Free Fatty Acids from Cow Urine DMSO Fraction Induce Cell Death in Breast Cancer Cells without Affecting Normal GMSCs

Erucic acid increases the potency of cisplatin-induced colorectal cancer cell death and oxidative stress by upregulating the TRPM2 channel

Erucic acid (ErA) is a source of omega-9 monounsaturated fatty acids. ErA exhibited antitumor effects by causing apoptosis and oxidative stress in tumor cells, with the exception of the HT-29 human colorectal cancer cell line. The apoptotic and Ca2+ signaling pathways in tumor cells are triggered when mitochondrial Ca2+ and Zn2+ accumulation produce reactive free oxygen species (ROS), which in turn activate TRPM2. ErA-induced ROS and TRPM2 stimulation may augment the anticancer action of cisplatin (CSP). We aimed to study the effects of ErA and CSP incubations on ROS, apoptosis, and cell death in the HT-29 cells by activating TRPM2. The cells were divided into five groups: control, ErA (200 µM for 48 h), CSP (25 µM for 24 h), and ErA + CSP + TRPM2 antagonists (200 µM carvacrol and 25 µM N-(p-amylcinnamoyl)anthranilic acid for 24 h). The TRPM2 antagonists reduced ErA plus CSP-induced increases in H2O2-induced intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]c) and adenosine diphosphate-ribose-caused TRPM2 currents. ErA and CSP were found to cause apoptosis and cell death by raising the intracellular free Zn2+ concentration (Zn2+]c), caspase-3, -8, and -9, mitochondrial membrane dysfunction, and ROS, while lowering reduced glutathione, cell viability, and cell number. The oxidative, apoptotic, and tumor cell death effects of CSP in the cells were enhanced by the increase of ErA-mediated [Ca2+]c and Zn2+]c entering mitochondria through the activation of TRPM2. In conclusion, we observed that the combination of ErA and CSP was synergistic via TRPM2 activation for the treatment of HT-29 tumor cells.

Elevated N1-Acetylspermidine Levels in Doxorubicin-treated MCF-7 Cancer Cells: Histone Deacetylase 10 Inhibition with an N1-Acetylspermidine Mimetic

Cancer drug resistance is associated with metabolic adaptation. Cancer cells have been shown to implicate acetylated polyamines in adaptations during cell death. However, exploring the mimetic of acetylated polyamines as a potential anticancer drug is lacking. We performed intracellular metabolite profiling of human breast cancer MCF-7 cells treated with doxorubicin (DOX), a well known anticancer drug. A novel and in-house vertical tube gel electrophoresis assisted procedure followed by LC-HRMS analysis was employed to detect acetylated polyamines such as N1-acetylspermidine. We designed a mimetic N1-acetylspermidine (MINAS) which is a known substrate of histone deacetylase 10 (HDAC10). Molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MDs) simulations were used to evaluate the inhibitory potential of MINAS against HDAC10. The inhibitory potential and the ADMET profile of MINAS were compared to a known HDAC10 inhibitor Tubastatin A. N1-acetylspermidine, an acetylated form of polyamine, was detected intracellularly in MCF-7 cells treated with DOX over DMSO-treated MCF-7 cells. We designed and curated MINAS (PubChem CID 162679241). Molecular docking and MD simulations suggested the strong and comparable inhibitory potential of MINAS (-8.2 kcal/mol) to Tubastatin A (-8.4 kcal/mol). MINAS and Tubastatin A share similar binding sites on HDAC10, including Ser138, Ser140, Tyr183, and Cys184. Additionally, MINAS has a better ADMET profile compared to Tubastatin A, with a high MRTD value and lower toxicity. In conclusion, the data show that N1-acetylspermidine levels rise during DOX-induced breast cancer cell death. Additionally, MINAS, an N1-acetylspermidine mimetic compound, could be investigated as a potential anticancer drug when combined with chemotherapy like DOX.

Predicted Role of Acetyl-CoA Synthetase and HAT p300 in Extracellular Lactate Mediated Lactylation in the Tumor: In vitro and In silico Models

Background:

As per the Warburg effect, cancer cells are known to convert pyruvate into lactate. The accumulation of lactate is associated with metabolic and epigenetic reprogramming, which has newly been suggested to involve lactylation. However, the role of secreted lactate in modulating the tumor microenvironment through lactylation remains unclear. Specifically, there are gaps in our understanding of the enzyme responsible for converting lactate to lactyl-CoA and the nature of the enzyme that performs lactylation by utilizing lactyl-CoA as a substrate. It is worth noting that there are limited papers focused on metabolite profiling that detect lactate and lactyl-CoA levels intracellularly and extracellularly in the context of cancer cells.

Methods:

Here, we have employed an in-house developed vertical tube gel electrophoresis (VTGE) and LC-HRMS assisted profiling of extracellular metabolites of breast cancer cells treated by anticancer compositions of cow urine DMSO fraction (CUDF) that was reported previously. Furthermore, we used molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to determine the potential enzyme that can convert lactate to lactyl-CoA. Next, the histone acetyltransferase p300 (HAT p300) enzyme (PDB ID: 6GYR) was evaluated as a potential enzyme that can bind to lactylCoA during the lactylation process.

Results:

We collected evidence on the secretion of lactate in the extracellular conditioned medium of breast cancer cells treated by anticancer compositions. MD simulations data projected that acetyl-CoA synthetase could be a potential enzyme that may convert lactate into lactyl-CoA similar to a known substrate acetate. Furthermore, a specific and efficient binding (docking energy -9.6 kcal/mol) of lactyl-CoA with p300 HAT suggested that lactyl-CoA may serve as a substrate for lactylation similar to acetylation that uses acetyl-CoA as a substrate.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, our data provide a hint on the missing link for the lactylation process due to lactate in terms of a potential enzyme that can convert lactate into lactyl-CoA. This study helped us to project the HAT p300 enzyme that may use lactyl-CoA as a substrate in the lactylation process of the tumor microenvironment.