The Effect of Bitter Melon (Momordica charantia) Extract on the Uptake of 99mTc Labeled Paclitaxel: In Vitro Monitoring in Breast Cancer Cells

Preparation, Characterization, and Safety Evaluation of a Submicron Emulsion Processed Using High-Pressure Homogenization to Protect Bitter Melon Seed Oil

Bitter melon seed oil (BMSO), as a by-product of bitter gourd fruit processing, is rich in active ingredients and has unique medicinal potential. However, its solubility and dispersibility in water are poor when used directly. Therefore, this study aims to develop an eco-friendly submicron emulsion containing BMSO for intravenous injection and evaluate its safety. The BMSO submicron emulsion (BMSOSE) was prepared by high-pressure homogenization. The size, polydispersity index (PDI), ζ-potential, Turbiscan stability index (TSI), apparent viscosity, and morphology were characterized; in addition, an in vitro hemolysis test and acute toxicity test in mice were investigated in detail to evaluate the emulsion. The results demonstrated that the formulation and technological parameters of the BMSOSE were as follows: BMSO, 8% (w/w); egg yolk lecithin, 1.2% (w/w); F-68, 0.2% (w/w); pH, 5.0; homogenization pressure, 600 Pa; and number of homogenization cycle, 9. The obtained BMSOSE droplets exhibited a spherical shape with uniform size distribution with an average diameter of 221.3 nm, a PDI of 0.2, and a ζ-potential of -36 mV. There was no significant change in the fatty acid composition of BMSO and the BMSOSE. The safety tests demonstrated that the BMSOSE had no signs of hemolysis and had no toxicity to mice with LD50 > 64 mL/kg. This study provides a foundation for further development of BMSO and its preparations.

Rutin and Hesperidin Revoke the Hepatotoxicity Induced by Paclitaxel in Male Wistar Rats via Their Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, and Antiapoptotic Activities

Paclitaxel, one of the most effective chemotherapeutic drugs, is used to treat various cancers but it is exceedingly toxic when used long-term and can harm the liver. This study aimed to see if rutin, hesperidin, and their combination could protect male Wistar rats against paclitaxel (Taxol)-induced hepatotoxicity. Adult male Wistar rats were subdivided into 5 groups (each of six rats). The normal group was orally given the equivalent volume of vehicles for 6 weeks. The paclitaxel-administered control group received intraperitoneal injection of paclitaxel at a dose of 2 mg/Kg body weight twice a week for 6 weeks. Treated paclitaxel-administered groups were given paclitaxel similar to the paclitaxel-administered control group together with oral supplementation of rutin, hesperidin, and their combination at a dose of 10 mg/Kg body weight every other day for 6 weeks. The treatment of paclitaxel-administered rats with rutin and hesperidin significantly reduced paclitaxel-induced increases in serum alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, and gamma-glutamyl transferase activities as well as total bilirubin level and liver lipid peroxidation. However, the levels of serum albumin, liver glutathione content, and the activities of liver superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase increased. Furthermore, paclitaxel-induced harmful hepatic histological changes (central vein and portal area blood vessel congestion, fatty changes, and moderate necrotic changes with focal nuclear pyknosis, focal mononuclear infiltration, and Kupffer cell proliferation) were remarkably enhanced by rutin and hesperidin treatments. Moreover, the elevated hepatic proapoptotic mediator (caspase-3) and pro-inflammatory cytokine (tumor necrosis factor-α) expressions were decreased by the three treatments in paclitaxel-administered rats. The cotreatment with rutin and hesperidin was the most effective in restoring the majority of liver function and histological integrity. Therefore, rutin, hesperidin, and their combination may exert hepatic protective effects in paclitaxel-administered rats by improving antioxidant defenses and inhibiting inflammation and apoptosis.

