, E, I, IIa, L glucoside, Q, and R with the most significant anticancer activity. They are reported to inhibit cell proliferation, invasion, and migration; induce apoptosis; and encourage cell cycle arrest, as some of their modes of action. The JAK-STAT3, Wnt, PI3K/Akt, and MAPK signaling pathways, which are essential for the survival and apoptosis of cancer cells, have also been shown to be suppressed by cucurbitacins. The goal of the current study is to summarize potential molecular targets that cucurbitacins could inhibit in order to suppress various malignant processes. The review is noteworthy since it presents all putative molecular targets for cucurbitacins in cancer on a single podium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajay Kumar
- Punjab Biotechnology Incubator (PBTI), Phase VIII, Mohali, 160071, India
| | - Bunty Sharma
- Department of Biotechnology, Maharishi Markandeshwar Engineering College, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, Ambala, 133207, India
| | - Ujjawal Sharma
- Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, Punjab, 151401, India
| | - Gaurav Parashar
- Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, School of Science, Navrachana University Vadodara, Gujrat, 391410, India
| | - Nidarshana Chaturvedi Parashar
- Department of Biotechnology, Maharishi Markandeshwar Engineering College, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, Ambala, 133207, India
| | - Isha Rani
- Department of Biochemistry, maharishi markendashwar college of medical sciences and Research (MMCMSR), Sadopur, Ambala, 134007, India
| | - Seema Ramniwas
- University Centre for Research and Development, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali, 140413, India
| | - Satwinderjeet Kaur
- Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, 143005, India
| | - Shafiul Haque
- Research and Scientific Studies Unit, College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan, 45142, Saudi Arabia
- Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon
- Centre of Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
| | - Hardeep Singh Tuli
- Department of Biotechnology, Maharishi Markandeshwar Engineering College, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, Ambala, 133207, India.
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10
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Mukherjee O, Rakshit S, Shanmugam G, Sarkar K. Role of chemotherapeutic drugs in immunomodulation of cancer. CURRENT RESEARCH IN IMMUNOLOGY 2023; 4:100068. [PMID: 37692091 PMCID: PMC10491645 DOI: 10.1016/j.crimmu.2023.100068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The immune system has a variety of potential effects on a tumor microenvironment and the course of chemotherapy may vary according to that. Anticancer treatments can encourage the release of unwanted signals from senescent tumor cells or the removal of immune-suppressive cells, which can lead to immune system activation. Hence, by inducing an immunological response and conversely making cancer cells more vulnerable to immune attack, chemotherapeutic agents can destroy cancer cells. Furthermore, chemotherapy can activate anticancer immune effectors directly or indirectly by thwarting immunosuppressive pathways. Therefore, in this review, we discuss how chemotherapeutic agents take part in immunomodulation and the molecular mechanisms underlying them. We also focus on the importance of carefully addressing the conflicting effects of chemotherapy on immune responses when developing successful combination treatments based on chemotherapy and immune modulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oishi Mukherjee
- Department of Biotechnology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 603203, India
| | - Sudeshna Rakshit
- Department of Biotechnology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 603203, India
| | - Geetha Shanmugam
- Department of Biotechnology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 603203, India
| | - Koustav Sarkar
- Department of Biotechnology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 603203, India
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11
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Guo F, Kan K, Rückert F, Rückert W, Li L, Eberhard J, May T, Sticht C, Dirks WG, Reißfelder C, Pallavi P, Keese M. Comparison of Tumour-Specific Phenotypes in Human Primary and Expandable Pancreatic Cancer Cell Lines. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13530. [PMID: 37686338 PMCID: PMC10488093 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
There is an ongoing need for patient-specific chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer. Tumour cells isolated from human tissues can be used to predict patients' response to chemotherapy. However, the isolation and maintenance of pancreatic cancer cells is challenging because these cells become highly vulnerable after losing the tumour microenvironment. Therefore, we investigated whether the cells retained their original characteristics after lentiviral transfection and expansion. Three human primary pancreatic cancer cell lines were lentivirally transduced to create expandable (Ex) cells which were then compared with primary (Pri) cells. No obvious differences in the morphology or epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were observed between the primary and expandable cell lines. The two expandable cell lines showed higher proliferation rates in the 2D and 3D models. All three expandable cell lines showed attenuated migratory ability. Differences in gene expression between primary and expandable cell lines were then compared using RNA-Seq data. Potential target drugs were predicted by differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and differentially expressed pathways (DEPs) related to tumour-specific characteristics such as proliferation, migration, EMT, drug resistance, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were investigated using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. We found that the two expandable cell lines expressed similar chemosensitivity and redox-regulatory capability to gemcitabine and oxaliplatin in the 2D model as compared to their counterparts. In conclusion, we successfully generated expandable primary pancreatic cancer cell lines using lentiviral transduction. These expandable cells not only retain some tumour-specific biological traits of primary cells but also show an ongoing proliferative capacity, thereby yielding sufficient material for drug response assays, which may provide a patient-specific platform for chemotherapy drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Guo
- Department of Surgery, Universitätsmedizin Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167 Mannheim, Germany; (F.G.); (K.K.); (L.L.); (J.E.); (C.R.)
| | - Kejia Kan
- Department of Surgery, Universitätsmedizin Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167 Mannheim, Germany; (F.G.); (K.K.); (L.L.); (J.E.); (C.R.)
- European Center of Angioscience ECAS, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Felix Rückert
- Surgical Department, Diakonissen Krankenhaus Speyer, 67346 Speyer, Germany;
| | - Wolfgang Rückert
- Ingenieurbüro Dr. Ing. Rückert Data Analysis, Kirchweg 4, 57647 Nistertal, Germany;
| | - Lin Li
- Department of Surgery, Universitätsmedizin Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167 Mannheim, Germany; (F.G.); (K.K.); (L.L.); (J.E.); (C.R.)
- European Center of Angioscience ECAS, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Johannes Eberhard
- Department of Surgery, Universitätsmedizin Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167 Mannheim, Germany; (F.G.); (K.K.); (L.L.); (J.E.); (C.R.)
| | - Tobias May
- InSCREENeX GmbH, Inhoffenstr. 7, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany;
| | - Carsten Sticht
- Next Generation Sequencing Core Facility, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167 Mannheim, Germany;
| | - Wilhelm G. Dirks
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ, German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH, Inhoffenstraße 7B, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany;
| | - Christoph Reißfelder
- Department of Surgery, Universitätsmedizin Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167 Mannheim, Germany; (F.G.); (K.K.); (L.L.); (J.E.); (C.R.)
| | - Prama Pallavi
- Department of Surgery, Universitätsmedizin Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167 Mannheim, Germany; (F.G.); (K.K.); (L.L.); (J.E.); (C.R.)
- European Center of Angioscience ECAS, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Michael Keese
- European Center of Angioscience ECAS, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167 Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Theresienkrankenhaus, 68165 Mannheim, Germany
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12
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Ma Y, Li D, Zhong Y, Wang X, Li L, Osbourn A, Lucas WJ, Huang S, Shang Y. Vacuolar MATE/DTX protein-mediated cucurbitacin C transport is co-regulated with bitterness biosynthesis in cucumber. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 238:995-1003. [PMID: 36732026 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Membrane-localized transporters constitute important components for specialized metabolism in plants. However, due to the vast array of specialized metabolites produced by plants, and the large families of transporter genes, knowledge about the intracellular and intercellular transport of plant metabolites is still in its infancy. Cucurbitacins are bitter and defensive triterpenoids produced mainly in the cucurbits. Using a comparative genomics and multi-omics approach, a MATE gene (CsMATE1), physically clustered with cucurbitacin C (CuC) biosynthetic genes, was identified and functionally shown to sequester CuC in cucumber leaf mesophyll cells. Notably, the CuC transport process is strictly co-regulated with CuC biosynthesis. CsMATE1 clustering with bitterness biosynthesis genes may provide benefits and a basis for this feedback regulation on CuC sequestration and biosynthesis. Identification of transport systems for plant-specialized metabolites can accelerate the metabolic engineering of high-value-added compounds by simplifying their purification process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongshuo Ma
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518116, China
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Dawei Li
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518116, China
| | - Yang Zhong
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518116, China
| | - Xiaohan Wang
- College of Life Science, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Legong Li
- College of Life Science, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Anne Osbourn
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - William J Lucas
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518116, China
- Department of Plant Biology, College of Biological Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Sanwen Huang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518116, China
| | - Yi Shang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Potato Biology, The CAAS-YNNU-YINMORE Joint Academy of Potato Sciences, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, 650500, China
- Engineering Research Center of Sustainable Development and Utilization of Biomass Energy (Ministry of Education), Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, 650500, China
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13
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Mihanfar A, Yousefi B, Azizzadeh B, Majidinia M. Interactions of melatonin with various signaling pathways: implications for cancer therapy. Cancer Cell Int 2022; 22:420. [PMID: 36581900 PMCID: PMC9798601 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-022-02825-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Melatonin is a neuro-hormone with conserved roles in evolution. Initially synthetized as an antioxidant molecule, it has gained prominence as a key molecule in the regulation of the circadian rhythm. Melatonin exerts its effect by binding to cytoplasmic and intra-nuclear receptors, and is able to regulate the expression of key mediators of different signaling pathways. This ability has led scholars to investigate the role of melatonin in reversing the process of carcinogenesis, a process in which many signaling pathways are involved, and regulating these pathways may be of clinical significance. In this review, the role of melatonin in regulating multiple signaling pathways with important roles in cancer progression is discussed, and evidence regarding the beneficence of targeting malignancies with this approach is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ainaz Mihanfar
