Progesterone-Calcitriol Combination Enhanced Cytotoxicity of Cisplatin in Ovarian and Endometrial Cancer Cells In Vitro

Immune microenvironment and molecular mechanisms in endometrial cancer: implications for resistance and innovative treatments

This review provides a systematic overview of the molecular mechanisms of endometrial cancer and its drug resistance, particularly involving the aberrant activation of some key signaling pathways. These molecular mechanisms significantly affect the therapeutic outcome of endometrial cancer by promoting tumor cell proliferation, anti-apoptosis, and drug resistance. The article also analyzes the critical role of the immune microenvironment in cancer drug resistance, focusing on the impact of immune cells, immune checkpoints, and hypoxic metabolic reprogramming on anticancer therapies. In recent years, immunotherapy and individualized therapy have shown promising clinical outcomes, especially in advanced endometrial cancer. This article summarizes recent advances in related therapeutic strategies and proposes emerging therapeutic strategies by targeting key pathways and modulating the immune microenvironment to overcome drug resistance and improve patient prognosis.

Cinobufagin Enhances the Sensitivity of Cisplatin-Resistant Lung Cancer Cells to Chemotherapy by Inhibiting the PI3K/AKT and MAPK/ERK Pathways

Lung cancer patients always develop serious chemotherapy resistance after long-term use of cisplatin treatment. It has been demonstrated that the combination of cisplatin (DDP) with other chemotherapy drugs may significantly reduce drug resistance. Cinobufagin (CB) showed potent anti-tumour effect against lung cancer. However, the relevance of CB and DDP resistance in lung cancer remains unclear. This article will study the effects of CB on reversing lung cell resistance. The apoptosis was rescued by flow cytometry analysis and TUNEL staining. The invasiveness was rescued by invasion assay. The mRNA and apoptosis-related proteins were estimated by qRT-PCR analysis and Western blot analysis, respectively. In vivo antitumor activities were investigated by subcutaneous xenograft assay. The present study firstly demonstrated that the sensitivity of DDP in DDP-resistant A549 (A549/DDP) cells was enhanced when treated with CB. Moreover, CB combined with DDP weakened the proliferation and increased apoptosis of A549/DDP cells. In addition, the expression level of Bcl-2 was increased, whereas Bax and caspase-3 were activated when A549/DDP cells were treated with both drugs. After treatment with IGF1 or PMA and mixed drugs (CB + DDP), the expressions of P-AKT, P-PI3K, P-MEK1/2 and P-ERK1/2 were increased. Finally, the results of in vivo experiments showed that the combination of DDP and CB significantly reduced the growth of tumours derived from A549/DDP cells. The combination of CB and DDP can be considered an effective strategy to increase the sensitivity of DDP-resistant lung cancer cells to DDP by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT and MAPK/ERK pathways.

Vitamins in Gynecologic Malignancies

The combination of vitamin A and D derivatives with classical chemotherapeutic treatments results in more satisfactory outcomes. The use of drug combinations, such as 9cUAB130 with carboplatin and cisplatin with TAC-101, shows enhanced cytotoxic effects and reductions in ovarian tumor volume compared to single-drug treatments. Combining cisplatin with calcitriol and progesterone increases VDR expression, potentially enhancing the effectiveness of anticancer therapy in ovarian cancer. The effectiveness of vitamin derivatives in anticancer treatment may vary depending on the characteristics of the tumor and the cell line from which it originated. An increase in thiamine intake of one unit is associated with an 18% decrease in HPV infection. Higher intake of vitamin C by 50 mg/day is linked to a lower risk of cervical neoplasia. Beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E are associated with risk reductions of 12%, 15%, and 9% in endometrial cancer, respectively. A balanced daily intake of vitamins is important, as both deficiency and excess can influence cancer development. It has been observed that there is a U-shaped relationship between group B vitamins and metabolic markers and clinical outcomes.

Bio-oxidation of progesterone by Penicillium oxalicum CBMAI 1185 and evaluation of the cytotoxic activity