The Role of Bitter Melon in Breast and Gynecological Cancer Prevention and Therapy

Phytotherapy has long represented a widely accepted treatment alternative to conventional therapy. Bitter melon is a vine with potent antitumor effects against numerous cancer entities. To date, no review article has, however, been published on the role of bitter melon in breast and gynecological cancer prevention and therapy. The current work constitutes the most comprehensive, up-to-date review of the literature, which highlights the promising anticancer effects of bitter melon on breast, ovarian, and cervical cancer cells and discusses future research recommendations.

Rutin and Hesperidin Alleviate Paclitaxel-Induced Nephrocardiotoxicity in Wistar Rats via Suppressing the Oxidative Stress and Enhancing the Antioxidant Defense Mechanisms

Paclitaxel is a primary chemotherapy agent that displays antitumor activity against a variety of solid tumors. However, the clinical effectiveness of the drug is hampered by its nephrotoxic and cardiotoxic side effects. Thus, this investigation aimed at assessing the protective effects of rutin, hesperidin, and their combination to alleviate nephrotoxicity caused by paclitaxel (Taxol), cardiotoxicity in male Wistar rats, as well as oxidative stress. Rutin (10 mg/kg body weight), hesperidin (10 mg/kg body weight), and their mixture were given orally every other day for six weeks. Rats received intraperitoneal injections of paclitaxel twice weekly, on the second and fifth days of the week, at a dose of 2 mg/kg body weight. In paclitaxel-treated rats, the treatment of rutin and hesperidin decreased the elevated serum levels of creatinine, urea, and uric acid, indicating a recovery of kidney functions. The cardiac dysfunction in paclitaxel-treated rats that got rutin and hesperidin treatment also diminished, as shown by a substantial reduction in elevated CK-MB and LDH activity. Following paclitaxel administration, the severity of the kidney and the heart's histopathological findings and lesion scores were markedly decreased by rutin and hesperidin administration. Moreover, these treatments significantly reduced renal and cardiac lipid peroxidation while markedly increased GSH content and SOD and GPx activities. Thus, paclitaxel likely induces toxicity in the kidney and the heart by producing oxidative stress. The treatments likely countered renal and cardiac dysfunction and histopathological changes by suppressing oxidative stress and augmenting the antioxidant defenses. Rutin and hesperidin combination was most efficacious in rescuing renal and cardiac function as well as histological integrity in paclitaxel-administered rats.

Antimicrobial Activities Evaluation and Phytochemical Screening of Some Selected Plant Materials Used in Traditional Medicine

Plant extracts are a source of valuable ingredients that can be used in many industries. This paper presents research on the content of selected bioactive compounds in extracts obtained from various plant materials. Raw materials have a documented use in traditional medicine not only in Poland. The tested plants were: bitter melon (fruit), elderberry (flowers, fruit, leaves), wild rose (fruit, flesh, seeds), mountain ash (fruit), guelder rose (fruit), and sea buckthorn (fruit, leaves, pomace). The main goal of these tests is to indicate the potential raw materials that may constitute an alternative source of bioactive compounds with antimicrobial activity. The plant material was tested for the content of bioactive antioxidant compounds and possible antimicrobial activity. The content of polyphenols (phenolic acids and flavonoids) was analyzed using UPLC/PDA, sterols, organic acids, and other bioactive compounds. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined. The total free phenolic acids (TPC) and total free flavonoids (TFC) of all plant raw materials was varied and ranged from 0.21 (mg RUTE/1 g of extract) to 38.30 mg RUTE/1 g of extract) for TFC. The concentration of sterols was, on average, about 10 mg/1 g of extract. The value of approx. 20 mg/1 g of the extract was recorded for bitter melon and beach rose. The content of organic acids was about 1.5 mg/1 g of the extract to even 13 mg/1 g of the extract for sea buckthorn berries. The most sensitive to the extracts' activity were the following bacteria: M. luteus, P. mirabilis, P. fragii, S. enteritidis, and E. coli. The tested plant materials can be used in various industries as a source of bioactive compounds of an antibacterial nature.

