Induction of Apoptosis in Lung Cancer Cells by Viburnum grandiflorum via Mitochondrial Pathway

Identification and validation of a novel apoptosis-related prognostic risk score model for lung adenocarcinoma

The prognostic roles of apoptosis-related genes (ARGs) in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) have not been fully elucidated. In this study, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with apoptosis and the hub genes were further identified. The prognostic values of the ARGs were evaluated using the LASSO Cox regression method. Prognostic values were determined using Kaplan-Meier (K-M) curves and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves in the TCGA and GEO datasets. The correlations, mutation data, and protein expression of the 10 ARGs predictive models were also analyzed. We identified 130 differentially expressed ARGs. DEGs were used to split LUAD cases into two subtypes whose overall survival (OS) were significantly different (P = 0.025). We developed a novel 10-gene signature using LASSO Cox regression. In both TCGA and GEO datasets, the results of the K-M curve and log-rank test showed significant difference in the survival rate of patients in the high-risk group and low-risk group (P < 0.0001). According to the GO and KEGG analyses, ARGs were enriched in cancer-related terms. In both cohorts, the immune status of the high-risk group was significantly lower than that of the low-risk group. Based on the differential expression of the ARGs, we established a new risk model to predict the prognosis of patients with LUAD.

Apoptotic Effect of Gallic Acid via Regulation of p-p38 and ER Stress in PANC-1 and MIA PaCa-2 Cells Pancreatic Cancer Cells

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is currently recognized as the seventh most prevalent cause of cancer-related mortality among individuals of both genders. It is projected that a significant number of individuals will succumb to this disease in the forthcoming years. Extensive research and validation have been conducted on both gemcitabine and 5-fluorouracil as viable therapeutic options for PC. Nevertheless, despite concerted attempts to enhance treatment outcomes, PC continues to pose significant challenges in terms of achieving effective treatment alone through chemotherapy. Gallic acid, an endogenous chemical present in various botanical preparations, has attracted considerable attention due to its potential as an anticancer agent. The results of the study demonstrated that gallic acid exerted a decline in cell viability that was dependent on its concentration. Furthermore, it efficiently suppressed cell proliferation in PC cells. This study observed a positive correlation between gallic acid and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Additionally, it confirmed the upregulation of proteins associated with the protein kinase-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) pathway, which is one of the pathways involved in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Moreover, the administration of gallic acid resulted in verified alterations in the transmission of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signals. Notably, an elevation in the levels of p-p38, which represents the phosphorylated state of p38 MAPK was detected. The scavenger of reactive oxygen species (ROS), N-Acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), has shown inhibitory effects on phosphorylated p38 (p-p38), whereas the p38 inhibitor SB203580 inhibited C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP). In both instances, the levels of PARP have been successfully reinstated. In other words, the study discovered a correlation between endoplasmic reticulum stress and the p38 signaling pathway. Consequently, gallic acid induces the activation of both the p38 pathway and the ER stress pathway through the generation of ROS, ultimately resulting in apoptosis. The outcomes of this study provide compelling evidence to support the notion that gallic acid possesses considerable promise as a viable therapeutic intervention for pancreatic cancer.

Balanitoside as a Natural Adjuvant to Gemcitabine in Lung Cancer Experimental Model

Gemcitabine is a chemotherapeutic drug used to treat cancer; however, it has severe side effects. Therefore, we evaluated the anticancer potency of balanitoside, a folk medicine isolated from the edible fruits of Balanites aegyptiaca, using a mouse model of lung cancer induced by Urethane/butylated hydroxytoluene, either alone or in combination with gemcitabine. The results indicated that balanitoside, when administered alone or in combination with gemcitabine, exhibited antitumor activity against lung cancer by reducing tumor incidence, multiplicity, and average tumor size. It also decreased the proliferation of tumor cells, induced apoptosis, triggered cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase, and caused a marked reduction in cancer stem cell markers, aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH-1) levels, and the CD133 (+ve) cell population. Balanitoside also modulated the levels of oxidative stress markers in lung tissues. The results indicate that balanitoside enhances the antitumor activity of gemcitabine and may represent a natural adjuvant medication for lung cancer.

