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Kamath AJ, Chandy AS, Joseph AA, Gorantla JN, Donadkar AD, Nath LR, Sharifi-Rad J, Calina D. Embelin: A multifaceted anticancer agent with translational potential in targeting tumor progression and metastasis. EXCLI J 2023; 22:1311-1329. [PMID: 38234968 PMCID: PMC10792175 DOI: 10.17179/excli2023-6590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Embelin, a natural para-benzoquinone product, is derived from plants of the Embelia genus, particularly Embelia ribes Burm.f. A staple in traditional medicinal formulations for centuries, Embelin's pharmacological actions are attributed to the hydroxyl benzoquinone present in its structure. Its therapeutic potential is bolstered by unique physical and chemical properties. Recently, Embelin, recognized as a non-peptidic, cell-permeable small inhibitor of the X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), has garnered significant attention for its anticancer activity. It demonstrates various anticancer mechanisms, such as apoptosis induction, cell cycle arrest, and autophagy, in different cancer types. Additionally, Embelin modulates several signal transduction pathways, including NF-κB, PI3Kinase/AKT, and STAT3, effectively inhibiting the proliferation of diverse cancer cell lines. This literature review illuminates the anticancer potential of Embelin, detailing its mechanisms of action and prospective clinical applications, based on relevant scientific literature from the past decade sourced from various electronic databases. See also the Graphical abstract(Fig. 1).
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Affiliation(s)
- Adithya Jayaprakash Kamath
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Amrita School of Pharmacy, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, AIMS Health Sciences Campus, Kochi-682 041, India
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Amrita School of Pharmacy, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, AIMS Health Sciences Campus, Kochi-682 041, India
| | - Alda Sara Chandy
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Amrita School of Pharmacy, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, AIMS Health Sciences Campus, Kochi-682 041, India
| | - Aina Ann Joseph
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Amrita School of Pharmacy, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, AIMS Health Sciences Campus, Kochi-682 041, India
| | - Jaggiah N. Gorantla
- Department of Chemistry, Wayne State University, Detroit-48202, Michigan, USA
| | - Asawari Dilip Donadkar
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Amrita School of Pharmacy, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, AIMS Health Sciences Campus, Kochi-682 041, India
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Amrita School of Pharmacy, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, AIMS Health Sciences Campus, Kochi-682 041, India
| | - Lekshmi R. Nath
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Amrita School of Pharmacy, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, AIMS Health Sciences Campus, Kochi-682 041, India
| | | | - Daniela Calina
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
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Hegde M, Girisa S, Naliyadhara N, Kumar A, Alqahtani MS, Abbas M, Mohan CD, Warrier S, Hui KM, Rangappa KS, Sethi G, Kunnumakkara AB. Natural compounds targeting nuclear receptors for effective cancer therapy. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2023; 42:765-822. [PMID: 36482154 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-022-10068-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Human nuclear receptors (NRs) are a family of forty-eight transcription factors that modulate gene expression both spatially and temporally. Numerous biochemical, physiological, and pathological processes including cell survival, proliferation, differentiation, metabolism, immune modulation, development, reproduction, and aging are extensively orchestrated by different NRs. The involvement of dysregulated NRs and NR-mediated signaling pathways in driving cancer cell hallmarks has been thoroughly investigated. Targeting NRs has been one of the major focuses of drug development strategies for cancer interventions. Interestingly, rapid progress in molecular biology and drug screening reveals that the naturally occurring compounds are promising modern oncology drugs which are free of potentially inevitable repercussions that are associated with synthetic compounds. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to draw our attention to the potential therapeutic effects of various classes of natural compounds that target NRs such as phytochemicals, dietary components, venom constituents, royal jelly-derived compounds, and microbial derivatives in the establishment of novel and safe medications for cancer treatment. This review also emphasizes molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways that are leveraged to promote the anti-cancer effects of these natural compounds. We have also critically reviewed and assessed the advantages and limitations of current preclinical and clinical studies on this subject for cancer prophylaxis. This might subsequently pave the way for new paradigms in the discovery of drugs that target specific cancer types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mangala Hegde
- Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, 781039, Assam, India
| | - Sosmitha Girisa
- Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, 781039, Assam, India
| | - Nikunj Naliyadhara
- Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, 781039, Assam, India
| | - Aviral Kumar
- Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, 781039, Assam, India
| | - Mohammed S Alqahtani
- Radiological Sciences Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, 61421, Saudi Arabia
- BioImaging Unit, Space Research Centre, University of Leicester, Michael Atiyah Building, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Mohamed Abbas
- Electrical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, King Khalid University, Abha, 61421, Saudi Arabia
- Electronics and Communications Department, College of Engineering, Delta University for Science and Technology, 35712, Gamasa, Egypt
| | | | - Sudha Warrier
- Division of Cancer Stem Cells and Cardiovascular Regeneration, School of Regenerative Medicine, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Bangalore, 560065, India
- Cuor Stem Cellutions Pvt Ltd, Manipal Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Bangalore, 560065, India
| | - Kam Man Hui
- Division of Cellular and Molecular Research, Humphrey Oei Institute of Cancer Research, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, 169610, Singapore
| | | | - Gautam Sethi
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117600, Singapore.
| | - Ajaikumar B Kunnumakkara
- Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, 781039, Assam, India.