Investigation of cell cytotoxic activity and molecular mechanism of 5β,19-epoxycucurbita-6,23(E)-diene-3β,19(R),25-triol isolated from Momordica charantia on hepatoma cells

CONTEXT

Momordica charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae), known as bitter melon, is an edible fruit cultivated in the tropics. In this study, an active compound, 5β,19-epoxycucurbita-6,23(E)-diene-3β,19(R),25-triol (ECDT), isolated from M. charantia was investigated in regard to its cytotoxic effect on human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the mechanisms of ECDT-induced apoptosis in HCC cells.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The inhibitive activity of ECDT on HA22T HCC cells was examined by MTT assay, colony formation assay, wound healing assay, TUNEL/DAPI staining, annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide (PI) staining and JC-1 dye. HA22T cells were treated with ECDT (5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 μM) for 24 h, and the molecular mechanism of cells apoptosis was examined by Western blot. Cells treated with vehicle DMSO were used as the negative control.

RESULTS

ECDT inhibited the cell proliferation of HA22T cells in a dose-dependent manner. Flow cytometry showed that ECDT treatment at 10-20 μM increased early apoptosis by 10-14% and late apoptosis by 2-5%. Western blot revealed that ECDT treatment activated the mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathway, and ECDT-induced apoptosis was mediated by the caspase signalling pathway and activation of JNK and p38MAPK. Pre-treatment of cells with MAPK inhibitors (SB203580 or SP600125) reversed the ECDT-induced cell death, which further supported the involvement of the p38MAPK and JNK pathways.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicated that ECDT can induce apoptosis through the p38MAPK and JNK pathways in HA22T cells. The findings suggested that ECDT has a valuable anticancer property with the potential to be developed as a new chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of HCC.

Breaking the Silence of Tumor Response: Future Prospects of Targeted Radionuclide Therapy

Therapy-induced tumor resistance has always been a paramount hurdle in the clinical triumph of cancer therapy. Resistance acquired by tumor through interventions of chemotherapeutic drugs, ionizing radiation, and immunotherapy in the patientsis a severe drawback and major cause of recurrence of tumor and failure of therapeutic responses. To counter acquired resistance in tumor cells, several strategies are practiced such as chemotherapy regimens, immunotherapy, and immunoconjugates, but the outcome is very disappointing for the patients as well as clinicians. Radionuclide therapy using alpha or beta-emitting radionuclide as payload became state-of-the-art for cancer therapy. With the improvement in dosimetric studies, development of high-affinity target molecules, and design of several novel chelating agents which provide thermodynamically stable complexes in vivo, the scope of radionuclide therapy has increased by leaps and bounds. Additionally, radionuclide therapy along with the combination of chemotherapy is gaining importance in pre-clinics, which is quite encouraging. Thus, it opens an avenue for newer cancer therapy modalities where chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy are unable to break the silence of tumor response. This article describes, in brief, the causes of tumor resistance and discusses the potential of radionuclide therapy to enhance tumor response.

The apoptosis mechanisms of HepG2 cells induced by bitter melon seed

Liver cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in the world. Bitter melon seed (BMS) is well known for anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. MicroRNA-421 (miR-421) is considered as a regulator of cancer initiation, tumor metastasis, and progression, interfering with transcription of the mRNAs responsible for the cancer pathogenesis. HepG2 cells were treated with BMS water extract (BMSW) for 24 hr, and the IC₅₀ was 586.27 ± 0.07 µg/ml. The ROS, mitochondrial membrane potential, the protein expression, and the nuclear fragmentation after the treatment of BMSW were respectively detected. The increase of ROS resulted in the decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential, which induced the apoptosis of cells subsequently. BMSW inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cells by blocking cell cycle in the S phase and influenced the nuclei and the expression of protein, leading to cellular laxity and apoptosis. The expression level of miR-421 in HepG2 was distinctly down-regulated by 13.74 fold with 600 µg/ml of BMSW. Comprehensive microarray and RT-PCR analysis identified six putative target genes of miR-421 (GADD45B, DUSP6, DUSP3, DUSP10, CASP3, and CAPN2). The relationships of DUSP6, CASP3, and miR-421 were further confirmed by miR-421 mimics/inhibitor transfection by RT-PCR and western blot. The CASP3 was identified as target gene of miR-421. BMSW induced the apoptosis of HepG2 cell by regulating miR-421 and CASP3. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumour with the fourth highest mortality rate in the world. Bitter melon seed (BMS) as edible and medical food has significant anticancer activity. Our study indicated the anticancer mechanisms of BMS and provided the scientific basis for the application of BMS in healthy or novel functional foods. BMS can be used as dietary supplements or nutritional fortifiers to improve the survival status of patients with liver cancer due to safety and effectiveness.