We report the biotransformation of progesterone 1 by whole cells of Brazilian marine-derived fungi. A preliminary screening with 12 fungi revealed that the strains Penicillium oxalicum CBMAI 1996, Mucor racemous CBMAI 847, Cladosporium sp. CBMAI 1237, Penicillium oxalicum CBMAI 1185 and Aspergillus sydowii CBMAI 935 were efficient in the biotransformation of progesterone 1 in the first days of the reaction, with conversion values ranging from 75 % to 99 %. The fungus P. oxalicum CBMAI 1185 was employed in the reactions in quintuplicate to purify and characterize the main biotransformation products of progesterone 1. The compounds testololactone 1a, 12β-hydroxyandrostenedione 1b and 1β-hydroxyandrostenedione 1c were isolated and characterized by NMR, MS, [α]D and MP. In addition, the chromatographic yield of compound 1a was determined by HPLC-PDA in the screening experiments. In this study, we show a biotransformation pathway of progesterone 1, suggesting the presence of several enzymes such as Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenases, dehydrogenases and cytochrome P450 monooxygenases in the fungus P. oxalicum CBMAI 1185. In summary, the results obtained in this study contribute to the synthetic area and have environmental importance, since the marine-derived fungi can be employed in the biodegradation of steroids present in wastewater and the environment. The cytotoxic results demonstrate that the biodegradation products were inactive against the cell lines, in contrast to progesterone.

Sex steroid hormones and DNA repair regulation: Implications on cancer treatment responses

The role of sex steroid hormones (SSHs) has been shown to modulate cancer cytotoxic treatment sensitivity. Dysregulation of DNA repair associated with genomic instability, abnormal cell survival and not only promotes cancer progression but also resistance to cancer treatment. The three major SSHs, androgen, estrogen, and progesterone, have been shown to interact with several essential DNA repair components. The presence of androgens directly regulates key molecules in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair. Estrogen can promote cell proliferation and DNA repair, allowing cancer cells to tolerate chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Information on the role of progesterone in DNA repair is limited: progesterone interaction with some DNA repair components has been identified, but the biological significance is still unknown. Here, we review the roles of how each SSH affects DNA repair regulation and modulates response to genotoxic therapies and discuss future research that can be beneficial when combining SSHs with cancer therapy. We also provide preliminary analysis from publicly available databases defining the link between progesterone/PR and DDRs & DNA repair regulation that plausibly contribute to chemotherapy response and breast cancer patient survival.

Multi-Omics Analysis After Vaginal Administration of Bacteroides fragilis in Chickens

The reproductive tract of chickens is an important organ for egg formation. The vagina is in close contact with the external environment, which may lead to the invasion of a variety of pathogenic bacteria, affect the internal and external quality of eggs, and even increase mortality and cause economic loss. In recent years, probiotics as a substitute for antibiotics have brought economic benefits in livestock and poultry production. In the present study, we investigated the effects of vaginal administration of Bacteroides fragilis on the cloacal microbiota, vaginal transcriptome and metabolomics of chickens and evaluated the beneficial potential of B. fragilis. The results showed that B. fragilis treatment could affect the microbial composition of the cloaca. Transcriptome analysis found that the immune-related genes CCN3, HAS2, and RICTOR were upregulated, that the inflammatory genes EDNRB, TOX, and NKX2-3 were downregulated, and that DEGs were also enriched in the regulation of the inflammatory response, cellular metabolism, and synaptic response pathways. In addition, the differential metabolites were mainly related to steroid hormone biosynthesis, unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis, and arachidonic acid metabolism, and we identified associations between specific differential metabolites and genes. Overall, this study provides a theoretical basis for the application of B. fragilis as a potential probiotic in livestock and poultry production.

Progestins as Anticancer Drugs and Chemosensitizers, New Targets and Applications

Progesterone and its synthetic analogues, progestins, participate in the regulation of cell differentiation, proliferation and cell cycle progression. Progestins are usually applied for contraception, maintenance of pregnancy, and hormone replacement therapy. Recently, their effectiveness in the treatment of hormone-sensitive tumors was revealed. According to current data, the anticancer activity of progestins is mainly mediated by their cytotoxic and chemosensitizing influence on different cancer cells. In connection with the detection of previously unknown targets of the progestin action, which include the membrane-associated progesterone receptor (PR), non-specific transporters related to the multidrug resistance (MDR) and mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP), and checkpoints of different signaling pathways, new aspects of their application have emerged. It is likely that the favorable influence of progestins is predominantly associated with the modulation of expression and activity of MDR-related proteins, the inhibition of survival signaling pathways, especially TGF-β and Wnt/β-catenin pathways, which activate the proliferation and promote MDR in cancer cells, and the facilitation of mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis. Biological effects of progestins are mediated by the inhibition of these signaling pathways, as well as the direct interaction with the nucleotide-binding domain of ABC-transporters and mitochondrial adenylate translocase as an MPTP component. In these ways, progestins can restore the proliferative balance, the ability for apoptosis, and chemosensitivity to drugs, which is especially important for hormone-dependent tumors associated with estrogen stress, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and drug resistance.