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Ismael LQ, Abdulhameed AR, Keong YY, Abdullah MNH, Bahari H, Jie TJ, Yin KB. Bisphenol A is a carcinogen that induces lipid accumulation, peroxisome proliferator‑activated receptor‑γ expression and liver disease. Exp Ther Med 2022; 24:735. [PMID: 36466761 PMCID: PMC9709766 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2022.11671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Bisphenol (BP) A is an exogenous endocrine disruptor that mimics hormones closely associated with health complications, e.g., obesity and cancers. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of BPA on human liver cells and tissue. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ expression profile across tumour samples and paired normal tissue was first analysed using GEPIA. Subsequently, BPA-treated liver THLE-2 cell viability was evaluated using an MTT assay. Clusterin, PPARα and PPARγ gene expression in BPA-treated THLE-2 cells was assessed using GEPIA before validating the gene expression using real-time PCR and analysing overall survival using TCGA data in GEPIA. Cytoplasmic lipid accumulation was examined in BPA-treated THLE-2 cells using Oil Red O staining, and liver tissue was examined using haematoxylin and eosin staining. Finally, cytochrome P450 (CYP) gene expression was assessed in BPA-treated THLE-2 cells using real-time PCR. PPARγ is likely the primary nuclear receptor protein involved in lipid accumulation in THLE-2 cells following BPA treatment and is associated with liver disease. THLE-2 cells exposed to BPA showed a decrease in viability and lipid accumulation after 48 h treatment. Higher PPARγ gene expression was significantly associated with survival of patients with liver cancer, with an average survival time of <80 months. Haematoxylin and eosin-stained sections showed notable disruption of the liver architecture in tissue exposed to BPA. Downregulated CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 gene expression implied that BPA-treated THLE-2 cells decreased capacity for carcinogen metabolism, while upregulated CYP2S1 gene expression exerted minimal cytotoxicity. The present study revealed that BPA served as a carcinogen, enhanced tumorigenesis susceptibility and may induce other types of liver disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Layla Qasim Ismael
- Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine, University Sains Malaysia, Minden, Penang 11800, Malaysia
- Department of Medical Biochemical Analysis, Cihan University-Erbil, Erbil 44001, Iraq
| | - Ahmed Rashid Abdulhameed
- Physiology Unit, Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia
| | - Yong Yoke Keong
- Physiology Unit, Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia
| | - Muhammad Nazrul Hakim Abdullah
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia
| | - Hasnah Bahari
- Physiology Unit, Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia
| | - Tan Jun Jie
- Advanced Medical and Dental Institute, University Sains Malaysia, Bertam, Penang 13200, Malaysia
| | - Khoo Boon Yin
- Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine, University Sains Malaysia, Minden, Penang 11800, Malaysia
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Su PW, Chen BS. Systems Drug Design for Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer and Advanced Bladder Cancer by Genome-Wide Microarray Data and Deep Learning Method with Drug Design Specifications. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23. [PMID: 36430344 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232213869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Bladder cancer is the 10th most common cancer worldwide. Due to the lack of understanding of the oncogenic mechanisms between muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) and advanced bladder cancer (ABC) and the limitations of current treatments, novel therapeutic approaches are urgently needed. In this study, we utilized the systems biology method via genome-wide microarray data to explore the oncogenic mechanisms of MIBC and ABC to identify their respective drug targets for systems drug discovery. First, we constructed the candidate genome-wide genetic and epigenetic networks (GWGEN) through big data mining. Second, we applied the system identification and system order detection method to delete false positives in candidate GWGENs to obtain the real GWGENs of MIBC and ABC from their genome-wide microarray data. Third, we extracted the core GWGENs from the real GWGENs by selecting the significant proteins, genes and epigenetics via the principal network projection (PNP) method. Finally, we obtained the core signaling pathways from the corresponding core GWGEN through the annotations of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway to investigate the carcinogenic mechanisms of MIBC and ABC. Based on the carcinogenic mechanisms, we selected the significant drug targets NFKB1, LEF1 and MYC for MIBC, and LEF1, MYC, NOTCH1 and FOXO1 for ABC. To design molecular drug combinations for MIBC and ABC, we employed a deep neural network (DNN)-based drug-target interaction (DTI) model with drug specifications. The DNN-based DTI model was trained by drug-target interaction databases to predict the candidate drugs for MIBC and ABC, respectively. Subsequently, the drug design specifications based on regulation ability, sensitivity and toxicity were employed as filter criteria for screening the potential drug combinations of Embelin and Obatoclax for MIBC, and Obatoclax, Entinostat and Imiquimod for ABC from their candidate drugs. In conclusion, we not only investigated the oncogenic mechanisms of MIBC and ABC, but also provided promising therapeutic options for MIBC and ABC, respectively.
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Danquah M. Embelin and Its Derivatives: Design, Synthesis, and Potential Delivery Systems for Cancer Therapy. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:1131. [PMID: 36145352 DOI: 10.3390/ph15091131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Embelin is a naturally occurring benzoquinone that inhibits the growth of cancer cells, making it a potent anticancer drug. However, the low water solubility of embelin restricts its clinical applicability. This review provides a concise summary and in-depth analysis of the published literature on the design and synthesis of embelin derivatives possessing increased aqueous solubility and superior therapeutic efficacy. In addition, the potential of drug delivery systems to improve the anticancer capabilities of embelin and its derivatives is discussed.
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Sharma V, Gautam DNS, Radu A, Behl T, Bungau SG, Vesa CM. Reviewing the Traditional/Modern Uses, Phytochemistry, Essential Oils/Extracts and Pharmacology of Embelia ribes Burm. Antioxidants (Basel) 2022; 11:1359. [PMID: 35883850 PMCID: PMC9311956 DOI: 10.3390/antiox11071359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: Embelia ribes Burm. (E. ribes, Myrsinaceae), also known as Vidanga in Ayurveda, has been shown to have significant therapeutic benefits on several disorders, and its main chemical bioactive constituent, embelin, has the therapeutic potential to be converted into innovative drugs, which is why it has recently received considerable interest. In the present work, we provide a higher level of comprehension, awareness, and extensive knowledge of the traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological characteristics of E. ribes throughout the last several decades (February 1965 to June 2021), emphasizing the importance of the study of essential oils extracted from E. ribes, which show a major potential for exerting antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Materials and Methods: Google Scholar, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scifinder, Scopus, and ScienceDirect were used to conduct a thorough literature search. Results: E. ribes is high in essential oils, alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids, and phenolics, all of which have medicinal benefits. The essential oils/extracts and isolated chemical constituents exhibited antioxidant activity, wound healing, antidiabetic, central nervous system (CNS)-related disease, antiviral, antiobesity, cardioprotective, antifungal, antibacterial, and antifertility activity, among other promising pharmacological effects. Conclusion: The translation between traditional applications and modern medicine may make E. ribes a promising target for the implementation of innovative medication. To investigate the efficacy and safety profile of E. ribes, further high-quality preclinical studies using advanced methodologies are required.