The expression and clinical significance of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, tumor necrosis factor α induced protein 8-like 2, and runt-related transcription factor 1 in breast cancer patients

BACKGROUND

This study explored the expression and clinical significance of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), tumor necrosis factor α induced protein 8-like 2 (TIPE2), and runt-related transcription factor 1 (RUNX1) in breast cancer tissue.

METHODS

From October 2014 to October 2017, 68 breast cancer patients (68 breast cancer tissue specimens) who underwent a radical mastectomy in our hospital were set as the observation group and the corresponding normal tissue 3 cm away from the cancer tissue was selected as the control group. The expression levels of STAT3, TIPE2, and RUNX1 in the two groups were compared via immunohistochemical staining. Multiple logistic regression was then used to analyze the related risk factors affecting the 2-year prognosis of breast cancer patients. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was then plotted and the area under the ROC curve was calculated. The predictive values of STAT3, TIPE2, and RUNX1, and the predictive value of the three transcription factors combined on the 2-year prognostic survival of breast cancer patients were determined.

RESULTS

(I) In the observation group, the positive expression of STAT3 and the negative expression of TIPE2 and RUNX1 were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). (II) Of the 68 patients, 51 survived within 2 years and 17 patients died. Positive STAT3 expression, negative TIPE2 expression, negative RUNX1 expression, poor histological differentiation, TNM stage III-IV, and distant metastasis were all identified as factors that can affect the 2-year prognosis of breast cancer patients (P<0.05). (III) The ROC curve analysis examining the 2-year prognostic survival of breast cancer patients showed that the area under the curve achieved the largest value when the predictive values of STAT3, TIPE2, RUNX1 were combined.

CONCLUSIONS

The levels of STAT3, TIPE2, and RUNX1 expression in breast cancer tissues were significantly different from that in adjacent normal tissues. This suggested that the combined detection of STAT3, TIPE2, and RUNX1 may improve the rate of early breast cancer diagnosis. Furthermore, STAT3, TIPE2, and RUNX1 may be useful in evaluating the prognosis of the patients with breast cancer.

Curcumin in cancer therapy: A novel adjunct for combination chemotherapy with paclitaxel and alleviation of its adverse effects

Dealing with cancer is of importance due to enhanced incidence rate of this life-threatening disorder. Chemotherapy is an ideal candidate in overcoming and eradication of cancer. To date, various chemotherapeutic agents have been applied in cancer therapy and paclitaxel (PTX) is one of them. PTX is a key member of taxane family with potential anti-tumor activity against different cancers. Notably, PTX has demonstrated excellent proficiency in elimination of cancer in clinical trials. This chemotherapeutic agent is isolated from Taxus brevifolia, and is a tricyclic diterpenoid. However, resistance of cancer cells into PTX chemotherapy has endangered its efficacy. Besides, administration of PTX is associated with a number of side effects such as neurotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, cardiotoxicity and so on, demanding novel strategies in obviating PTX issues. Curcumin is a pharmacological compound with diverse therapeutic effects including anti-tumor, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and so on. In the current review, we demonstrate that curcumin, a naturally occurring nutraceutical compound is able to enhance anti-tumor activity of PTX against different cancers. Besides, curcumin administration reduces adverse effects of PTX due to its excellent pharmacological activities. These topics are discussed with an emphasis on molecular pathways to provide direction for further studies in revealing other signaling networks.