Review On Documented Medicinal Plants Used For The Treatment Of Cancer

Background:

Cancer is a frightful disease and it is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Naturally derived compounds are gaining interest of research workers as they have less toxic side effects as compared to currently used treatments such as chemotherapy. Plants are the pool of chemical compounds which provides a promising future for research on cancer.

Objective:

This review paper provides updated information gathered on medicinal plants and isolated phytoconstituents used as anticancer agents and summarises the plant extracts and their isolated chemical constituents exhibiting anticancer potential on clinical trials.

Methods:

An extensive bibliographic investigation was carried out by analysing worldwide established scientific databases like SCOPUS, PUBMED, SCIELO, ScienceDirect, Springerlink, Web of Science, Wiley, SciFinder and Google Scholar etc. In next few decades, herbal medicine may become a new epoch of medical system.

Results:

Many researches are going on medicinal plants for the treatment of cancer but it is a time to increase further experimental studies on plant extracts and their chemical constituents to find out their mechanism of action at molecular level.

Conclusion:

The article may help many researchers to start off further experimentation that might lead to the drugs for the cancer treatment.

Transferrin-conjugated liposomes loaded with carnosic acid inhibit liver cancer growth by inducing mitochondria-mediated apoptosis

Our previous studies have proven that carnosic acid (CA) induces apoptosis of liver cancer cells. However, the poor chemical properties of CA limit its in vivo anti-cancer effects. In this study, CA was loaded into liposomes (LP-CA), and LP-CA was further conjugated with transferrin (Tf-LP-CA) to overcome the shortcomings of poor solubility and absorption at the lesion site. In HepG2 and SMMC-7721 cells, compared with CA and LP-CA, more Tf-LP-CA was absorbed by liver cancer cells, which induced higher levels of apoptosis and reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential more effectively. In HepG2- and SMMC-7721-xenotransplanted mice, Tf-LP-CA inhibited tumor growth with no cytotoxicity to the liver, spleen, or kidney. Furthermore, compared with CA and LP-CA, Tf-LP-CA targeted the tumor site more effectively, enhanced the expressions of cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, and Caspase-3 and -9, and regulated the expression levels of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl2) family members in the tumor tissues. Tf-LP-CA was taken up by tumor cells and targeted at tumor tissues, ensuring the precise delivery of CA, which further promoted mitochondria-mediated intrinsic apoptosis in the liver cancer cells. These results provide evidence for the clinical application of the Tf-LP-based CA drug delivery system for liver cancer.

Genus Viburnum: Therapeutic Potentialities and Agro-Food-Pharma Applications

The genus Viburnum (Adoxaceae, Dipsacales) is of scientific interest due to the chemical components and diverse biological activities found across species of the genus, which includes more than 230 species of evergreen, semievergreen, or deciduous shrubs and small trees. Although frequently used as an ornament, the Viburnum species show biological properties with health-promoting effects. Fruits, flowers, and barks of certain species are used for pharmaceutical purposes or as cooking ingredients, hence containing biochemical compounds with health-promoting activity such are carotenoids, polyphenols, and flavonoids. However, its taxonomical determination is difficult, due to its wide distribution and frequent hybridizations; therefore, an objective classification would allow us to understand its biological activity based on its phytochemical components. More than sixty phytochemical compounds have been reported, where vibsanin-type diterpenes and their derivatives are the most prevalent. Leaves and twigs of V. dilatatum contain the largest number of phytochemicals among the genus. Through preclinical evidence, this study provides insight regarding antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, and anticancer activities of genus Viburnum.

Diffusion-weighted imaging with background body signal suppression (DWIBS) distinguishes benign lesions from malignant pulmonary solitary lesions