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Peterson C, Toll SA, Kolb B, Poulik JM, Reyes-Mugica M, Sood S, Haridas A, Wang ZJ, Marupudi NI. Novel Finding of Copy Number Gains in GNAS and Loss of 10q in a Child With Malignant Transformation of Neurocutaneous Melanosis Syndrome. JCO Precis Oncol 2022; 5:33-38. [PMID: 34994589 DOI: 10.1200/po.20.00244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Peterson
- Department of Neurosurgery, Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, MI.,Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
| | - Stephanie A Toll
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, MI
| | - Bradley Kolb
- Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
| | - Janet M Poulik
- Department of Pathology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
| | | | - Sandeep Sood
- Department of Neurosurgery, Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, MI.,Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI.,Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, MI
| | - Abilash Haridas
- Department of Neurosurgery, Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, MI.,Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI.,Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, MI
| | - Zhihong Joanne Wang
- Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI.,Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, MI
| | - Neena I Marupudi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, MI.,Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI.,Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, MI
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Devi Daimary U, Girisa S, Parama D, Verma E, Kumar A, Kunnumakkara AB. Embelin: A novel XIAP inhibitor for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 2021; 36:e22950. [PMID: 34842329 DOI: 10.1002/jbt.22950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Chronic diseases are a serious health concern worldwide, especially in the elderly population. Most chronic diseases like cancer, cardiovascular ailments, neurodegenerative disorders, and autoimmune diseases are caused due to the abnormal functioning of multiple signaling pathways that give rise to critical anomalies in the body. Although a lot of advanced therapies are available, these have failed to entirely cure the disease due to their less efficacy. Apart from this, they have been shown to manifest disturbing side effects which hamper the patient's quality of life to the extreme. Since the last few decades, extensive studies have been done on natural herbs due to their excellent medicinal benefits. Components present in natural herbs target multiple signaling pathways involved in diseases and therefore hold high potential in the prevention and treatment of various chronic diseases. Embelin, a benzoquinone, is one such agent isolated from Embelia ribes, which has shown excellent biological activities toward several chronic ailments by upregulating a number of antioxidant enzymes (e.g., SOD, CAT, GSH, etc.), inhibiting anti-apoptotic genes (e.g., TRAIL, XIAP, survivin, etc.), modulating transcription factors (e.g., NF-κB, STAT3, etc.) blocking inflammatory biomarkers (e.g., NO, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, etc.), monitoring cell cycle synchronizing genes (e.g., p53, cyclins, CDKs, etc.), and so forth. Several preclinical studies have confirmed its excellent therapeutic activities against malicious diseases like cancer, obesity, heart diseases, Alzheimer's, and so forth. This review presents an overview of embelin, its therapeutic prospective, and the molecular targets in different chronic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uzini Devi Daimary
- Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, DBT-AIST International Center for Translational and Environmental Research (DAICENTER), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam, India
| | - Sosmitha Girisa
- Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, DBT-AIST International Center for Translational and Environmental Research (DAICENTER), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam, India
| | - Dey Parama
- Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, DBT-AIST International Center for Translational and Environmental Research (DAICENTER), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam, India
| | - Elika Verma
- Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, DBT-AIST International Center for Translational and Environmental Research (DAICENTER), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam, India
| | - Aviral Kumar
- Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, DBT-AIST International Center for Translational and Environmental Research (DAICENTER), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam, India
| | - Ajaikumar B Kunnumakkara
- Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, DBT-AIST International Center for Translational and Environmental Research (DAICENTER), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam, India
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Hetrick YM, Fesseha M, Hong MY. Watermelon powder supplementation reduces colonic cell proliferation and aberrant crypt foci by upregulating p21Waf1/Cip1 expression. J Funct Foods 2021; 85:104667. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jff.2021.104667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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Caruso F, Rossi M, Pedersen JZ, Incerpi S. Computational studies reveal mechanism by which quinone derivatives can inhibit SARS-CoV-2. Study of embelin and two therapeutic compounds of interest, methyl prednisolone and dexamethasone. J Infect Public Health 2020; 13:1868-1877. [PMID: 33109497 PMCID: PMC7556809 DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2020.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Quinones are reactive to proteins containing cysteine residues and the main protease in Covid-19 contains an active site that includes Cys145. Embelin, a quinone natural product, is known to have antiviral activity against influenza and hepatitis B. Preliminary studies by our group also indicate its ability to inhibit HSV-1 in cultured cells. Methods Docking and DFT methods applied to the protease target. Results a mechanism for this inhibition of the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro protease is described, specifically due to formation of a covalent bond between S(Cys145) and an embelin C(carbonyl). This is assisted by two protein amino acids (1) N(imidazole-His41) which is able to capture H[S(Cys145)] and (2) HN(His163), which donates a proton to embelin O(carbonyl) forming an OH moiety that results in inhibition of the viral protease. A similar process is also seen with the anti-inflammatory drugs methyl prednisolone and dexamethasone, used for Covid-19 patients. Methyl prednisolone and dexamethasone are methide quinones, and possess only one carbonyl moiety, instead of two for embelin. Additional consideration was given to another natural product, emodin, recently patented against Covid-19, as well as some therapeutic quinones, vitamin K, suspected to be involved in Covid-19 action, and coenzyme Q10. All show structural similarities with embelin, dexamethasone and methyl prednisolone results. Conclusions Our data on embelin and related quinones indicate that these natural compounds may represent a feasible, strategic tool against Covid-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Caruso
- Vassar College, Department of Chemistry, Poughkeepsie NY 12604, USA.
| | - Miriam Rossi
- Vassar College, Department of Chemistry, Poughkeepsie NY 12604, USA
| | - Jens Z Pedersen
- Department of Biology, University Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Sandra Incerpi
- Department of Sciences, University Roma Tre, 00146 Rome, Italy
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Rajendran S, Barbon S, Pucciarelli S. Spotlight on Circadian Genes and Colorectal Cancer Crosstalk. Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets 2020; 21:4-11. [PMID: 32579510 DOI: 10.2174/1871530320666200624192517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 01/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian physiology is regulated by circadian clock through oscillating feedback loops controlling cellular processes and behaviors. Recent findings have led to an interesting connection between circadian disruption and colorectal cancer progression and incidence through controlling the hallmarks of cancer, namely cell cycle, cell metabolism and cell death. Deeper understanding of the circadian mechanisms that define the colorectal cancer pathophysiology is the need of the hour to define a chronotherapy for improving colorectal cancer patient survival. This review identifies the key areas in which circadian genes interact with cellular pathways to modify the outcome with respect to colorectal cancer incidence and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Silvia Barbon
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Salvatore Pucciarelli
- Department of Surgery Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
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Zappavigna S, Cossu AM, Grimaldi A, Bocchetti M, Ferraro GA, Nicoletti GF, Filosa R, Caraglia M. Anti-Inflammatory Drugs as Anticancer Agents. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21072605. [PMID: 32283655 PMCID: PMC7177823 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21072605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Revised: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Inflammation is strictly associated with cancer and plays a key role in tumor development and progression. Several epidemiological studies have demonstrated that inflammation can predispose to tumors, therefore targeting inflammation and the molecules involved in the inflammatory process could represent a good strategy for cancer prevention and therapy. In the past, several clinical studies have demonstrated that many anti-inflammatory agents, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), are able to interfere with the tumor microenvironment by reducing cell migration and increasing apoptosis and chemo-sensitivity. This review focuses on the link between inflammation and cancer by describing the anti-inflammatory agents used in cancer therapy, and their mechanisms of action, emphasizing the use of novel anti-inflammatory agents with significant anticancer activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Zappavigna
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy; (S.Z.); (A.M.C.); (A.G.); (M.B.); (M.C.)
| | - Alessia Maria Cossu
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy; (S.Z.); (A.M.C.); (A.G.); (M.B.); (M.C.)
- Biogem Scarl, Institute of Genetic Research, Laboratory of Molecular and Precision Oncology, 83031 Ariano Irpino, Italy
| | - Anna Grimaldi
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy; (S.Z.); (A.M.C.); (A.G.); (M.B.); (M.C.)
| | - Marco Bocchetti
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy; (S.Z.); (A.M.C.); (A.G.); (M.B.); (M.C.)
- Biogem Scarl, Institute of Genetic Research, Laboratory of Molecular and Precision Oncology, 83031 Ariano Irpino, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Andrea Ferraro
- Multidisciplinary Department of Medical and Dental Specialties, University of Campania, “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Plastic Surgery Unit, 80138 Naples, Italy; (G.A.F.); (G.F.N.)
| | - Giovanni Francesco Nicoletti
- Multidisciplinary Department of Medical and Dental Specialties, University of Campania, “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Plastic Surgery Unit, 80138 Naples, Italy; (G.A.F.); (G.F.N.)
| | - Rosanna Filosa
- Department of Science and Technology, University of Sannio, 82100 Benevento, Italy
- Consorzio Sannio Tech-AMP Biotec, 82030 Apollosa, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Michele Caraglia
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy; (S.Z.); (A.M.C.); (A.G.); (M.B.); (M.C.)
