Gomisin G Suppresses the Growth of Colon Cancer Cells by Attenuation of AKT Phosphorylation and Arrest of Cell Cycle Progression

A comprehensive review of Schisandra chinensis lignans: pharmacokinetics, pharmacological mechanisms, and future prospects in disease prevention and treatment

Lignans derived from Schisandra chinensis have attracted significant attention for their diverse pharmacological activities and clinical potential. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of the pharmacological properties of Schisandra chinensis lignans, including their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, antibacterial/viral, antidiabetic and anticancer effects. Their multifaceted mechanisms of action hold promise for therapeutic areas such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and metabolic disorders, aligning with urgent clinical needs. Additionally, this review explores the pharmacokinetics of these bioactive compounds, highlighting challenges in their absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion, which impact their bioavailability. Recent advancements in drug delivery systems are discussed, highlighting their potential to enhance therapeutic efficacy in clinical settings. Furthermore, the synergistic effects of combining these lignans with other therapeutic agents are considered a strategy to increase their efficacy. Future research is imperative to identify additional active components and elucidate novel mechanisms of action, paving the way for expanded therapeutic applications and unlocking the full clinical potential of Schisandra chinensis in disease prevention and treatment.

Simultaneous separation and determination of seven biphenyl cyclooctene lignans in Schisandra chinensis and its preparations by micellar electrokinetic chromatography with dual organic solvent system

INTRODUCTION

Gomisin is a natural dibenzo cyclooctene lignan, which is mainly derived from the family Magnoliaceae. It has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-tumor, anti-aging, and hypoglycemic effects. Gomisins play important roles as medicines, nutraceuticals, food additives, and cosmetics.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to establish a micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) method for simultaneous separation and determination of seven biphenyl cyclooctene lignans (Gomisin D, E, G, H, J, N, and O) in Schisandra chinensis and its preparations.

METHODS

The method was optimized by studying the effects of the main parameters on the separation. The method has been validated and successfully applied to the determination of seven Gomisins in S. chinensis and its preparations.

RESULTS

In the separation system, the running buffer was composed of 20 mM Na2HPO4, 8.0 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), 11% (v/v) methanol, and 6.0% (v/v) ethanol. A diode array detector was used with a detection wavelength of 230 nm, a separation voltage of 17 kV, and an operating temperature of 25°C. Under this condition, the seven analytes were separated at baseline within 20 min, and a good linear relationship was obtained with correlation coefficient ranging from 0.9919 to 0.9992. The limit of detection (LOD, S/N = 3) and the limit of quantification (LOQ, S/N = 10) ranged from 0.8 to 0.9 μg/mL and from 2.6 to 3.0 μg/mL, respectively. The recovery rate was between 99.1% and 102.5%.

CONCLUSION

The experimental results indicated that this method is suitable for the separation and determination of seven Schisandra biphenyl cyclooctene lignan compounds in real samples. At the same time, it provides an effective reference for the quality control of S. chinensis and its preparations.

Schisandra henryi-A Rare Species with High Medicinal Potential

Schisandra henryi (Schisandraceae) is a plant species endemic to Yunnan Province in China and is little known in Europe and America. To date, few studies, mainly performed by Chinese researchers, have been conducted on S. henryi. The chemical composition of this plant is dominated by lignans (dibenzocyclooctadiene, aryltetralin, dibenzylbutane), polyphenols (phenolic acids, flavonoids), triterpenoids, and nortriterpenoids. The research on the chemical profile of S. henryi showed a similar chemical composition to S. chinensis-a globally known pharmacopoeial species with valuable medicinal properties whichis the best-known species of the genus Schisandra. The whole genus is characterized by the presence of the aforementioned specific dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans, known as "Schisandra lignans". This paper was intended to provide a comprehensive review of the scientific literature published on the research conducted on S. henryi, with particular emphasis on the chemical composition and biological properties. Recently, a phytochemical, biological, and biotechnological study conducted by our team highlighted the great potential of S. henryi in in vitro cultures. The biotechnological research revealed the possibilities of the use of biomass from S. henryi as an alternative to raw material that cannot be easily obtained from natural sites. Moreover, the characterization of dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans specific to the Schisandraceae family was provided. Except for several scientific studies which have confirmed the most valuable pharmacological properties of these lignans, hepatoprotective and hepatoregenerative, this article also reviews studies that have confirmed the anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, anticancer, antiviral, antioxidant, cardioprotective, and anti-osteoporotic effects and their application for treating intestinal dysfunction.