- grid.412763.50000 0004 0442 8645Solid Tumor Research Center, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Bahman Yousefi
- grid.412888.f0000 0001 2174 8913Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Bita Azizzadeh
- grid.449129.30000 0004 0611 9408Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran
| | - Maryam Majidinia
- grid.412763.50000 0004 0442 8645Solid Tumor Research Center, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
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14
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Huang B, Lang X, Li X. The role of IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway in cancers. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1023177. [PMID: 36591515 PMCID: PMC9800921 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1023177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pleiotropic cytokine involved in immune regulation. It can activate janus kinase 2 (JAK2)-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway. As one of the important signal transduction pathways in cells, JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway plays a critical role in cell proliferation and differentiation by affecting the activation state of downstream effector molecules. The activation of JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway is involved in tumorigenesis and development. It contributes to the formation of tumor inflammatory microenvironment and is closely related to the occurrence and development of many human tumors. This article focuses on the relationship between IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway and liver cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer and ovarian cancer, hoping to provide references for the research of cancer treatment targeting key molecules in IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bei Huang
- Operational Management Office, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China,Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaoling Lang
- Operational Management Office, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China,Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China,*Correspondence: Xiaoling Lang, ; Xihong Li,
| | - Xihong Li
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China,Emergency Department, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China,*Correspondence: Xiaoling Lang, ; Xihong Li,
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15
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A comprehensive review on the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicity of Anagallis arvensis (L).: A wild edible medicinal food plant. FOOD BIOSCI 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fbio.2022.102328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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16
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Patel A, Rasheed A, Reilly I, Pareek Z, Hansen M, Haque Z, Simon-Fajardo D, Davies C, Tummala A, Reinhardt K, Bustabad A, Shaw M, Robins J, Vera Gomez K, Suphakorn T, Camacho Gemelgo M, Law A, Lin K, Hospedales E, Haley H, Perez Martinez JP, Khan S, DeCanio J, Padgett M, Abramov A, Nanjundan M. Modulation of Cytoskeleton, Protein Trafficking, and Signaling Pathways by Metabolites from Cucurbitaceae, Ericaceae, and Rosaceae Plant Families. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:1380. [PMID: 36355554 PMCID: PMC9698530 DOI: 10.3390/ph15111380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
One promising frontier within the field of Medical Botany is the study of the bioactivity of plant metabolites on human health. Although plant metabolites are metabolic byproducts that commonly regulate ecological interactions and biochemical processes in plant species, such metabolites also elicit profound effects on the cellular processes of human and other mammalian cells. In this regard, due to their potential as therapeutic agents for a variety of human diseases and induction of toxic cellular responses, further research advances are direly needed to fully understand the molecular mechanisms induced by these agents. Herein, we focus our investigation on metabolites from the Cucurbitaceae, Ericaceae, and Rosaceae plant families, for which several plant species are found within the state of Florida in Hillsborough County. Specifically, we compare the molecular mechanisms by which metabolites and/or plant extracts from these plant families modulate the cytoskeleton, protein trafficking, and cell signaling to mediate functional outcomes, as well as a discussion of current gaps in knowledge. Our efforts to lay the molecular groundwork in this broad manner hold promise in supporting future research efforts in pharmacology and drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Meera Nanjundan
- Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
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17
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Delgado-Tiburcio EE, Cadena-Iñiguez J, Santiago-Osorio E, Ruiz-Posadas LDM, Castillo-Juárez I, Aguiñiga-Sánchez I, Soto-Hernández M. Pharmacokinetics and Biological Activity of Cucurbitacins. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:1325. [PMID: 36355498 PMCID: PMC9696414 DOI: 10.3390/ph15111325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Cucurbitacins are a class of secondary metabolites initially isolated from the Cucurbitaceae family. They are important for their analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, and anticancer biological actions. This review addresses pharmacokinetic parameters recently reported, including absorption, metabolism, distribution, and elimination phases of cucurbitacins. It includes recent studies of the molecular mechanisms of the biological activity of the most studied cucurbitacins and some derivatives, especially their anticancer capacity, to propose the integration of the pharmacokinetic profiles of cucurbitacins and the possibilities of their use. The main botanical genera and species of American origin that have been studied, and others whose chemo taxonomy makes them essential sources for the extraction of these metabolites, are summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jorge Cadena-Iñiguez
- Innovation in Natural Resource Management, Postgraduate College, Campus San Luis Potosí, Salinas de Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí 78622, Mexico
| | - Edelmiro Santiago-Osorio
- Hematopoiesis and Leukemia Laboratory, Research Unit on Cell Differentiation and Cancer, FES Zaragoza, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 09230, Mexico
| | - Lucero del Mar Ruiz-Posadas
- Botany Department, Postgraduate College, Campus Montecillo, km 36.5 Carretera México-Texcoco, Texcoco 56230, Mexico
| | - Israel Castillo-Juárez
- Botany Department, Postgraduate College, Campus Montecillo, km 36.5 Carretera México-Texcoco, Texcoco 56230, Mexico
| | - Itzen Aguiñiga-Sánchez
- Hematopoiesis and Leukemia Laboratory, Research Unit on Cell Differentiation and Cancer, FES Zaragoza, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 09230, Mexico
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, FES Zaragoza, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 09230, Mexico
| | - Marcos Soto-Hernández
- Botany Department, Postgraduate College, Campus Montecillo, km 36.5 Carretera México-Texcoco, Texcoco 56230, Mexico
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18
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Alafnan A, Alamri A, Hussain T, Rizvi SMD. Cucurbitacin-B Exerts Anticancer Effects through Instigation of Apoptosis and Cell Cycle Arrest within Human Prostate Cancer PC3 Cells via Downregulating JAK/STAT Signaling Cascade. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15101229. [PMID: 36297341 PMCID: PMC9609558 DOI: 10.3390/ph15101229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Cucurbitacin-B (Cur-B) is an analogue triterpenoid belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. Previous reports have explicitly outlined various biological activities of Cucurbitaceae family members, including the anticancer activity of Cur-B. In the present study, we tried to elucidate the anticancer efficacy of Cur-B against prostate cancer PC3 cells. PC3 cells were exposed to purified Cur-B at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 µM for 24. Cur-B exposure reduced cell viability of PC3 cells at 5 µM (p < 0.05), with further reduction with increased Cur-B concentration (15 µM, p < 0.01 and 25 µM, p < 0.001). Cur-B also succeeded in instigating nuclear fragmentation and condensation, followed by activation of caspase-8, -9 and -3 proportionally with increasing concentrations of Cur-B. Treatment with Cur-B also instigated ROS-mediated oxidative stress both qualitatively and quantitatively at 5 µM, p < 0.05; 15 µM, p < 0.01 and 25 µM, p < 0.001. Increased ROS after Cur-B treatment also led to dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential, thereby resulting in considerable apoptosis (p < 0.001), which, again, was proportionally dependent on Cur-B concentration. Cur-B exposure to PC3 cells was concomitantly followed by reduced cyclin D1, cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) expression and augmented mRNA expression of CDK inhibitor p21Cip1. Intriguingly, Cur-B exposure also led to considerable downregulation of the JAK/STAT signaling cascade, which may be the reason behind Cur-B-mediated apoptosis and cell cycle arrest within PC3 cells. Therefore, these observations explicitly establish that Cur-B could serve in the prevention of prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Alafnan
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Ha’il, Ha’il 81442, Saudi Arabia
- Correspondence:
| | - Abdulwahab Alamri
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Ha’il, Ha’il 81442, Saudi Arabia
| | - Talib Hussain
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Ha’il, Ha’il 81442, Saudi Arabia
| | - Syed Mohd Danish Rizvi
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Ha’il, Ha’il 81442, Saudi Arabia
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The Regulatory Effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine on Ferroptosis. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2022; 2022:4578381. [PMID: 36193068 PMCID: PMC9526626 DOI: 10.1155/2022/4578381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has significantly contributed to protecting human health and promoting the progress of world civilization. A total of 2,711 TCMs are included in the 2020 version of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, which is an integral part of the world’s medical resources. Tu Youyou and her team discovered and purified artemisinin. And their contributions made the values and advantageous effects of TCM more and more recognized by the international community. There has been a lot of studies on TCM to treat diseases through antioxidant mechanisms, the reports on the new mechanisms beyond antioxidants of TCM has also increased year by year. Recently, many TCMs appear to have significant effects in regulating ferroptosis. Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent, non-apoptotic, regulated cell death characterized by intracellular lipid peroxide accumulation and oxidative membrane damage. Recently, accumulating studies have demonstrated that numerous organ injuries and pathophysiological process of many diseases are companied with ferroptosis, such as cancer, neurodegenerative disease, acute renal injury, arteriosclerosis, diabetes, and ischemia-reperfusion injury. This work mainly introduces dozens of TCMs that can regulate ferroptosis and their possible mechanisms and targets.
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Can natural products modulate cytokine storm in SARS-CoV2 patients? BIOTECHNOLOGY REPORTS 2022; 35:e00749. [PMID: 35702395 PMCID: PMC9181898 DOI: 10.1016/j.btre.2022.e00749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Immune reaction CoV2 can cause uncontrolled systemic inflammatory responses called cytokine storm. Medicinal plants and their secondary metabolites are potential modulators of cytokine storm. Secondary metabolites modulate inflammatory signaling associated with CoV2. The potential applicability of natural products against CoV2 need to be evaluated in strictly defined clinical research.