- Biogem Scarl, Institute of Genetic Research, Laboratory of Molecular and Precision Oncology, 83031 Ariano Irpino, Italy
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Cui Y, Zhang C, Wang Y, Ma S, Cao W, Guan F. HOXC11 functions as a novel oncogene in human colon adenocarcinoma and kidney renal clear cell carcinoma. Life Sci 2020; 243:117230. [PMID: 31923422 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2019.117230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 12/08/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Accumulating evidence has confirmed the involvement of the homeobox (HOX) gene family in carcinogenesis. HOXC11, belongs to the homeobox-C (HOXC) gene cluster, has been reported to play important roles in the development of several cancers. However, its expression and clinical value in pan-cancer remain elusive. MATERIALS AND METHODS Bioinformatics analysis, CCK-8 assay, Flow cytometry and Western blot were used to analyze gene expression and patient survival, cell proliferation, cell apoptosis and protein level, respectively. KEY FINDINGS In this study, we comprehensively analyzed the expression profile and prognostic value of HOXC11 in human pan-cancer using online The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases. HOXC11 was widely up-regulated in tumor tissues when compared with the normal tissues in pan-cancer across nine cancer types. In addition, high mRNA level of HOXC11 predicted poor overall survival (OS) of patients with adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), colon adenocarcinoma (COAD), kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC), mesothelioma (MESO) and pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD), respectively. By comparative analysis, we found that HOXC11 was up-regulated and closely correlated patient OS in COAD and KIRC. Functionally, down-regulation of HOXC11 inhibited cell proliferation but promoted apoptosis of COAD and KIRC in vitro. Mechanistically, HOXC11 promoted cell proliferation of COAD and KIRC might by inactivating the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) signaling pathway. SIGNIFICANCE Our findings suggest that HOXC11 may act as a tumor driving gene in COAD and KIRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanbo Cui
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China.
| | - Chunyan Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Zhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450007, China
| | - Yaping Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Shanshan Ma
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Wei Cao
- Department of Translational Medicine Center, Zhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450007, China
| | - Fangxia Guan
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China.
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14
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Wu T, Wang C, Wang W, Hui Y, Zhang R, Qiao L, Dai Y. Embelin impairs the accumulation and activation of MDSCs in colitis-associated tumorigenesis. Oncoimmunology 2018; 7:e1498437. [PMID: 30377563 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2018.1498437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2018] [Revised: 06/30/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are a major component of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and has been recognized as a contributing factor for inflammation-related cancers. We previously showed that embelin has potent anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects in a colitis-associated cancer (CAC) model. Here, by using this model, we assessed the effect of embelin on the accumulation and suppressive function of MDSCs. We have demonstrated that embelin substantially reduced accumulation of MDSCs in the peripheral lymphoid organ and tumor tissue of CAC-bearing mice. Embelin impaired immunosuppressive activity of MDSCs by reducing the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and arginase 1 level, leading to restored T cell responses. In tumor milieu, embelin increased the infiltration of CD8+ T cells, NK cells and mature dendritic cells whilst depleted the regulatory T cells. Moreover, embelin could directly interfere with the generation and function of MDSCs in vitro. These effects of embelin on MDSCs were mediated largely via limiting C/EBPβ and STAT3 signaling. Our findings support the hypothesis that embelin may be a promising pharmacologic agent in regulating MDSC-mediated immune tolerance in colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Wu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Chaohui Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Weihong Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yuhang Hui
- Department of Gastroenterology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Rongxin Zhang
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Biotechnology Drug Candidates, School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liang Qiao
- Storr Liver Centre, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Department of Medicine and Western Clinical School, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Yun Dai
- Department of Gastroenterology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
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15
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Hossan MS, Fatima A, Rahmatullah M, Khoo TJ, Nissapatorn V, Galochkina AV, Slita AV, Shtro AA, Nikolaeva Y, Zarubaev VV, Wiart C. Antiviral activity of Embelia ribes Burm. f. against influenza virus in vitro. Arch Virol 2018; 163:2121-2131. [PMID: 29633078 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-018-3842-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 03/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Viral respiratory infections are raising serious concern globally. Asian medicinal plants could be useful in improving the current treatment strategies for influenza. The present study examines the activity of five plants from Bangladesh against influenza virus. MDCK cells infected with influenza virus A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (H1N1) were treated with increasing concentrations of ethyl acetate extracts, and their cytotoxicity (CC50), virus-inhibiting activity (IC50), and selectivity index (SI) were calculated. The ethyl acetate extract of fruits of Embelia ribes Burm. f. (Myrsinaceae) had the highest antiviral activity, with an IC50 of 0.2 µg/mL and a SI of 32. Its major constituent, embelin, was further isolated and tested against the same virus. Embelin demonstrated antiviral activity, with an IC50 of 0.3 µM and an SI of 10. Time-of-addition experiments revealed that embelin was most effective when added at early stages of the viral life cycle (0-1 h postinfection). Embelin was further evaluated against a panel of influenza viruses including influenza A and B viruses that were susceptible or resistant to rimantadine and oseltamivir. Among the viruses tested, avian influenza virus A/mallard/Pennsylvania/10218/84 (H5N2) was the most susceptible to embelin (SI = 31), while A/Aichi/2/68 (H3N2) virus was the most resistant (SI = 5). In silico molecular docking showed that the binding site for embelin is located in the receptor-binding domain of the viral hemagglutinin. The results of this study provide evidence that E. ribes can be used for development of a novel alternative anti-influenza plant-based agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Shahadat Hossan
- School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Malaysia Campus, 43500, Semenyih, Malaysia
| | - Ayesha Fatima
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Quest International University, 30250, Ipoh, Malaysia
| | - Mohammed Rahmatullah
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Life Science, University of Development Alternative (UODA), Dhaka, 1207, Bangladesh
| | - Teng Jin Khoo
- School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Malaysia Campus, 43500, Semenyih, Malaysia
| | - Veeranoot Nissapatorn
- School of Allied Health Sciences, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, 80161, Thailand
| | - Anastasia V Galochkina
- Pasteur Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, 14 Mira str, 197101, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alexander V Slita
- Pasteur Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, 14 Mira str, 197101, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Anna A Shtro
- Influenza Research Institute, 15/17 prof. Popova str, 197376, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Yulia Nikolaeva
- Influenza Research Institute, 15/17 prof. Popova str, 197376, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Vladimir V Zarubaev
- Pasteur Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, 14 Mira str, 197101, St. Petersburg, Russia.
| | - Christophe Wiart
- School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Malaysia Campus, 43500, Semenyih, Malaysia.