Novel Anti-Angiogenic and Anti-Tumour Activities of the N-Terminal Domain of NOEY2 via Binding to VEGFR-2 in Ovarian Cancer

The imprinted tumour suppressor NOEY2 is downregulated in various cancer types, including ovarian cancers. Recent data suggest that NOEY2 plays an essential role in regulating the cell cycle, angiogenesis and autophagy in tumorigenesis. However, its detailed molecular function and mechanisms in ovarian tumours remain unclear. In this report, we initially demonstrated the inhibitory effect of NOEY2 on tumour growth by utilising a xenograft tumour model. NOEY2 attenuated the cell growth approximately fourfold and significantly reduced tumour vascularity. NOEY2 inhibited the phosphorylation of the signalling components downstream of phosphatidylinositol-3'-kinase (PI3K), including phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK-1), tuberous sclerosis complex 2 (TSC-2) and p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70S6K), during ovarian tumour progression via direct binding to vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2). Particularly, the N-terminal domain of NOEY2 (NOEY2-N) had a potent anti-angiogenic activity and dramatically downregulated VEGF and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), key regulators of angiogenesis. Since no X-ray or nuclear magnetic resonance structures is available for NOEY2, we constructed the threedimensional structure of this protein via molecular modelling methods, such as homology modelling and molecular dynamic simulations. Thereby, Lys15 and Arg16 appeared as key residues in the N-terminal domain. We also found that NOEY2-N acts as a potent inhibitor of tumorigenesis and angiogenesis. These findings provide convincing evidence that NOEY2-N regulates endothelial cell function and angiogenesis by interrupting the VEGFR-2/PDK-1/GSK-3β signal transduction and thus strongly suggest that NOEY2-N might serve as a novel anti-tumour and anti-angiogenic agent against many diseases, including ovarian cancer.

Pharmacodynamic effects and molecular mechanisms of lignans from Schisandra chinensis Turcz. (Baill.), a current review

Fruit of Schisandra chinensis Turcz. (Baill.) (S. chinensis) is a traditional herbal medicine widely used in China, Korea, and many other east Asian countries. At present, S. chinensis commonly forms Chinese medicinal formulae with other herbal medicines to treat liver disease and neurological disease in clinical. Modern researches indicated that lignans were the main active ingredients of S. chinensis with high content and novel dibenzocyclooctadiene skeletal structure, exhibited considerable antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties. Additionally, some of these lignans also showed certain potentials in anti-cancer, anti-fibrosis, and other effects. In the current review, we summarize literature reported lignans from S. chinensis in the past five years, and highlight the molecular mechanisms of lignans in exerting their biological functions. Also, we point out some deficiencies of existing researches and discuss the future direction of lignans study.

Anti-Proliferative Activity of Nodosin, a Diterpenoid from Isodon serra, via Regulation of Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathways in Human Colon Cancer Cells

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most malignant type of cancers and its incidence is steadily increasing, due to life style factors that include western diet. Abnormal activation of canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays an important role in colorectal carcinogenesis. Therefore, targeting Wnt/β-catenin signaling has been considered a crucial strategy in the discovery of small molecules for CRC. In the present study, we found that Nodosin, an ent-kaurene diterpenoid isolated from Isodon serra, effectively inhibits the proliferation of human colon cancer HCT116 cells. Mechanistically, Nodosin effectively inhibited the overactivated transcriptional activity of β-catenin/T-cell factor (TCF) determined by Wnt/β-catenin reporter gene assay in HEK293 and HCT116 cells. The expression of Wnt/β-catenin target genes such as Axin2, cyclin D1, and survivin were also suppressed by Nodosin in HCT116 cells. Further study revealed that a longer exposure of Nodosin induced the G₂/M phase cell cycle arrest and subsequently apoptosis in HCT116 cells. These findings suggest that the anti-proliferative activity of Nodosin in colorectal cancer cells might in part be associated with the regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

CMTM4 inhibits cell proliferation and migration via AKT, ERK1/2, and STAT3 pathway in colorectal cancer