Currently, the number of cases and deaths of SARS-CoV2, especially among the chronic disease groups, due to aggressive SARS-CoV2 infection is increasing day by day. Various infections, particularly viral ones, cause a cytokine storm resulting in shortness of breath, bleeding, hypotension, and ultimately multi-organ failure due to over-expression of certain cytokines and necrosis factors. The most prominent clinical feature of SARS-CoV2 is the presence of elevated proinflammatory cytokines in the serum of patients with SARS-CoV2. Severe cases exhibit higher levels of cytokines, leading to a “cytokine storm” that further increases disease severity and causes acute respiratory distress syndrome, multiple organ failure, and death. Therefore, targeted cytokine production could be a potential therapeutic option for patients severely infected with SARS-CoV2. Given the current scenario, great scientific progress has been made in understanding the disease and its forms of treatment. Because of natural ingredients properties, they have the potential to be used as potential agents with the ability to modulate immune responses. Moreover, they can be used safely because they have no toxic effects, are biodegradable and biocompatible. However, these natural substances can continue to be used in the development of new therapies and vaccines. Finally, the aim and approach of this review article is to highlight current research on the possible use of natural products with promising potential as immune response activators. Moreover, consider the expected use of natural products when developing potential therapies and vaccines.
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Nishimoto A. Effective combinations of anti-cancer and targeted drugs for pancreatic cancer treatment. World J Gastroenterol 2022; 28:3637-3643. [PMID: 36161054 PMCID: PMC9372808 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v28.i28.3637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is highly aggressive and lethal. Due to the lack of effective methods for detecting the disease at an early stage, pancreatic cancer is frequently diagnosed late. Gemcitabine has been the standard chemotherapy drug for patients with pancreatic cancer for over 20 years, but its anti-tumor effect is limited. Therefore, FOLFIRINOX (leucovorin, fluorouracil, irinotecan, oxaliplatin) as well as combination therapies using gemcitabine and conventional agents, such as cisplatin and capecitabine, has also been administered; however, these have not resulted in complete remission. Therefore, there is a need to develop novel and effective therapies for pancreatic cancer. Recently, some studies have reported that combinations of gemcitabine and targeted drugs have had significant anti-tumor effects on pancreatic cancer cells. As gemcitabine induced DNA damage response, the proteins related to DNA damage response can be suitable additional targets for novel gemcitabine-based combination therapy. Furthermore, KRAS/ RAF/MEK/ERK signaling triggered by oncogenic mutated KRAS and autophagy are frequently activated in pancreatic cancer. Therefore, these characteristics of pancreatic cancer are potential targets for developing effective novel therapies.
In this minireview, combinations of gemcitabine and targeted drugs to these characteristics, combinations of targeted drugs, combinations of natural products and anti-cancer agents, including gemcitabine, and combinations among natural products are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arata Nishimoto
- Division of Basic Pharmaceutical Science, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sanyo-Onoda City University, Sanyo-Onoda City 756-0884, Yamaguchi, Japan
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22
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Laka K, Mbita Z. P53-Related Anticancer Activities of Drimia calcarata Bulb Extracts Against Lung Cancer. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:876213. [PMID: 35769912 PMCID: PMC9235921 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.876213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Current lung cancer treatment strategies are ineffective, and lung cancer cases continue to soar; thus, novel anticancer drugs and targets are needed, and medicinal plants are promising to offer better alternatives. This study was aimed at analysing two p53 splice variants during the potential anticancer activities of Drimia calcarata (Dc) methanol and water extracts against different human lung cancer cell lines of varying p53 mutation status, and these included mutant H1573 and mutant H1437 and p53-wild type (A549) cells. The anticancer activities of the Dc extracts were assessed by establishing the cytotoxic effect and the apoptosis-inducing capacity of these extracts, using the MTT assay and Annexin V analysis, respectively, with the latter confirmed using fluorescence microscopy. The molecular mechanisms induced by these extracts were further evaluated using cell cycle analysis and RT-PCR. Both extracts demonstrated safety against noncancerous lung MRC-5 fibroblasts and exhibited significant anticancer potency (p < 0.001) against the H1437 (IC50 values: 62.50 μg/ml methanol extract and 125 μg/ml WE), H1573 (IC50 value: 125 μg/ml for both extracts) and A549 (IC50 value: 500 μg/ml ME). The water extract had no effect on the viability of A549 cells. Treated H1437 cells underwent p53-dependent apoptosis and S-phase cell cycle arrest while H1573 treated cells underwent p53-independed apoptosis and G0/G1 cell cycle arrest through upregulation of p21 mRNA expression levels. The expression levels of STAT1, STAT3, STAT5A and STAT5B genes increased significantly (p < 0.001) following the treatment of H1573 cells with ME and WE. Treatment of H1437 cells with ME upregulated the STAT1, STAT3, STAT5A and STAT5B mRNAs. Our results indicate that the proliferative inhibitory effect of D. calcarata extracts on A549 and H1573 cells is correlated with the suppression of Bcl-2, STAT3 and STAT5B while that is not the case in H1437 cells. Thus, our results suggest that the dysregulation of anti-apoptotic molecules Bcl-2, STAT3, STAT5A and STAT5B in H1437 may play a role in cancer cell survival, which may consequently contribute to the development of p53-mutated non-small human lung cancer. Our results indicate that D. calcarata is a promising source of anticancer agents for the treatment of p53-mutant human non-small lung cancer cells than the p53-wild type human non-small lung cancer cells.
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Xu D, Shen H, Tian M, Chen W, Zhang X. Cucurbitacin I inhibits the proliferation of pancreatic cancer through the JAK2/STAT3 signalling pathway in vivo and in vitro. J Cancer 2022; 13:2050-2060. [PMID: 35517401 PMCID: PMC9066209 DOI: 10.7150/jca.65875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive solid malignancies, as it has a 5-year survival rate of less than 10%. The growth and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells into normal tissues and organs make resection and treatment difficult. Finding an effective chemotherapy drug for this disease is crucial. In this study, we selected the tetracyclic triterpenoid compound cucurbitacin I, which may be used as a potential therapeutic drug for treating pancreatic cancer. First, we found that cucurbitacin I inhibited pancreatic cancer proliferation in a dose-time dependent manner. Further studies have shown that cucurbitacin I blocks the cell cycle of pancreatic cancer in the G2/M phase and induces cell apoptosis. In addition, under the action of the compound, the invasion ability of cells was greatly reduced and markedly impaired the growth of pancreatic tumour xenografts in nude mice. Furthermore, the decrease in pancreatic cancer cell proliferation caused by cucurbitacin I appeared to involve JAK2/STAT3 signalling pathway inhibition, and the use of JAK2/STAT3 activators effectively restored the inhibition. In conclusion, our research may provide a basis for the further development of pancreatic cancer treatment drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongchao Xu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou310000, China.,Hangzhou Institute of Digestive Diseases, Hangzhou310000, China.,Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Biliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou310000, China
| | - Hongzhang Shen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou310000, China.,Hangzhou Institute of Digestive Diseases, Hangzhou310000, China.,Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Biliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou310000, China
| | - Mengyao Tian
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou310000, China
| | - Wangyang Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou310000, China
| | - Xiaofeng Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou310000, China.,Hangzhou Institute of Digestive Diseases, Hangzhou310000, China.,Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Biliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou310000, China
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Qing Z, Shi Y, Han L, Li P, Zha Z, Liu C, Liu X, Huang P, Liu Y, Tang Q, Zeng K, Zeng J, Zhou Y. Identification of seven undescribed cucurbitacins in Cucumis sativus (cucumber) and their cytotoxic activity. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2022; 197:113123. [PMID: 35182783 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2022.113123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Cucurbitacin C-type cucurbitacins that are only identified in Cucumis sativus (cucumber) are, in part, responsible for the health benefits and bitter flavor. Nevertheless, detailed information about those functional ingredients in cucumber is scarce. In this study, ten cucurbitacin C analogues including seven undescribed ones have been isolated from the bitter leaves of cucumber, in which six compounds showed growth inhibition capabilities against tumor cell lines HepG2, A549, DU145 and HCT116. Intriguingly, cucurbitacin C6 and C7 exhibited a significant inhibition effect compared to the positive control taxol (IC50 = 1.86 ± 0.17 μM) on HepG2 cell line with IC50 values of 10.06 ± 0.34 μM and 4.16 ± 0.42 μM, respectively. The mechanism of cucurbitacin-induced apoptosis is likely down-regulating the expression of caspase-related proteins. This work enlarges the knowledge of the cucurbitacins in cucumber and highlights the importance of cucumber as a source of specialized metabolites in the food and medicinal industries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhixing Qing
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China
| | - Yao Shi
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Lida Han
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Pengkun Li
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Ziou Zha
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Chang Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Xiubin Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China
| | - Peng Huang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China
| | - Yisong Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China
| | - Qi Tang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China
| | - Kewu Zeng
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Jianguo Zeng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China; National and Local Union Engineering Research Center of Veterinary Herbal Medicine Resource and Initiative, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China.
| | - Yuan Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
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Genome-Wide Identification of YABBY Gene Family in Cucurbitaceae and Expression Analysis in Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13030467. [PMID: 35328021 PMCID: PMC8953090 DOI: 10.3390/genes13030467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
YABBY transcription factors play important roles in plant growth and development. However, little is known about YABBY genes in Cucurbitaceae. Here, we identified 59 YABBY genes from eight cucurbit species, including cucumber (C. sativus L.), melon (C. melon L.), watermelon (C. lanatus), wax gourd (B. hispida), pumpkin (C. maxima), zucchini (C. pepo L.), silver-seed gourd (C. argyrosperma), and bottle gourd (L. siceraria). The 59 YABBY genes were clustered into five subfamilies wherein the gene structures and motifs are conserved, suggesting similar functions within each subfamily. Different YABBY gene numbers in eight cucurbit species indicated that gene loss or duplication events exist in an evolutionary process across Cucurbitaceae. The cis-acting elements analysis implied that the YABBYs may be involved in plant development, and phytohormone, stress, and light responses. Importantly, YABBY genes exhibited organ-specific patterns in expression in cucumber. Furthermore, a gene CsaV3_6G038650 was constitutively expressed at higher levels at different fruit development stages and might play a crucial role in cucumber fruit development. Collectively, our work will provide a better understanding for further function identifications of YABBY genes in Cucurbitaceae.