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16
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Prabhu KS, Achkar IW, Kuttikrishnan S, Akhtar S, Khan AQ, Siveen KS, Uddin S. Embelin: a benzoquinone possesses therapeutic potential for the treatment of human cancer. Future Med Chem 2018; 10:961-976. [PMID: 29620447 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2017-0198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural products have been gaining recognition and are becoming a significant part of research in the area of drug development and discovery. Phytochemicals derived from these sources have been comprehensively studied and have displayed a wide range of activities against many fatal diseases including cancer. One such product that has gained recognition from its pharmacological properties and nontoxic nature is embelin, obtained from Embelia ribes. Amid all the vivid pharmacological activities, embelin has gained its prominence in the area of cancer research. Embelin binds to the BIR3 domain of XIAP, preventing the association of XIAP and caspase-9 resulting in the suppression of cell growth, proliferation and migration of various types of cancer cells. Furthermore, embelin modulates anti-apoptotic pathways by suppressing the activity of NF-κB, PI3-kinase/AKT, JAK/STAT pathway - among others. The present review summarizes the various reported effects of embelin on different types of cancer cells and highlights the cellular mechanisms of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirti S Prabhu
- Translational Research Institute, Academic Health System, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Iman W Achkar
- Translational Research Institute, Academic Health System, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Shilpa Kuttikrishnan
- Translational Research Institute, Academic Health System, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Sabah Akhtar
- Translational Research Institute, Academic Health System, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Abdul Q Khan
- Translational Research Institute, Academic Health System, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Kodapully S Siveen
- Translational Research Institute, Academic Health System, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Shahab Uddin
- Translational Research Institute, Academic Health System, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
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17
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Abstract
Embelin is a naturally-occurring benzoquinone compound that has been shown to possess many biological properties relevant to human cancer prevention and treatment, and increasing evidence indicates that embelin may modulate various characteristic hallmarks of tumor cells. This review summarizes the information related to the various oncogenic pathways that mediate embelin-induced cell death in multiple cancer cells. The mechanisms of the action of embelin are numerous, and most of them induce apoptotic cell death that may be intrinsic or extrinsic, and modulate the NF-κB, p53, PI3K/AKT, and STAT3 signaling pathways. Embelin also induces autophagy in cancer cells; however, these autophagic cell-death mechanisms of embelin have been less reported than the apoptotic ones. Recently, several autophagy-inducing agents have been used in the treatment of different human cancers, although they require further exploration before being transferred from the bench to the clinic. Therefore, embelin could be used as a potential agent for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeong-Hyeon Ko
- College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 24 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Korea.
| | - Seok-Geun Lee
- College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 24 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Korea.
| | - Woong Mo Yang
- College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 24 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Korea.
| | - Jae-Young Um
- College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 24 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Korea.
| | - Gautam Sethi
- Department for Management of Science and Technology Development, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam.
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam.
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117600, Singapore.
| | - Srishti Mishra
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117600, Singapore.
| | - Muthu K Shanmugam
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117600, Singapore.
| | - Kwang Seok Ahn
- College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 24 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Korea.
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18
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Qian H, Chen Y, Huang T, Liu T, Li X, Jiang G, Zhang W, Cheng S, Li P. Combined application of Embelin and tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand inhibits proliferation and invasion in osteosarcoma cells via caspase-induced apoptosis. Oncol Lett 2018; 15:6931-6940. [PMID: 29731867 PMCID: PMC5921233 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2018.8209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Embelin, as an inhibitor of the X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), may induce apoptosis in various types of cancer cells. The present study aimed to determine the effect of Embelin on the tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-induced apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells. Embelin and TRAIL were applied to U2OS and MG63 cells, respectively or in combination. MTT was initially used to detect the difference in survival rates between the group receiving combined application of 100 ng/ml TRAIL and 20 µmol/l Embelin and the individual application groups. Light microscopic quantification was used to detect the morphology of the osteosarcoma cells in each group. Determination of cell apoptosis was subsequently performed using flow cytometry. The invasive ability of the cells was detected by a Transwell assay, prior to relative protein expression being determined by western blot analysis. Based on all the test data, it was revealed that the survival rates and the invasive ability were significantly lower following the combined application of 100 ng/ml TRAIL and 20 µmol/l Embelin than following the individual application of either (P<0.01). Additionally, upregulating expression of caspases, as well as death receptor 5, and downregulating expression of XIAP and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), had more significant effects in the combined group compared with the individual group and the control group. All these results suggested that Embelin may enhance TRAIL-induced apoptosis and inhibit the invasion of human osteosarcoma cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Qian
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110001, P.R. China
| | - Yao Chen
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110001, P.R. China
| | - Tao Huang
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110001, P.R. China
| | - Tiemin Liu
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Xiucheng Li
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110001, P.R. China
| | - Guangjian Jiang
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110001, P.R. China
| | - Shuo Cheng
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110001, P.R. China
| | - Pengcheng Li
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110001, P.R. China
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19
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Khandekar MJ, Banks AS, Laznik-Bogoslavski D, White JP, Choi JH, Kazak L, Lo JC, Cohen P, Wong KK, Kamenecka TM, Griffin PR, Spiegelman BM. Noncanonical agonist PPARγ ligands modulate the response to DNA damage and sensitize cancer cells to cytotoxic chemotherapy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:561-6. [PMID: 29295932 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1717776115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The peroxisome-proliferator receptor-γ (PPARγ) is expressed in multiple cancer types. Recently, our group has shown that PPARγ is phosphorylated on serine 273 (S273), which selectively modulates the transcriptional program controlled by this protein. PPARγ ligands, including thiazolidinediones (TZDs), block S273 phosphorylation. This activity is chemically separable from the canonical activation of the receptor by agonist ligands and, importantly, these noncanonical agonist ligands do not cause some of the known side effects of TZDs. Here, we show that phosphorylation of S273 of PPARγ occurs in cancer cells on exposure to DNA damaging agents. Blocking this phosphorylation genetically or pharmacologically increases accumulation of DNA damage, resulting in apoptotic cell death. A genetic signature of PPARγ phosphorylation is associated with worse outcomes in response to chemotherapy in human patients. Noncanonical agonist ligands sensitize lung cancer xenografts and genetically induced lung tumors to carboplatin therapy. Moreover, inhibition of this phosphorylation results in deregulation of p53 signaling, and biochemical studies show that PPARγ physically interacts with p53 in a manner dependent on S273 phosphorylation. These data implicate a role for PPARγ in modifying the p53 response to cytotoxic therapy, which can be modulated for therapeutic gain using these compounds.