This study aimed to determine applicable value of DWIBS in diagnosis of solitary pulmonary lesions. This study involved 32 solitary lung disease patients. T1W1, T2W1, T2WI-SPAIR were examined using MRI scanner and analyzed with View-forum 6.0 workstation. Imaging characteristics of pulmonary solitary lesions on DWIBS and ADC when b=300, 500 and 800 s/mm² were observed. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-noise-ratio (CNR) and ADC value of lesions under different b-values were measured. Image quality in different b-values was compared by analyzing SNR and CNR. ADC values of benign and malignant lesions in different b-value groups were tested using t-test. ROC curve was used to evaluate diagnostic efficacy of ADC value, and obtain diagnostic threshold. The results indicated that SNR and CNR value of 300 and 500 s/mm² group was significantly higher compared to 800 s/mm² group (P<0.05). When b-value was assigned as 500 s/mm², DWIBS demonstrated better and ideal images. ADC value of malignant lesions in different b-values was significantly lower compared to benign lesions (P<0.05), suggesting ADC value is a feasible approach for distinguishing benign from malignant lesions. AUC value of b=500 s/mm² was significantly higher compared to b=300 and b=800 s/mm² group (P<0.05). When b-value was assigned as 500 s/mm², the best ADC threshold value was 1.435×10^-3 mm²/s, with high sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 80.0%, 83.3% and 84.4%, respectively. In conclusion, quantitative analysis of DWIBS examination and ADC value was helpful for qualitative diagnosis of pulmonary solitary lesions, and demonstrated potential to distinguish benign and malignant pulmonary solitary lesions.

A Network Pharmacology Approach to Investigate the Anticancer Mechanism and Potential Active Ingredients of Rheum palmatum L. Against Lung Cancer via Induction of Apoptosis

Rheum palmatum L. (RPL) is a known traditional herbal medicine with the functions of “heat-clearing and damp-drying” in traditional Chinese medicine. Its anti-cancer effect against lung cancer has been confirmed previously, but the related mechanisms and active substances for its action has been little studied. This study adopted the network pharmacology, built the network map of drug ingredients and disease targets (DDN), and discussed the effective components of RPL and its possible mechanisms. All constituents of RPL were collected through database search and literature mining, and the potential active constituents were screened. The inverse pharmacophore matching model was used to predict the targets of active ingredients, and the method was supplemented by database retrieval and literature mining. Compounds-target data were inputted into Cytoscape software to build the DDN of RPL, and functional annotation analysis and pathway enrichment analysis were carried out. Finally, 20 active compounds were screened, which acted on 817 targets. A total of 22,418 lung cancer-related targets were collected, and 761 overlapped with drug targets. By bioinformatics annotation of these overlapping genes, a total of 235 gene ontology (GO) functional annotation analyses and 46 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways were obtained. It was found that the enrichment of GO and KEGG was associated with apoptosis, suggesting RPL plays an anti-lung cancer role via inducing cell apoptosis. Subsequent cell experiment results showed RPL and its active constituents inhibited the proliferation of A549 cells and reduced clone formation rate of A549 cells via induction of apoptosis. In this study, the pharmacodynamic basis and mechanism of RPL against lung cancer were studied from the perspective of systematic pharmacology, which would be beneficial for further elucidating the anticancer effect of RPL on lung cancer.

Evaluation of Viburnum opulus L. Fruit Phenolics Cytoprotective Potential on Insulinoma MIN6 Cells Relevant for Diabetes Mellitus and Obesity

In this study, the influence of guelder rose (Viburnum opulus) fruit fresh juice (FJ) and a phenolic-rich fraction (PRF) isolated from juice on mice insulinoma MIN6 cells activities was investigated. Extracts were able to decrease intracellular oxidative stress at the highest non-cytotoxic concentrations. They induced glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) secretion in the presence of an elevated glucose concentration, and they inhibited in vitro activity of the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) enzyme. Nonetheless, inhibition of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion was detected, which was accompanied by a decrease of cellular membrane fluidity and hyperpolarization effect. In addition, the increase of free fatty acid uptake and accumulation of lipid droplets in MIN6 cells were observed. Elevated extract concentrations induced cell apoptosis through the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway with activation of initiatory caspase-9 and downstream caspases-3/7. The fluorescence-quenching studies indicated that PRF extract has binding affinity to human serum albumin, which is one of the factors determining drug bioavailability. Taken together, despite the cytoprotective activity against generated intracellular oxidative stress, V. opulus revealed potential toxic effects as well as decreased insulin secretion from MIN6 cells. These findings are relevant in understanding V. opulus limitations in developing diet supplements designed for the prevention and treatment of postprandial glucose elevation.