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Pang L, Zhang L, Zhou H, Cao L, Shao Y, Li T. Reactive Oxygen Species-Responsive Nanococktail With Self-Amplificated Drug Release for Efficient Co-Delivery of Paclitaxel/Cucurbitacin B and Synergistic Treatment of Gastric Cancer. Front Chem 2022; 10:844426. [PMID: 35308794 PMCID: PMC8931329 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2022.844426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Application of drug combinations is a powerful strategy for the therapy of advanced gastric cancer. However, the clinical use of such combinations is greatly limited by the occurrence of severe systemic toxicity. Although polymeric-prodrug-based nanococktails can significantly reduce toxicity of drugs, they have been shown to have low intracellular drug release. To balance between efficacy and safety during application of polymeric-prodrug-based nanococktails, a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive nanococktail (PCM) with self-amplification drug release was developed in this study. In summary, PCM micelles were co-assembled from ROS-sensitive cucurbitacin B (CuB) and paclitaxel (PTX) polymeric prodrug, which were fabricated by covalently grafting PTX and CuB to dextran via an ROS-sensitive linkage. To minimize the side effects of the PCM micelles, a polymeric-prodrug strategy was employed to prevent premature leakage. Once it entered cancer cells, PCM released CuB and PTX in response to ROS. Moreover, the released CuB further promoted ROS generation, which in turn enhanced drug release for better therapeutic effects. In vivo antitumor experiments showed that the PCM-treated group had lower tumor burden (tumor weight was reduced by 92%), but bodyweight loss was not significant. These results indicate that the developed polymeric prodrug, with a self-amplification drug release nanococktail strategy, can be an effective and safe strategy for cancer management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Pang
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Jiangsu Shengze Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Jiangsu Shengze Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
| | - Hong Zhou
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Jiangsu Shengze Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
| | - Ling Cao
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Jiangsu Shengze Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
| | - Yueqin Shao
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Jiangsu Shengze Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
| | - Tengyun Li
- Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Jiangsu Shengze Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Tengyun Li,
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Gupta S, Kumar A, Tejavath KK. A pharmacognostic approach for mitigating pancreatic cancer: emphasis on herbal extracts and phytoconstituents. FUTURE JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.1186/s43094-021-00246-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Pancreatic cancer is studied as one of the most lethal cancers with currently no control of its lethality, mainly due to its late diagnosis and lack of foolproof treatment processes. Despite continuous efforts being made in looking for therapies to deal with cancer, it keeps on being a labyrinth for the researchers. Efforts like discovering new treatment options, repurposing existing drugs, are continuously made to deal with this cancer.
Main body
With the urge to get answers and the fact that nature has all roots of therapeutics, efforts are made in the direction of finding those answers for providing ministrations for pancreatic cancer from plant products. Plant products are used as treatment options either directly in the form of extracts or an alternative to them is individual phytochemicals that are either isolated from the plants or are commercially synthesized for various purposes. In this review, we put forward such pharmacognostic initiatives made in combating pancreatic cancer, focusing mainly on plant extracts and various phytochemicals; along with the mechanisms which they triggered to fulfill the need for cytotoxicity to pancreatic cancer cells (in vitro and in vivo).
Conclusion
This study will thus provide insights into new combination therapy that can be used and also give a clue on which plant product and phytoconstituent can be used in dealing with pancreatic cancer.
Graphical abstract
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28
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Yuan R, Zhao W, Wang QQ, He J, Han S, Gao H, Feng Y, Yang S. Cucurbitacin B inhibits non-small cell lung cancer in vivo and in vitro by triggering TLR4/NLRP3/GSDMD-dependent pyroptosis. Pharmacol Res 2021; 170:105748. [PMID: 34217831 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2021.105748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Pyroptosis, a type of programmed cell death (PCD), is characterized by cell swelling with bubbles, and the release of inflammatory cell cytokines. Cucurbitacin B (CuB), extracted from muskmelon pedicel, is a natural bioactive product that could effectively exert anti-tumor activities in lung cancer. However, the exact molecular mechanisms and the direct targets of CuB in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain to be discovered. Here, we firstly found that CuB exerted an anti-tumor effect via pyroptosis in NSCLC cells and NSCLC mice models. Next, based on the molecular docking and cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA), we identified that CuB directly bound to Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) to activate the NLRP3 inflammasome, which further caused the separation of N- and C-terminals of Gasdermin D (GSDMD) to execute pyroptosis. Moreover, CuB enhanced the mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane protein Tom20 accumulation, and cytosolic calcium (Ca2+) release, leading to pyroptosis in NSCLC cells. Silencing of TLR4 inhibited CuB-induced pyroptosis and decreased the level of ROS and Ca2+ in A549 cells. In vivo study showed that CuB treatment suppressed lung tumor growth in mice via pyroptosis without dose-dependent manner, and CuB at 0.75 mg/kg had a better anti-tumor effect compared to the Gefitinib group. Taken together, our findings revealed the mechanisms and targets of CuB triggering pyroptosis in NSCLC, thus supporting the notion of developing CuB as a promising therapeutic agent for NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renyikun Yuan
- College of Pharmacy, Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China; College of Pharmacy, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530000, China
| | - Wentong Zhao
- College of Pharmacy, Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China; College of Pharmacy, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530000, China
| | - Qin-Qin Wang
- College of Pharmacy, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530000, China; Guangxi Engineering Technology Research Center of Advantage Chinese Patent Drug and Ethnic Drug Development, Nanning 530020, China
| | - Jia He
- College of Pharmacy, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530000, China; Guangxi Engineering Technology Research Center of Advantage Chinese Patent Drug and Ethnic Drug Development, Nanning 530020, China
| | - Shan Han
- College of Pharmacy, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530000, China; Guangxi Engineering Technology Research Center of Advantage Chinese Patent Drug and Ethnic Drug Development, Nanning 530020, China
| | - Hongwei Gao
- College of Pharmacy, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530000, China; Guangxi Engineering Technology Research Center of Advantage Chinese Patent Drug and Ethnic Drug Development, Nanning 530020, China.
| | - Yulin Feng
- College of Pharmacy, Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China; State Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug and Efficient Energy-Saving Pharmaceutical Equipment, Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China.
| | - Shilin Yang
- College of Pharmacy, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530000, China; Guangxi Engineering Technology Research Center of Advantage Chinese Patent Drug and Ethnic Drug Development, Nanning 530020, China
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Peisl S, Mellenthin C, Vignot L, Gonelle-Gispert C, Bühler L, Egger B. Therapeutic targeting of STAT3 pathways in pancreatic adenocarcinoma: A systematic review of clinical and preclinical literature. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0252397. [PMID: 34138876 PMCID: PMC8211286 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background/Objectives Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a highly lethal disease with increasing incidence. Due to high resistance, chemo/radiotherapy has limited success in pancreatic cancer and only marginally prolongs patient survival. Therefore, novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets are needed. In the present review, we performed a comprehensive summary of therapeutic approaches targeting the GP130/JAK/STAT3 pathway. Methods We systematically reviewed the PubMed and Embase databases for preclinical and clinical studies, from inception to October 4, 2020, on drugs targeting the GP130/JAK/STAT3 pathway. Bias assessments and qualitative analyses were performed. Results Twenty-five preclinical and nine clinical trials were included in the review. All preclinical studies reported a favorable outcome in terms of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma progression. Futhermore, drugs targeting the GP130/JAK/STAT3 pathway were shown to be efficient chemosensitizers. However, high publication bias was assumed. In the clinical setting, bazedoxifene and itacitinib improved patient outcomes. Conclusion Preclinical studies strongly suggest significant efficacy of drugs targeting GP130/JAK/STAT3 in the treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and that these molecules are effective chemosensitizers. Though only a few trials have shown the efficacy in a clinical setting, the STAT3 pathway remains a promising drug target for future treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and may help overcome chemotherapy resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Peisl
- Department of Surgery, HFR Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | | | - Lucie Vignot
- Department of Oncology, HFR Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Carmen Gonelle-Gispert
- Surgical Research Unit, Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Leo Bühler
- Department of Surgery, HFR Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Bernhard Egger
- Department of Surgery, HFR Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
- Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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Lin Q, Qian Z, Jusko WJ, Mager DE, Ma WW, Straubinger RM. Synergistic Pharmacodynamic Effects of Gemcitabine and Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitors on Pancreatic Cancer Cell Cycle Kinetics and Proliferation. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2021; 377:370-384. [PMID: 33753538 PMCID: PMC9885358 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.120.000412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Median survival of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cancer (PDAC) is 6 months, with 9% 5-year survival. Standard-of-care gemcitabine (Gem) provides only modest survival benefits, and combination therapies integrating novel targeted agents could improve outcomes. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptors (FGFRs) play important roles in PDAC growth and invasion. Therefore, FGFR inhibitors (FGFRi) merit further investigation. Efficacy of Gem combined with NVP-BGJ398, a pan-FGFRi, was investigated in multiple PDAC cell lines exposed to the drugs alone and combined. Cell cycle distribution and cell numbers were quantified over time. Two pharmacodynamic models were developed to investigate Gem/BGJ398 interactions quantitatively: a drug-mediated cell proliferation/death model, and a drug-perturbed cell cycle progression model. The models captured temporal changes in cell numbers, cell cycle progression, and cell death during drug exposure. Simultaneous fitting of all data provided reasonable parameter estimates. Therapeutic efficacy was then evaluated in a PDAC mouse model. Compared with Gem alone, combined Gem + FGFRi significantly downregulated ribonucleotide-diphosphate reductase large subunit 1 (RRM1), a gemcitabine resistance (GemR) biomarker, suggesting the FGFRi inhibited GemR emergence. The cell proliferation/death pharmacodynamic model estimated the drug interaction coefficient ψ death = 0.798, suggesting synergistic effects. The mechanism-based cell cycle progression model estimated drug interaction coefficient ψ cycle = 0.647, also suggesting synergy. Thus, FGFR inhibition appears to synergize with Gem in PDAC cells and tumors by sensitizing cells to Gem-mediated inhibition of proliferation and cell cycle progression. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: An integrated approach of quantitative modeling and experimentation was employed to investigate the nature of fibroblast growth factor receptor inhibitor (FGFRi)/gemcitabine (Gem) interaction, and to identify mechanisms by which FGFRi exposure reverses Gem resistance in pancreatic cancer cells. The results show that FGFRi interacts synergistically with Gem to sensitize pancreatic cancer cells and tumors to Gem-mediated inhibition of proliferation and cell cycle progression. Thus, addition of FGFRi to standard-of-care Gem treatment could be a clinically deployable approach to enhance therapeutic benefit to pancreatic cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingxiang Lin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York (R.M.S.; Z.Q., W.J.J., D.E.M.); Departments of Cell Stress Biology (Q.L., R.M.S.) and Pharmacology and Therapeutics (R.M.S.), Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York; and Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (W.W.M.)