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20
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Wu T, Dai Y, Wang W, Teng G, Jiao H, Shuai X, Zhang R, Zhao P, Qiao L. Macrophage targeting contributes to the inhibitory effects of embelin on colitis-associated cancer. Oncotarget 2017; 7:19548-58. [PMID: 26799669 PMCID: PMC4991400 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.6969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2015] [Accepted: 01/06/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Macrophages are a major component of inflammatory and tumor microenvironment. We previously reported that embelin suppresses colitis-associated tumorigenesis. Here, the role of macrophage targeting in the anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor properties of embelin was investigated. By using colitis-associated cancer (CAC) model, we demonstrated that embelin significantly depleted colon macrophages by blocking their recruitment. Moreover, embelin attenuated M2-like polarization of macrophages within the tumor microenvironment and eliminated their tumor-promoting functions during the development of CAC. Embelin potently inhibited NF-κB signaling in macrophages and decreased the production of key pro-inflammatory cytokines and tumorigenic factors involved in CAC, such as TNFα, IL-6 and COX-2. In addition, embelin directly reduced the polarization of M2 macrophages in vitro even in the presence of Th2 cytokines. These results suggested that targeting macrophages is, at least in part, responsible for the anti-tumor activity of embelin in CAC. Our observations strengthen the rationale for future validation of embelin in the prevention and treatment of CAC
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Wu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China
| | - Yun Dai
- Department of Gastroenterology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China
| | - Weihong Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China
| | - Guigen Teng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China
| | - Hongmei Jiao
- Department of Gerontology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China
| | - Xiaowei Shuai
- Department of Gastroenterology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China
| | - Rongxin Zhang
- Research Center of Basic Medical Sciences and Department of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Diseases of Educational Ministry of China, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Peng Zhao
- Department of Colorectal Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Liang Qiao
- Storr Liver Centre, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney at Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
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21
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Lee Y, Park B, Park H, Yu S, Kang H, Kim I. XIAP inhibitor embelin induces autophagic and apoptotic cell death in human oral squamous cell carcinoma cells. Environ Toxicol 2017; 32:2371-2378. [PMID: 28722333 PMCID: PMC6472881 DOI: 10.1002/tox.22450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2017] [Revised: 06/29/2017] [Accepted: 07/02/2017] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Embelin is an active ingredient of traditional herbal remedies for cancer and other diseases. Recently, it has been suggested that autophagy may play an important role in cancer therapy. However, little data are available regarding the role of autophagy in oral cancers. Therefore, we conducted this study to examine whether Embelin modulates autophagy in Ca9-22. Our results showed that Embelin had anticancer activity against the Ca9-22 human tongue squamous cell, and we observed that autophagic vacuoles were formed by MDC and AO. We also analyzed Embelin-treated Ca9-22 cells for the presence of biochemical markers and found that it directly affected the conversion of LC3-II, the degradation of p62/SQSTM1, full-length cleavage formation of ATG5-ATG12 complex and Beline-1, and caspase activation. Rescue experiments using an autophagy inhibitor showed Embelin-induced cell death in Ca9-22, confirming that autophagy acts as a pro-death signal. Furthermore, Embelin exhibited anticancer activity against Ca9-22 via both autophagy and apoptosis. These findings suggest that Embelin may potentially contribute to oral cancer treatment and provide useful information for the development of a new therapeutic agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- You‐Jin Lee
- Department of Oral
AnatomySchool of Dentistry, Pusan National University, Busandaehak‐ro, 49,
Mulguem‐eupYangsan‐siGyeongsangnam‐do50612South Korea
| | - Bong‐Soo Park
- Department of Oral
AnatomySchool of Dentistry, Pusan National University, Busandaehak‐ro, 49,
Mulguem‐eupYangsan‐siGyeongsangnam‐do50612South Korea
| | - Hae‐Ryoun Park
- Department of Oral
PathologySchool of Dentistry, Pusan National University, Busandaehak‐ro, 49,
Mulguem‐eupYangsan‐siGyeongsangnam‐do50612South Korea
| | - Su‐Bin Yu
- Department of Oral
AnatomySchool of Dentistry, Pusan National University, Busandaehak‐ro, 49,
Mulguem‐eupYangsan‐siGyeongsangnam‐do50612South Korea
- BK21 PLUS Project, School of
DentistryPusan National University, Busandaehak‐ro, 49, Mulguem‐eupYangsan‐siGyeongsangnam‐do50612South Korea
| | - Hae‐Mi Kang
- Department of Oral
AnatomySchool of Dentistry, Pusan National University, Busandaehak‐ro, 49,
Mulguem‐eupYangsan‐siGyeongsangnam‐do50612South Korea
- BK21 PLUS Project, School of
DentistryPusan National University, Busandaehak‐ro, 49, Mulguem‐eupYangsan‐siGyeongsangnam‐do50612South Korea
| | - In‐Ryoung Kim
- Department of Oral
AnatomySchool of Dentistry, Pusan National University, Busandaehak‐ro, 49,
Mulguem‐eupYangsan‐siGyeongsangnam‐do50612South Korea
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22
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Guo Y, Zang Y, Lv L, Cai F, Qian T, Zhang G, Feng Q. IL‑8 promotes proliferation and inhibition of apoptosis via STAT3/AKT/NF‑κB pathway in prostate cancer. Mol Med Rep 2017; 16:9035-9042. [PMID: 29039490 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2017.7747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Interleukin-8 (IL-8) possesses tumorigenic and proangiogenic properties, and is overexpressed in many human cancer types. However, only few studies have demonstrated the mechanisms of action of IL‑8 regarding the ability to promote proliferation and to inhibit apoptosis in prostate cancer. Here, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of IL‑8 on the prostate cancer cell line and determine possible mechanisms underlying its effect. In this study, IL‑8 was shown to be significantly upregulated in prostate cancer compared with paired normal control tissues. The data showed that IL‑8 exhibits direct oncogenicity, which significantly induced cell proliferation, invasion and attenuated apoptosis in prostate cancer cells via signal transducer and activator of transcription 3/protein kinase B/nuclear factor‑κB signaling pathways. In conclusion, modulation of IL‑8 expression or its associated signaling pathway may provide a novel working mechanism of IL‑8 in prostate cancer, and a promising strategy for controlling the progression and metastasis of prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yidi Guo
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Nanjing Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital Affiliated with Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210000, P.R. China
| | - Ying Zang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Nanjing Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital Affiliated with Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210000, P.R. China
| | - Lianzheng Lv
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Nanjing Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital Affiliated with Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210000, P.R. China
| | - Feng Cai
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Nanjing Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital Affiliated with Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210000, P.R. China
| | - Tingting Qian
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Nanjing Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital Affiliated with Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210000, P.R. China
| | - Guoying Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Nanjing Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital Affiliated with Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210000, P.R. China
| | - Quancheng Feng
- Department of Nephrology, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210000, P.R. China
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23