CMTM4 (CKLF-like MARVEL transmembrane domain containing 4), a potential tumor suppressor gene, is involved in several types of malignancies. It has been reported to be downregulated and exhibit anti-tumorigenic activities by regulating cell growth and cell cycle in clear cell renal cell carcinoma. It has also been identified as a tumor suppressor in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and its negative expression is a risk factor for poor prognosis of HCC patients. In the present study, an integrated bioinformatics analysis based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database showed that CMTM4 was frequently reduced in colorectal cancer (CRC) and high expression of CMTM4 was associated with increased overall survival rates. Based on these findings, we adopted gain-of-function and lost-of-function strategies using SW480 and HT29 CRC cell lines which have relatively low and high endogenous CMTM4 levels, respectively. We observed impeded cell proliferation and migration upon overexpression of CMTM4 in SW480 cells, and the opposite effects were observed upon knockdown of CMTM4 in HT-29 cells. Cell signaling pathways essential for CRC progression were then examined, and the phosphorylation levels of AKT, ERK1/2, and STAT3 were found to be decreased by CMTM4 overexpression in SW480 cells and elevated by CMTM4 silencing in HT29 cells. Their inhibitors were used to validate that the three signaling pathways contributed to the inhibitory effects of CMTM4 on CRC cells. Taken together, our results suggest that CMTM4 plays a tumor suppressive role in CRC.

Generation and characterization of a monoclonal antibody against MERS-CoV targeting the spike protein using a synthetic peptide epitope-CpG-DNA-liposome complex

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) uses the spike (S) glycoprotein to recognize and enter target cells. In this study, we selected two epitope peptide sequences within the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the MERS-CoV S protein. We used a complex consisting of the epitope peptide of the MERS-CoV S protein and CpG-DNA encapsulated in liposome complex to immunize mice, and produced the monoclonal antibodies 506-2G10G5 and 492-1G10E4E2. The western blotting data showed that both monoclonal antibodies detected the S protein and immunoprecipitated the native form of the S protein. Indirect immunofluorescence and confocal analysis suggested strong reactivity of the antibodies towards the S protein of MERS-CoV virus infected Vero cells. Furthermore, the 506-2G10G5 monoclonal antibody significantly reduced plaque formation in MERS-CoV infected Vero cells compared to normal mouse IgG and 492-1G10E4E2. Thus, we successfully produced a monoclonal antibody directed against the RBD domain of the S protein which could be used in the development of diagnostics and therapeutic applications in the future.

Generation and characterization of a monoclonal antibody against MERS-CoV targeting the spike protein using a synthetic peptide epitope-CpG-DNA-liposome complex

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) uses the spike (S) glycoprotein to recognize and enter target cells. In this study, we selected two epitope peptide sequences within the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the MERS-CoV S protein. We used a complex consisting of the epitope peptide of the MERS-CoV S protein and CpG-DNA encapsulated in liposome complex to immunize mice, and produced the monoclonal antibodies 506-2G10G5 and 492-1G10E4E2. The western blotting data showed that both monoclonal antibodies detected the S protein and immunoprecipitated the native form of the S protein. Indirect immunofluorescence and confocal analysis suggested strong reactivity of the antibodies towards the S protein of MERS-CoV virus infected Vero cells. Furthermore, the 506-2G10G5 monoclonal antibody significantly reduced plaque formation in MERS-CoV infected Vero cells compared to normal mouse IgG and 492-1G10E4E2. Thus, we successfully produced a monoclonal antibody directed against the RBD domain of the S protein which could be used in the development of diagnostics and therapeutic applications in the future. [BMB Reports 2019; 52(6): 397-402].

Peritoneal Cells Mediate Immune Responses and Cross-Protection Against Influenza A Virus

Intraperitoneal inoculation with live influenza A virus confers protection against intranasal infections in mice and ferrets. However, the responses of peritoneal cells to influenza A virus have not been investigated. Here we show that intraperitoneal inoculation with A/WSN/1933 (H1N1) virus induced virus-reactive IgG production in the peritoneal cavity in mice. The infection resulted in substantial but transient B cell and macrophage depletion along with massive neutrophil infiltration, but virus growth was not detected. Influenza A viruses bound to α-2,6-linked sialic acids of B cells and macrophages and induced apoptotic death of peritoneal cavity cells. However, re-infection with A/WSN/1933 virus did not have adverse effects on immune cells most likely because of the neutralizing antibodies produced in response to the first exposure. Infection of BALB/c mice with A/WSN/1933 induced cross-protection against an otherwise lethal intraperitoneal dose of A/Hongkong/4801/2014 (H3N2) virus. This information suggests that immunological responses in the peritoneal cavity can induce effective defense against future virus infection. Considering the unexpected potent immunoregulatory activity of the peritoneal cells against influenza viruses, we suggest that comparative studies on various immune reactions after infection through different routes may contribute to better selection of vaccination routes in development of efficacious influenza vaccines.