| | - Zhicheng Qian
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York (R.M.S.; Z.Q., W.J.J., D.E.M.); Departments of Cell Stress Biology (Q.L., R.M.S.) and Pharmacology and Therapeutics (R.M.S.), Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York; and Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (W.W.M.)
| | - William J Jusko
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York (R.M.S.; Z.Q., W.J.J., D.E.M.); Departments of Cell Stress Biology (Q.L., R.M.S.) and Pharmacology and Therapeutics (R.M.S.), Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York; and Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (W.W.M.)
| | - Donald E Mager
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York (R.M.S.; Z.Q., W.J.J., D.E.M.); Departments of Cell Stress Biology (Q.L., R.M.S.) and Pharmacology and Therapeutics (R.M.S.), Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York; and Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (W.W.M.)
| | - Wen Wee Ma
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York (R.M.S.; Z.Q., W.J.J., D.E.M.); Departments of Cell Stress Biology (Q.L., R.M.S.) and Pharmacology and Therapeutics (R.M.S.), Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York; and Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (W.W.M.)
| | - Robert M Straubinger
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York (R.M.S.; Z.Q., W.J.J., D.E.M.); Departments of Cell Stress Biology (Q.L., R.M.S.) and Pharmacology and Therapeutics (R.M.S.), Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York; and Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (W.W.M.)
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Vidal-Gutiérrez M, Torres-Moreno H, Hernández-Gutiérrez S, Velazquez C, Robles-Zepeda RE, Vilegas W. Antiproliferative activity of standardized phytopreparations from Ibervillea sonorae (S. Watson) Greene. Steroids 2021; 169:108824. [PMID: 33727120 DOI: 10.1016/j.steroids.2021.108824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Ibervillea sonorae (Cucurbitaceae) is a medicinal plant utilized in Northwest Mexico against Diabetes and cancer. This natural product is taken orally, its presentation is capsules containing the plant's dried and powdered caudices. There is no regulation or standardized dosage that allows reproducibility of its pharmacological effects. Cucurbitacins are the main group of compounds found in I. sonorae and are known for their antiproliferative activity in cancer cells. Cucurbitacin IIb (CIIb), one of the compounds present in I. sonorae, has demonstrated in experimental models with HeLa cervical cancer cells an apoptotic and anti-tumoral activity. The objective of this study is to obtain and standardize two phytopreparations of I. sonorae based on their CIIb content, evaluate their antiproliferative activity in cancer cell lines, and compare the results with those obtained with CIIb; expecting to find phytopreparations with anti-cancer potential. APCI-IT-MSn is utilized for the identification of cucurbitacins, FT-ICR-MS/MS for the quantification of CIIb, and the MTT assay for the evaluation of the antiproliferative activity. The CIIb content was 0.67% for Fito-Ison-EtOH and 1.84% for Fito-Ison-EtOAc. In both phytopreparations, six cucurbitacins have been identified, and a seventh one not previously identified. Phytopreparations were more effective against HeLa, with IC50 of 30.0 and 18.6 µg/mL for Fito-Ison-EtOH and Fito-Ison-EtOAc, respectively. This effect is lower than observed on CIIb in HeLa (5.8 µg/mL). There are no significant differences (p > 0.05) in the antiproliferative activity between Fito-Ison-EtOAc and CIIb in A549, LS180, and MDA-MB-231 cells. Phytopreparations of I. sonorae have potential for the development of anti-cancer products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Vidal-Gutiérrez
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Araraquara - São Paulo, Brasil. Rodovia Araraquara - Jaú, Km 1 - CEP: 14800-903; Departamento de Ciencias Químico Biológicas y de la Salud, Universidad de Sonora - Blvd. Luis Donaldo Colosio esq. Rosales S/N, Centro, Hermosillo Sonora, México - CP: 83000
| | - Heriberto Torres-Moreno
- Departamento de Ciencias Químico Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad de Sonora - Avenida Universidad e Irigoyen, Caborca Sonora, México - CP:83621
| | - Salomón Hernández-Gutiérrez
- Departamento de Medicina, Universidad Panamericana - Augusto Rodin No. 498, Col. Insurgentes Mixcoac. Ciudad de México - CP: 03920
| | - Carlos Velazquez
- Departamento de Ciencias Químico Biológicas y de la Salud, Universidad de Sonora - Blvd. Luis Donaldo Colosio esq. Rosales S/N, Centro, Hermosillo Sonora, México - CP: 83000
| | - Ramón E Robles-Zepeda
- Departamento de Ciencias Químico Biológicas y de la Salud, Universidad de Sonora - Blvd. Luis Donaldo Colosio esq. Rosales S/N, Centro, Hermosillo Sonora, México - CP: 83000.
| | - Wagner Vilegas
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Araraquara - São Paulo, Brasil. Rodovia Araraquara - Jaú, Km 1 - CEP: 14800-903; Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Coastal Campus of São Vicente, São Vicente, SP Praça Infante Dom Henrique s/n, CEP 11330-205.
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Ueno M, Kariya R, Sittithumcharee G, Okada S. Cucurbitacin B induces apoptosis of primary effusion lymphoma via disruption of cytoskeletal organization. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2021; 85:153545. [PMID: 33799222 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2021.153545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is an aggressive B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma that develops especially in AIDS patients and immunocompromised patients infected with human herpes virus-8 (HHV-8)/Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV). PEL has a poor prognosis in patients despite conventional chemotherapeutic treatment, and a safe and efficient therapy is required. PURPOSE To examine the effects on PEL of cucurbitacin B (CuB), a triterpene found in plants of the Cucurbitaceae family that has several anti-cancer activities. STUDY DESIGN We evaluated the anti-cancer activities of CuB in vitro and in vivo. METHODS Cell proliferation of PEL cell lines was measured by MTT assay. Cleaved caspases and signaling transduction associated proteins were analyzed by western blotting. Wright and Giemsa staining and immunofluorescence staining were carried out to observe cell morphology. Cell cycles were analyzed by flow cytometry. RT-PCR was performed to detect viral gene expressions. A xenograft mouse model was employed to evaluate the anti-cancer activity of CuB in vivo. RESULTS CuB inhibited cell proliferation of PEL cell lines (BCBL-1, BC-1, GTO and TY-1) in a dose-dependent manner (0-50 nM) and induced apoptosis of BCBL-1 cells via caspase activation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In addition, CuB caused cell-shape disruption by inducing actin aggregation and suppressing the p-cofilin level, resulting in BCBL-1 cell arrest at the G2/M phase. In contrast, CuB showed almost no suppression of p-STAT3 and p-Akt activation, which were constitutively activated by KSHV-derived proteins. Furthermore, CuB (0.5 mg/kg) via intraperitoneal injection significantly (p < 0.05) suppressed solid tumor growth in the xenograft mouse model. CONCLUSION This study suggests that CuB is a promising agent for PEL treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikinori Ueno
- Division of Hematopoiesis, Joint Research Center for Human Retrovirus Infection, Kumamoto University, 2-2-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan
| | - Ryusho Kariya
- Division of Hematopoiesis, Joint Research Center for Human Retrovirus Infection, Kumamoto University, 2-2-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan
| | - Gunya Sittithumcharee
- Division of Hematopoiesis, Joint Research Center for Human Retrovirus Infection, Kumamoto University, 2-2-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan; Division of Hematopoiesis, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 2-2-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan
| | - Seiji Okada
- Division of Hematopoiesis, Joint Research Center for Human Retrovirus Infection, Kumamoto University, 2-2-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan; Division of Hematopoiesis, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 2-2-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan.
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Haque A, Brazeau D, Amin AR. Perspectives on natural compounds in chemoprevention and treatment of cancer: an update with new promising compounds. Eur J Cancer 2021; 149:165-183. [PMID: 33865202 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2021.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is the second deadliest disease worldwide. Although recent advances applying precision treatments with targeted (molecular and immune) agents are promising, the histological and molecular heterogeneity of cancer cells and huge mutational burdens (intrinsic or acquired after therapy) leading to drug resistance and treatment failure are posing continuous challenges. These recent advances do not negate the need for alternative approaches such as chemoprevention, the pharmacological approach to reverse, suppress or prevent the initial phases of carcinogenesis or the progression of premalignant cells to invasive disease by using non-toxic agents. Although data are limited, the success of several clinical trials in preventing cancer in high-risk populations suggests that chemoprevention is a rational, appealing and viable strategy to prevent carcinogenesis. Particularly among higher-risk groups, the use of safe, non-toxic agents is the utmost consideration because these individuals have not yet developed invasive disease. Natural dietary compounds present in fruits, vegetables and spices are especially attractive for chemoprevention and treatment because of their easy availability, high margin of safety, relatively low cost and widespread human consumption. Hundreds of such compounds have been widely investigated for chemoprevention and treatment in the last few decades. Previously, we reviewed the most widely studied natural compounds and their molecular mechanisms, which were highly exploited by the cancer research community. In the time since our initial review, many promising new compounds have been identified. In this review, we critically review these promising new natural compounds, their molecular targets and mechanisms of anticancer activity that may create novel opportunities for further design and conduct of preclinical and clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abedul Haque
- Department of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Daniel Brazeau
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Administration and Research, School of Pharmacy, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, 25701, USA
| | - Arm R Amin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, School of Pharmacy, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, 25701, USA.