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Yao Y, Sun S, Fei F, Wang J, Wang Y, Zhang R, Wu J, Liu L, Liu X, Cui Z, Li Q, Yu M, Dang Y, Wang X. Screening in larval zebrafish reveals tissue-specific distribution of fifteen fluorescent compounds. Dis Model Mech 2017; 10:1155-1164. [PMID: 28754836 PMCID: PMC5611963 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.028811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Accepted: 07/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The zebrafish is a prominent vertebrate model for low-cost in vivo whole organism screening. In our recent screening of the distribution patterns of fluorescent compounds in live zebrafish larvae, fifteen compounds with tissue-specific distributions were identified. Several compounds were observed to accumulate in tissues where they were reported to induce side-effects, and compounds with similar structures tended to be enriched in the same tissues, with minor differences. In particular, we found three novel red fluorescent bone-staining dyes: purpurin, lucidin and 3-hydroxy-morindone; purpurin can effectively label bones in both larval and adult zebrafish, as well as in postnatal mice, without significantly affecting bone mass and density. Moreover, two structurally similar chemotherapeutic compounds, doxorubicin and epirubicin, were observed to have distinct distribution preferences in zebrafish. Epirubicin maintained a relatively higher concentration in the liver, and performed better in inhibiting hepatic hyperplasia caused by the over-expression of krasG12V In total, our study suggests that the transparent zebrafish larvae serve as valuable tools for identifying tissue-specific distributions of fluorescent compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxiao Yao
- Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Shaoyang Sun
- Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Fei Fei
- Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jingjing Wang
- Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Youhua Wang
- Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Ranran Zhang
- Institute of Reproduction and Development, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Jing Wu
- Deparment of Pediatric Endocrinology and Inherited Metabolic Diseases, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Lian Liu
- Institute of Reproduction and Development, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Xiuyun Liu
- Translational Medical Center for Development and Disease, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defects, Institute of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Zhaomeng Cui
- Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Qiang Li
- Translational Medical Center for Development and Disease, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defects, Institute of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Min Yu
- Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yongjun Dang
- Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
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Zafari V, Hashemzadeh S, Hosseinpour Feizi M, Pouladi N, Rostami Zadeh L, Sakhinia E. mRNA expression of nuclear factor of activated T-cells, cytoplasmic 2 (NFATc2) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG) transcription factors in colorectal carcinoma. Bosn J Basic Med Sci 2017; 17:255-261. [PMID: 28504924 DOI: 10.17305/bjbms.2017.1886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2016] [Revised: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 02/24/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcription factors are involved in cell cycle and apoptosis regulation and thus have a key role in the carcinogenesis of different tumors. Nuclear factor of activated T-cells, cytoplasmic 2 (NFATc2) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG) transcription factors are important in the carcinogenesis of colorectal cancer (CRC). In this study, we examined whether the expression of NFATc2 and PPARG genes is significantly altered during the carcinogenesis of CRC. A total of 47 tumor samples and matched normal tissue margins were collected during surgery from patients with CRC. In addition, three CRC cell lines (HCT119, SW480, and HT29) and healthy cell line were used. After total RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis, mRNA expression levels of NFATc2 and PPARG were examined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The results showed that NFATc2 is overexpressed in the tumor tissues compared with normal tissue margins (p ≤ 0.05). However, the mRNA expression levels of PPARG were not significantly different between the tumor tissues and tissue margins. Our results indicate that NFATc2 may be used as an early diagnostic or predictive biomarker for CRC as well as a therapeutic target, providing that upcoming studies confirm these results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Venus Zafari
- Department of Biochemistry and Clinical Laboratories, Division of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Tuberculosis and Lung Disease Research Center of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
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25
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Sawa-Wejksza K, Kandefer-Szerszeń M. Tumor-Associated Macrophages as Target for Antitumor Therapy. Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz) 2017; 66:97-111. [PMID: 28660349 PMCID: PMC5851686 DOI: 10.1007/s00005-017-0480-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 05/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
It is well known that the microenvironment of solid tumors is rich in inflammatory cells that influence tumor growth and development. Macrophages, called tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), are the most abundant immune cell population present in tumor tissue. Several studies have demonstrated that the density of TAMs is associated with a poor prognosis and positively correlates with tumor growth. Several studies have proved that TAMs may activate and protect tumor stem cells, stimulate their proliferation as well as promote angiogenesis and metastasis. Furthermore, TAMs-derived cytokines and other proteins, such as CCL-17, CCL-22, TGF-β, IL-10, arginase 1, and galectin-3, make a significant contribution to immunosuppression. Since TAMs influence various aspects of cancer progression, there are many attempts to use them as a target for immunotherapy. The numerous studies have shown that the primary tumor growth and the number of metastatic sites can be significantly decreased by decreasing the population of macrophages in tumor tissue, for example, by blocking recruitment of monocytes or eliminating TAMs already present in the tumor tissue. Moreover, there are attempts at reprogramming TAMs into proinflammatory M1 macrophages or neutralizing the protumoral products of TAMs. Another approach uses TAMs for anticancer drug delivery into the tumor environment. In this review, we would like to summarize the clinical and preclinical trials that were focused on macrophages as a target for anticancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Sawa-Wejksza
- Department of Virology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Akademicka 19, 20-033, Lublin, Poland.
| | - Martyna Kandefer-Szerszeń
- Department of Virology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Akademicka 19, 20-033, Lublin, Poland
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26
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Xu XM, Zhang ML, Zhang Y, Zhao L. Osthole induces lung cancer cell apoptosis through inhibition of inhibitor of apoptosis family proteins. Oncol Lett 2016; 12:3779-3784. [PMID: 27895730 PMCID: PMC5104166 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2016.5170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2015] [Accepted: 09/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present study, we investigated the effects and mechanisms of Osthole on the apoptosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells and its synergistic effect with Embelin. Our results revealed that treatment with both Osthole and Embelin inhibited cell proliferation. Notably, combination treatment of Osthole and Embelin inhibited cell proliferation more significantly compared with monotherapy. In addition, morphological analysis and Annexin V/propidium iodide analysis revealed that the combination of Osthole and Embelin enhanced their effect on cell apoptosis. We further examined the effect of Osthole on the expression of inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family proteins. That treatment of A549 lung cancer cells with various concentrations of Osthole was observed to decrease the protein expression of X-chromosome-encoded IAP, c-IAP1, c-IAP2 and Survivin, and increase Smac expression in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, it was noted that Osthole or Embelin alone increased the expression of BAX, caspase-3, caspase-9, cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-9, and decreased Bcl-2 levels following treatment. Osthole and Embelin combination treatment had a synergistic effect on the regulation of these proteins. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that Osthole inhibited proliferation and induced the apoptosis of lung cancer cells via IAP family proteins in a dose-dependent manner. Osthole enhances the antitumor effect of Embelin, indicating that combination of Osthole and Embelin has potential clinical significance in the treatment of NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Man Xu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110004, P.R. China
| | - Man-Li Zhang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110004, P.R. China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Geriatrics, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110004, P.R. China
| | - Li Zhao