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Fahed C, Hayar S. Conventional vs. Organic Cucumber Production in Lebanon: Risk Assessment of the Recommended Agrochemicals on Consumer Health and the Environment. CHEMISTRY AFRICA 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s42250-021-00238-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Zeng Y, Wang J, Huang Q, Ren Y, Li T, Zhang X, Yao R, Sun J. Cucurbitacin IIa: A review of phytochemistry and pharmacology. Phytother Res 2021; 35:4155-4170. [PMID: 33724593 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.7077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Cucurbitacin IIa was first found in plants and it belongs to tetracyclo triterpenoids. It is one of the most important active components in cucurbitaceae plants. Studies have found that cucurbitacin IIa has a variety of pharmacological effects, such as antitumor, antiinflammatory, antibacterial, antihepatitis B virus, inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus replication, and antidepressant effect. However, the underlying mechanisms, intracellular targets, and structure-activity relationships of cucurbitacin IIa remain to be completely elucidated. This review summarizes the current advances concerning the phytochemistry and pharmacology of cucurbitacin IIa. Electronic databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and CNKI were used to find relevant information about cucurbitacin IIa using keywords such as "Cucurbitacin IIa," "Pharmacology," and "Phytochemistry." These pharmacological effects involve the actin cytoskeleton aggregation, the regulation of JAK2/STAT3, ERBB-MAPK, CaMKII α/CREB/BDNF signal pathways, as well as the regulation of survivin, caspases, and other cell cycles, apoptosis, autophagy-related cytokines, and kinases. It has high development and use value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijia Zeng
- College of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Jin Wang
- College of Ethnic Medicine, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Qinwan Huang
- College of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuanyuan Ren
- College of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Tingna Li
- College of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaorui Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Renchuan Yao
- Sichuan Provincial Engineering Research Center for Fermented Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jianyang, China
| | - Jilin Sun
- Sichuan Fu Zheng Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Jianyang, China
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Cucurbitacin B exhibits antitumor effects on CD133+ HepG2 liver cancer stem cells by inhibiting JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. Anticancer Drugs 2021; 32:548-557. [PMID: 33675610 DOI: 10.1097/cad.0000000000001062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs), a crucial cancer cell subpopulation, possess stemness phenotypic characteristics. Cucurbitacin B (CuB), a tetracyclic triterpenoid isolated from Cucurbitaceae, exerts widely pharmacological activities in many diseases. The aim of this study was to enrich, identify liver CSCs and investigate antitumor effects of CuB as well as explore the underlying molecular mechanisms in these liver CSCs. HepG2 cell lines were used for the enrichment of liver CSCs by serum-free medium culture and magnetic-activated cell sorting. The CSC characteristics were analyzed by immunofluorescent staining, sphere-forming, western blot and xenograft tumorigenicity assay. CuB' antitumor effects and underlying molecular mechanism were measured by cell counting kit-8, colony formation, sphere-forming, cell cycle, xenograft and western blot assay. Our results showed that we could enrich 97.29% CD133+ HepG2 cells, which possessed CSC characteristics including re-renewal capacity, proliferative ability, sorafenib resistance, overexpressed stemness-related molecules and enhanced tumorigenic potential. Furthermore, we also found that CuB inhibited cell viability, sphere formation, colony formation and arrested cell cycle at G2/M phase as well as sensitized CD133+ HepG2 cells to sorafenib in vitro and in vivo. Western blot assay indicated that CuB inhibited expression levels of cyclin B1, CDK1, CD133, p-JAK2 and p-STAT3. In conclusion, our findings indicated that CuB could exhibit antitumor effects on CD133+ HepG2 CSCs by inhibiting the Janus kinase 2/signal transducers and activators of transcription-3 signaling pathway, expanding basic and preclinical investigations on liver CSCs.
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Huang S, Cao B, Zhang J, Feng Y, Wang L, Chen X, Su H, Liao S, Liu J, Yan J, Liang B. Induction of ferroptosis in human nasopharyngeal cancer cells by cucurbitacin B: molecular mechanism and therapeutic potential. Cell Death Dis 2021; 12:237. [PMID: 33664249 PMCID: PMC7933245 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-021-03516-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cucurbitacin B (CuB) is a widely available triterpenoid molecule that exhibits various biological activities. Previous studies on the anti-tumour mechanism of CuB have mostly focused on cell apoptosis, and research on the ferroptosis-inducing effect has rarely been reported. Herein, we first discovered the excellent cytotoxicity of CuB towards human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells and elucidated its potential ferroptosis-inducing mechanisms. Morphology alterations of mitochondrial ultrastructure, as observed via transmission electron microscopy, showed that CuB-treated cells undergo ferroptosis. CuB caused intracellular accumulation of iron ions and depletion of glutathione. Detailed molecular mechanism investigation confirmed that CuB both induced widespread lipid peroxidation and downregulated the expression of GPX4, ultimately initiating a multipronged mechanism of ferroptosis. Furthermore, CuB exhibited anti-tumour effects in vitro by inhibiting cellular microtubule polymerization, arresting cell cycle and suppressing migration and invasion. Finally, CuB significantly inhibited tumour progression without causing obvious side effects in vivo. Altogether, our study highlighted the therapeutic potential of CuB as a ferroptosis-inducing agent for nasopharyngeal cancer, and it provided valuable insights for developing effective anti-tumour agents with novel molecular mechanisms derived from natural products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Huang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, China
| | - Bihui Cao
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, China
| | - Jinling Zhang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, China
| | - Yunfei Feng
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, China
| | - Lu Wang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, China
| | - Xiaopei Chen
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, China
| | - Hang Su
- Translational Medicine Centre, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, China
| | - Shengrong Liao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guang dong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, Research Center for Marine Microbes, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China
| | - Jinggong Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Jun Yan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510120, China.
| | - Baoxia Liang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, China.
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Targeting Cancer Metabolism and Current Anti-Cancer Drugs. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1286:15-48. [PMID: 33725343 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-55035-6_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Several studies have exploited the metabolic hallmarks that distinguish between normal and cancer cells, aiming at identifying specific targets of anti-cancer drugs. It has become apparent that metabolic flexibility allows cancer cells to survive during high anabolic demand or the depletion of nutrients and oxygen. Cancers can reprogram their metabolism to the microenvironments by increasing aerobic glycolysis to maximize ATP production, increasing glutaminolysis and anabolic pathways to support bioenergetic and biosynthetic demand during rapid proliferation. The increased key regulatory enzymes that support the relevant pathways allow us to design small molecules which can specifically block activities of these enzymes, preventing growth and metastasis of tumors. In this review, we discuss metabolic adaptation in cancers and highlight the crucial metabolic enzymes involved, specifically those involved in aerobic glycolysis, glutaminolysis, de novo fatty acid synthesis, and bioenergetic pathways. Furthermore, we also review the success and the pitfalls of the current anti-cancer drugs which have been applied in pre-clinical and clinical studies.
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Wei M, Tan C, Tang Z, Lian Y, Huang Y, Chen Y, Chen C, Zhou W, Cai T, Hu J. Proteome-Wide Alterations of Asymmetric Arginine Dimethylation Associated With Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Pathogenesis. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:545934. [PMID: 33344439 PMCID: PMC7744470 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.545934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Arginine methylation catalyzed by protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) performs essential roles in regulating cancer initiation and progression, but its implication in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) requires further elucidation. In this study, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA)-containing peptides in PDAC cell line PANC-1 were identified by label-free quantitative proteomics combined with affinity purification, using human non-cancerous pancreatic ductal epithelium cell line HPDE6c7 as the control. In total, 289 ADMA sites in 201 proteins were identified in HPDE6c7 and PANC-1 cells, including 82 sites with lower dimethylation and 37 sites with higher dimethylation in PANC-1 cells compared with HPDE6c7 cells. These ADMA-containing peptides demonstrated significant enrichment of glycine and proline residues in both cell lines. Importantly, leucine residues were significantly enriched in ADMA-containing peptides identified only in HPDE6c7 cells or showing lower dimethylation in PANC-1 cells. ADMA-containing proteins were significantly enriched in multiple biological processes and signaling cascades associated with cancer development, such as spliceosome machinery, the Wnt/β-catenin, Hedgehog, tumor growth factor beta (TGF-β), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways. Moreover, PDAC cell lines with enhanced cell viability showed lower PRMT4 protein abundance and global ADMA-containing protein levels compared with HPDE6c7. PRMT4 overexpression partially recovered ADMA-containing protein levels and repressed viability in PANC-1 cells. These results revealed significantly altered ADMA-containing protein profiles in human pancreatic carcinoma cells, which provided a basis for elucidating the pathogenic roles of PRMT-mediated protein methylation in pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meijin Wei
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chaochao Tan
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China.,Translational Medicine Research Institute, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhouqin Tang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yingying Lian
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ying Huang
- Department of Emergency, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Yi Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Congwei Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wen Zhou
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tao Cai
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jiliang Hu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
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Bailly C. Anticancer Activities and Mechanism of Action of Nagilactones, a Group of Terpenoid Lactones Isolated from Podocarpus Species. NATURAL PRODUCTS AND BIOPROSPECTING 2020; 10:367-375. [PMID: 33034879 PMCID: PMC7648843 DOI: 10.1007/s13659-020-00268-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Nagilactones are tetracyclic natural products isolated from various Podocarpus species. These lactone-based compounds display a range of pharmacological effects, including antifungal, anti-atherosclerosis, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities reviewed here. The most active derivatives, such as nagilactones C, E and F, exhibit potent anticancer activities against different cancer cell lines and tumor models. A comprehensive analysis of their mechanism of action indicates that their anticancer activity mainly derives from three complementary action: (i) a drug-induced inhibition of cell proliferation coupled with a cell cycle perturbation and induction of apoptosis, (ii) a blockade of the epithelial to mesenchymal cell transition contributing to an inhibition of cancer cell migration and invasion and (iii) a capacity to modulate the PD-L1 immune checkpoint. Different molecular effectors have been implicated in the antitumor activity, chiefly the AP-1 pathway blocked upon activation of the JNK/c-Jun axis. Nag-C is a potent inhibitor of protein synthesis binding to eukaryotic ribosomes and inhibition of different protein kinases, such as RIOK2 and JAK2, has been postulated with Nag-E. The literature survey on nagilactones highlights the therapeutic potential of these little-known terpenoids. The mechanistic analysis also provides useful information for structurally related compounds (podolactones, oidiolactones, inumakilactones) isolated from Podocarpus plants.
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Kapoor N, Ghorai SM, Kushwaha PK, Shukla R, Aggarwal C, Bandichhor R. Plausible mechanisms explaining the role of cucurbitacins as potential therapeutic drugs against coronavirus 2019. INFORMATICS IN MEDICINE UNLOCKED 2020; 21:100484. [PMID: 33251326 PMCID: PMC7685940 DOI: 10.1016/j.imu.2020.100484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In the year 2019, the potent zoonotic virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) began to rage globally, which resulted in the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring it as a pandemic on March 11th, 2020. Although extensive research is currently ongoing worldwide to understand the molecular mechanism and disease pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2, there are still many nuances to elucidate. Therefore, developing an appropriate vaccine or therapeutic drug to combat coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is exceedingly challenging. Such scenarios require multifaceted approaches to identify suitable contenders for drugs against COVID-19. In this context, investigating natural compounds found in food, spices, and beverages can lead to the discovery of lead molecules that could be repurposed to treat COVID-19. Sixteen cucurbitacin analogues were investigated for activity against the SARS-CoV-2 main protease protein (Mpro), angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) binding receptor, nonstructural protein 12 (NSP12) RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), NSP13 helicase, and Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway using several relevant tools and simulated screening methods. All key proteins were found to bind efficiently only with cucurbitacin G 2-glucoside and cucurbitacin H with the lowest global energy. Further, the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) of all the cucurbitacins were analysed to explore their drug profiles. Cucurbitacin G 2-glucoside and H showed the best hits and all the analogues showed no adverse properties that would diminish their drug-likeness abilities. The encouraging results of the current study may lay the foundation for future research and development of effective measures and preventive medications against SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Kapoor
- Department of Chemistry, Hindu College, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Soma Mondal Ghorai
- Department of Zoology, Hindu College, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Prem Kumar Kushwaha
- Department of Chemistry, Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi, 835215, India
| | - Richa Shukla
- Department of Applied Science, Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad, 211015, India
| | - Charu Aggarwal
- Department of Zoology, Hindu College, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Rakeshwar Bandichhor
- Integrated Product Development, Innovation Plaza, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd, Bachupally, Qutubullapur, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500090, India
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Crosstalk between alveolar macrophages and alveolar epithelial cells/fibroblasts contributes to the pulmonary toxicity of gefitinib. Toxicol Lett 2020; 338:1-9. [PMID: 33248157 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2020.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Gefitinib is an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor indicated for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic or advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors have specific EGFR mutations. Pulmonary toxicity is one of the fatal adverse effects of gefitinib and the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here we demonstrated that alveolar macrophages contributed to gefitinib-induced pulmonary toxicity through promoting alveolar epithelial cells to undergo epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and inducing activation and antiapoptotic effect in fibroblasts. Further, we found that alveolar macrophage-secreted MCP-1 worked as a key factor in the pathologic changes of these two cell types. Gefitinib increased Mcp-1 transcription level via the nuclear import of the transcription factor STAT3. In conclusion, our data uncovered the underlying mechanisms of macrophage-promoted pulmonary toxicity in the presence of gefitinib. MCP-1 antibody or inhibition of STAT3 activation may represent novel therapeutic strategies for preventing gefitinib-induced pulmonary toxicity.
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Brouwer IJ, Out-Luiting JJ, Vermeer MH, Tensen CP. Cucurbitacin E and I target the JAK/STAT pathway and induce apoptosis in Sézary cells. Biochem Biophys Rep 2020; 24:100832. [PMID: 33102814 PMCID: PMC7569298 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2020.100832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas and leukemias (CTCLs) are a heterogeneous group of extranodal non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. These are characterized by an accumulation of malignant CD4+ T-lymphocytes in the skin, lymph nodes, and peripheral blood. Novel treatment options are needed for patients who progress to advanced stage disease. Cucurbitacin I has previously shown promising results in Sézary syndrome (Sz). A plethora of cucurbitacins, however, have not yet been tested in CTCL. Herein, we investigated the effect of cucurbitacin E and I in two CTCL cell lines. We show that both cucurbitacins decrease viability and cause apoptosis in these cell lines, although HuT-78 was more affected than SeAx (IC50 of 17.38 versus 22.01 μM for cucurbitacin E and 13.36 versus 24.47 μM for cucurbitacin I). Moreover, both cucurbitacins decrease viability of primary cells of a Sz patient (56.46% for cucurbitacin E and 59.07% for cucurbitacin I). Furthermore, while JAK2 inhibition leads to decreased viability in SeAx cells (IC50 of 9.98 and 29.15 μM for AZD1480 and ruxolitinib respectively), both JAK1 and JAK3 do not. This suggests that JAK2 has a preferential role in promoting survival. Western blotting in SeAx cells revealed that both cucurbitacins inhibit STAT3 activation (P < 0.0001), while only cucurbitacin I inhibits STAT5 activation (P = 0.05). This suggests that STAT3 plays a preferential role in the mechanism of action of these cucurbitacins. Nevertheless, a role of STAT5 and JAK2 cannot be excluded and should be explored further. This knowledge could contribute to the development of effective therapies for CTCL and other malignancies involving dysfunction of the JAK/STAT pathway. Cucurbitacin E and I decrease viability and cause apoptosis in Sézary cell lines Both cucurbitacins decrease viability of primary cells of a Sézary patient STAT3 appears to play a role in the mechanism of action of cucurbitacin E and I
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella J Brouwer
- Department of Dermatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Jacoba J Out-Luiting
- Department of Dermatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Maarten H Vermeer
- Department of Dermatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Cornelis P Tensen
- Department of Dermatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
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Ramezani M, Hasani M, Ramezani F, Karimi Abdolmaleki M. Cucurbitacins: A Focus on Cucurbitacin E As A Natural Product and Their Biological Activities. PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES 2020. [DOI: 10.34172/ps.2020.66] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
For the last years, different types of cucurbitacins have been extracted from various species of Cucurbitaceae family. For this review, all related papers were accumulated by searching electronic databases in the English language, including PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The keywords of cucurbitacin, cucumber anticancer therapy, cytotoxic effects, chemotherapy, and inhibitor effect were searched until February 2020. According to the result of this review, cucurbitacin E as a tetracyclic triterpenes compound, has been exhibited cell cycle arrest, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities. It showed tumor proliferation prevention, induction of apoptosis or synergistically acts with other established antitumor compounds and cytokines throughout many molecular mechanisms. In a function-structure association manner, cucurbitacin E can inhibit Janus kinas2 (JAK2) phosphorylation, the signal transducer activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and subsequently block these pathways, which seems to be the main mechanism of its activity. Future studies could target its detection in uninvestigated sources, subsequently its derivatives to improve their anticancer activity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Fatemeh Ramezani
- Physiology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
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Jing S, Zou H, Wu Z, Ren L, Zhang T, Zhang J, Wei Z. Cucurbitacins: Bioactivities and synergistic effect with small-molecule drugs. J Funct Foods 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jff.2020.104042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
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Torres-Moreno H, Marcotullio MC, Velazquez C, Arenas-Luna VM, Hernández-Gutiérrez S, Robles-Zepeda RE. Cucurbitacin IIb from Ibervillea sonorae Induces Apoptosis and Cell Cycle Arrest via STAT3 Inhibition. Anticancer Agents Med Chem 2020; 20:1188-1196. [DOI: 10.2174/1871520620666200415101701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Background:
Cucurbitacin IIb (CIIb) from Ibervillea sonorae has a high capacity to suppress cancer
cell proliferation and induce apoptosis. This study investigated the molecular mechanisms related to the antiproliferative
and apoptosis induction capacity of CIIb in HeLa cells.
Materials and Methods:
The cell viability and anti-proliferative effect of CIIb were evaluated by using the
trypan blue exclusion assay. The effect of CIIb on the mitochondrial membrane potential was determined by
flow cytometry using JC-1. The activity of caspase-3 and caspase-9 was evaluated by flow cytometry using
commercial kits. The effect of CIIb on the cell cycle was investigated using Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting
(FACS) analysis. Western blot analysis was used to evaluate both the inhibitory effect of CIIb on the
STAT3 signaling pathway and cyclin –B1, and DNA damage by the comet assay.
Results:
CIIb triggers disruption of the mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) and consequently activated
the caspases -3 and -9, as a result of the activation of the intrinsic pathway of the apoptosis. Likewise, the CIIbinduced
cell cycle was arrested in S and G2/M after 24h of treatment. CIIb also reduced the expression of
STAT3 and cyclin –B1. Finally, CIIb produced an antiproliferative effect at 48 and 72 h, inducing DNA damage.
Conclusion:
These results demonstrate CIIb-induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in HeLa through the inhibition
of STAT3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heriberto Torres-Moreno
- Departamento de Ciencias Quimico Biologicas, Universidad de Sonora, Blvd. Luis Encinas y Rosales, Hermosillo, Sonora 83000, Mexico
| | - Maria C. Marcotullio
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Universita degli Studi di Perugia – Via del Liceo, 1, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Carlos Velazquez
- Departamento de Ciencias Quimico Biologicas, Universidad de Sonora, Blvd. Luis Encinas y Rosales, Hermosillo, Sonora 83000, Mexico
| | - Víctor M. Arenas-Luna
- Molecular Biology Laboratory, School of Medicine, Universidad Panamericana, Augusto Rodin 498, Benito Juarez, 03920 Insurgentes Mixcoac, MEX, Mexico
| | - Salomón Hernández-Gutiérrez
- Molecular Biology Laboratory, School of Medicine, Universidad Panamericana, Augusto Rodin 498, Benito Juarez, 03920 Insurgentes Mixcoac, MEX, Mexico
| | - Ramón E. Robles-Zepeda
- Departamento de Ciencias Quimico Biologicas, Universidad de Sonora, Blvd. Luis Encinas y Rosales, Hermosillo, Sonora 83000, Mexico
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Tse C, Warner A, Farook R, Cronin JG. Phytochemical Targeting of STAT3 Orchestrated Lipid Metabolism in Therapy-Resistant Cancers. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10081118. [PMID: 32731620 PMCID: PMC7464013 DOI: 10.3390/biom10081118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Lipids are critical for maintaining homeostasis and cellular metabolism. However, the dysregulation of lipid metabolism contributes to the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory diseases and is a hallmark of several cancer types. Tumours exist in a microenvironment of poor vascularization-depleted oxygen and restricted nutrients. Under these conditions, tumours have been shown to increasingly depend on the metabolism of fatty acids for sustained proliferation and survival. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) plays a key role in cellular processes such as cell growth, apoptosis and lipid metabolism. Aberrant STAT3 activity, as seen in several cancer types, is associated with tumour progression and malignancy, in addition to propagating crosstalk between tumour cells and the microenvironment. Furthermore, STAT3-regulated lipid metabolism is critical for cancer stem cell self-renewal and therapy resistance. Plant-derived compounds known as phytochemicals are a potential source for novel cancer therapeutic drugs. Dietary phytochemicals are known to modulate key cellular signalling pathways involved in lipid homeostasis and metabolism, including the STAT3 signalling pathways. Targeting STAT3 orchestrated lipid metabolism has shown therapeutic promise in human cancer models. In this review, we summarize the antitumour activity of phytochemicals with an emphasis placed on their effect on STAT3-regulated lipid metabolism and their role in abrogating therapy resistance.
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Bose S, Banerjee S, Mondal A, Chakraborty U, Pumarol J, Croley CR, Bishayee A. Targeting the JAK/STAT Signaling Pathway Using Phytocompounds for Cancer Prevention and Therapy. Cells 2020; 9:E1451. [PMID: 32545187 PMCID: PMC7348822 DOI: 10.3390/cells9061451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a prevalent cause of mortality around the world. Aberrated activation of Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signaling pathway promotes tumorigenesis. Natural agents, including phytochemicals, exhibit potent anticancer activities via various mechanisms. However, the therapeutic potency of phytoconstituents as inhibitors of JAK/STAT signaling against cancer has only come into focus in recent days. The current review highlights phytochemicals that can suppress the JAK/STAT pathway in order to impede cancer cell growth. Various databases, such as PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, SpringerLink, Scopus, and Google Scholar, were searched using relevant keywords. Once the authors were in agreement regarding the suitability of a study, a full-length form of the relevant article was obtained, and the information was gathered and cited. All the complete articles that were incorporated after the literature collection rejection criteria were applied were perused in-depth and material was extracted based on the importance, relevance, and advancement of the apprehending of the JAK/STAT pathway and their relation to phytochemicals. Based on the critical and comprehensive analysis of literature presented in this review, phytochemicals from diverse plant origins exert therapeutic and cancer preventive effects, at least in part, through regulation of the JAK/STAT pathway. Nevertheless, more preclinical and clinical research is necessary to completely comprehend the capability of modulating JAK/STAT signaling to achieve efficient cancer control and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sankhadip Bose
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Bengal School of Technology, Chuchura 712 102, India;
| | - Sabyasachi Banerjee
- Department of Phytochemistry, Gupta College of Technological Sciences, Asansol 713 301, India; (S.B.); (U.C.)
| | - Arijit Mondal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Bengal College of Pharmaceutical Technology, Dubrajpur 731 123, India
| | - Utsab Chakraborty
- Department of Phytochemistry, Gupta College of Technological Sciences, Asansol 713 301, India; (S.B.); (U.C.)
| | - Joshua Pumarol
- Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Bradenton, FL 34211, USA; (J.P.); (C.R.C.)
| | - Courtney R. Croley
- Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Bradenton, FL 34211, USA; (J.P.); (C.R.C.)
| | - Anupam Bishayee
- Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Bradenton, FL 34211, USA; (J.P.); (C.R.C.)
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Pan C, Fujiwara Y, Horlad H, Shiraishi D, Iriki T, Tsuboki J, Ikeda T, Komohara Y. Flavonoid Compounds Contained in Epimedii Herba Inhibit Tumor Progression by Suppressing STAT3 Activation in the Tumor Microenvironment. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:262. [PMID: 32256354 PMCID: PMC7093601 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
M2-like tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in the tumor tissues promote tumor progression by various mechanisms and represent possible targets of antitumor therapy. In the present study, we tested whether compounds from Epimedii Herba inhibit macrophage polarization to the M2/protumorigenic phenotype and prevent tumor progression, using human monocyte-derived macrophages (HMDMs) and an animal sarcoma model. Four Epimedii Herba-derived flavonoid compounds, namely, limonianin, epimedokoreanin B, icaritin, and desmethylicaritin, inhibited CD163 expression and interleukin (IL)-10 production, which are known M2 markers, suggesting that these compounds inhibit M2 polarization. Among these compounds, epimedokoreanin B and limonianin suppressed STAT3 activation in HMDMs. Notably, epimedokoreanin B also suppressed cell proliferation by blocking STAT3 activation in Saos-2 human sarcoma and LM8 mouse sarcoma cell lines. Furthermore, oral administration of epimedokoreanin B inhibited tumor growth in an LM8 tumor-bearing murine model. These results indicate that Epimedii Herba and Epimedii Herba-derived compounds, such as epimedokoreanin B, may be potentially new agents that can be used for the treatment and prevention of various malignant tumors. They may also be promising compounds for targeting the tumor microenvironment by inhibiting M2 polarization of the TAMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Pan
- Department of Cell Pathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Yukio Fujiwara
- Department of Cell Pathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Hasita Horlad
- Department of Cell Pathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Daisuke Shiraishi
- Department of Cell Pathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Toyohisa Iriki
- Department of Cell Pathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Jyunko Tsuboki
- Department of Cell Pathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Ikeda
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sojo University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Komohara
- Department of Cell Pathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
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50
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Hussain H, Green IR, Saleem M, Khattak KF, Irshad M, Ali M. Cucurbitacins as Anticancer Agents: A Patent Review. Recent Pat Anticancer Drug Discov 2020; 14:133-143. [PMID: 30451116 DOI: 10.2174/1574892813666181119123035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Revised: 11/04/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cucurbitacins belong to a group of tetracyclic triterpenoids that display a wide range of biological effects. In the past, numerous cucurbitacins have been isolated from natural sources and many active compounds have been synthesized using the privileged scaffold in order to enhance its cytotoxic effects. OBJECTIVE This review covers patents on the therapeutic effects of natural cucurbitacins and their synthetic analogs published during the past decade. By far, the majority of patents published are related to cancer and Structure-Activity Relationships (SAR) of these compounds are included to lend gravitas to this important class of natural products. METHODS The date about the published patents was downloaded via online open access patent databases. RESULTS Cucurbitacins display significant cytotoxic properties, in particular cucurbitacins B and D which possess very potent effects towards a number of cancer cells. Numerous cucurbitacins isolated from natural sources have been derivatized through chemical modification at the C(2)-OH and C(25)- OH groups. Most importantly, an acyl ester of the C(25)-OH and, iso-propyl, n-propyl and ethyl ether groups of the C(2)-OH demonstrated the most increased cytotoxic activity. CONCLUSION The significant cytotoxic effects of natural and semi-synthetic cucurbitacins make them attractive as new drug candidates. Moreover, cucurbitacins have the capability to form conjugates with other anticancer drugs which will synergistically enhance their anticancer effects. The authors believe that in order to get lead compounds, there should be a greater focus on the synthesis of homodimers, heterodimers, and halo derivatives of cucurbitacins. In the opinion of the authors the analysis of the published patents on the cucurbitacins indicates that these compounds can be developed into a regimen to treat a wide spectrum of cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidayat Hussain
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Weinberg 3, D-06120 Halle (Salle), Germany
| | - Ivan R Green
- Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
| | - Muhammad Saleem
- Department of Chemistry, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, 63100 Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | | | - Muhammad Irshad
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kotli, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan
| | - Maroof Ali
- College of Life Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China
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