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110004, P.R. China
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy P. Heffron
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
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Lee H, Ko JH, Baek SH, Nam D, Lee SG, Lee J, Yang WM, Um JY, Kim SH, Shim BS, Ahn KS. Embelin Inhibits Invasion and Migration of MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cells by Suppression of CXC Chemokine Receptor 4, Matrix Metalloproteinases-9/2, and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition. Phytother Res 2016; 30:1021-32. [DOI: 10.1002/ptr.5612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Revised: 02/18/2016] [Accepted: 02/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hanwool Lee
- Department of Cancer Preventive Material Development, Graduate School; Kyung Hee University; 24 Kyungheedae-ro Dongdaemun-gu Seoul 130-701 Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong-Hyeon Ko
- Department of Cancer Preventive Material Development, Graduate School; Kyung Hee University; 24 Kyungheedae-ro Dongdaemun-gu Seoul 130-701 Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Ho Baek
- College of Korean Medicine; Kyung Hee University; 24 Kyungheedae-ro Dongdaemun-gu Seoul 130-701 Republic of Korea
| | - Dongwoo Nam
- College of Korean Medicine; Kyung Hee University; 24 Kyungheedae-ro Dongdaemun-gu Seoul 130-701 Republic of Korea
| | - Seok Geun Lee
- College of Korean Medicine; Kyung Hee University; 24 Kyungheedae-ro Dongdaemun-gu Seoul 130-701 Republic of Korea
| | - Junhee Lee
- College of Korean Medicine; Kyung Hee University; 24 Kyungheedae-ro Dongdaemun-gu Seoul 130-701 Republic of Korea
| | - Woong Mo Yang
- College of Korean Medicine; Kyung Hee University; 24 Kyungheedae-ro Dongdaemun-gu Seoul 130-701 Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Young Um
- College of Korean Medicine; Kyung Hee University; 24 Kyungheedae-ro Dongdaemun-gu Seoul 130-701 Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Hoon Kim
- College of Korean Medicine; Kyung Hee University; 24 Kyungheedae-ro Dongdaemun-gu Seoul 130-701 Republic of Korea
| | - Bum Sang Shim
- College of Korean Medicine; Kyung Hee University; 24 Kyungheedae-ro Dongdaemun-gu Seoul 130-701 Republic of Korea
| | - Kwang Seok Ahn
- College of Korean Medicine; Kyung Hee University; 24 Kyungheedae-ro Dongdaemun-gu Seoul 130-701 Republic of Korea
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Lu H, Wang J, Wang Y, Qiao L, Zhou Y. Embelin and Its Role in Chronic Diseases. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology 2016; 928:397-418. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-41334-1_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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Nigam N, Grover A, Goyal S, Katiyar SP, Bhargava P, Wang PC, Sundar D, Kaul SC, Wadhwa R. Targeting Mortalin by Embelin Causes Activation of Tumor Suppressor p53 and Deactivation of Metastatic Signaling in Human Breast Cancer Cells. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0138192. [PMID: 26376435 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0138192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2015] [Accepted: 08/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Embelin, a natural quinone found in the fruits of Embelia ribes, is commonly used in Ayurvedic home medicine for a variety of therapeutic potentials including anti-inflammation, anti-fever, anti-bacteria and anti-cancer. Molecular mechanisms of these activities and cellular targets have not been clarified to-date. We demonstrate that the embelin inhibits mortalin-p53 interactions, and activates p53 protein in tumor cells. We provide bioinformatics, molecular docking and experimental evidence to the binding affinity of embelin with mortalin and p53. Binding of embelin with mortalin/p53 abrogates their complex resulted in nuclear translocation and transcriptional activation function of p53 causing growth arrest in cancer cells. Furthermore, analyses of growth factors and metastatic signaling using antibody membrane array revealed their downregulation in embelin-treated cells. We also found that the embelin causes transcriptional attenuation of mortalin and several other proteins involved in metastatic signaling in cancer cells. Based on these molecular dynamics and experimental data, it is concluded that the anticancer activity of embelin involves targeting of mortalin, activation of p53 and inactivation of metastatic signaling.
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31
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Mahmoud AM, Abdella EM, El-Derby AM, Abdella EM. Protective Effects of Turbinaria ornata and Padina pavonia against Azoxymethane-Induced Colon Carcinogenesis through Modulation of PPAR Gamma, NF-κB and Oxidative Stress. Phytother Res 2015; 29:737-48. [PMID: 25676613 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.5310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2014] [Revised: 01/22/2015] [Accepted: 01/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the antiproliferative and protective effects of the brown seaweeds, Turbinaria ornata and Padina pavonia, against azoxymethane (AOM)-induced colon carcinogenesis in mice. Both algal extracts showed anti-proliferative effects on the human carcinoma cell line HCT-116 in vitro, with T. ornata demonstrating a more potent effect. Male albino Swiss mice received intraperitoneal injections of AOM (10 mg/kg) once a week for two consecutive weeks and 100 mg/kg of either T. ornata or P. pavonia extracts. AOM-induced mice exhibited alterations in the histological structure of the colon, elevated lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide, declined glutathione content and reduced activity of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase. In addition, AOM induced downregulation of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and p53 mRNA expression, with concomitant upregulation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) in colon tissue. Administration of either algal extract markedly alleviated the recorded alterations. In conclusion, the current study suggests that T. ornata and P. pavonia, through their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, are able to attenuate colon inflammation by downregulating NF-κB expression. Furthermore, the protective effects of both algae against AOM-initiated carcinogenesis were attributed, at least in part, to their ability to upregulate colonic PPARγ and p53 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayman M Mahmoud
- Physiology Division, Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Egypt
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32
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Coutelle O, Hornig-Do HT, Witt A, Andree M, Schiffmann LM, Piekarek M, Brinkmann K, Seeger JM, Liwschitz M, Miwa S, Hallek M, Krönke M, Trifunovic A, Eming SA, Wiesner RJ, Hacker UT, Kashkar H. Embelin inhibits endothelial mitochondrial respiration and impairs neoangiogenesis during tumor growth and wound healing. EMBO Mol Med 2014; 6:624-39. [PMID: 24648500 PMCID: PMC4023885 DOI: 10.1002/emmm.201303016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
In the normal quiescent vasculature, only 0.01% of endothelial cells (ECs) are proliferating. However, this proportion increases dramatically following the angiogenic switch during tumor growth or wound healing. Recent evidence suggests that this angiogenic switch is accompanied by a metabolic switch. Here, we show that proliferating ECs increasingly depend on mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) for their increased energy demand. Under growth conditions, ECs consume three times more oxygen than quiescent ECs and work close to their respiratory limit. The increased utilization of the proton motif force leads to a reduced mitochondrial membrane potential in proliferating ECs and sensitizes to mitochondrial uncoupling. The benzoquinone embelin is a weak mitochondrial uncoupler that prevents neoangiogenesis during tumor growth and wound healing by exhausting the low respiratory reserve of proliferating ECs without adversely affecting quiescent ECs. We demonstrate that this can be exploited therapeutically by attenuating tumor growth in syngenic and xenograft mouse models. This novel metabolic targeting approach might be clinically valuable in controlling pathological neoangiogenesis while sparing normal vasculature and complementing cytostatic drugs in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Coutelle
- Department I for Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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Lu J, Zhao W, Huang Y, Liu H, Marquez R, Gibbs RB, Li J, Venkataramanan R, Xu L, Li S, Li S. Targeted delivery of Doxorubicin by folic acid-decorated dual functional nanocarrier. Mol Pharm 2014; 11:4164-78. [PMID: 25265550 PMCID: PMC4224520 DOI: 10.1021/mp500389v] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Doxorubicin (DOX) is one of the most commonly used antineoplastic agents, but its clinical application is oftentimes coupled with severe side effects. Selective delivery of DOX to tumors via nanosized drug carrier represents an attractive approach to this problem. Previously, we developed a dual functional nanomicellar carrier, PEG5K-embelin2 (PEG5K-EB2), which was able to deliver paclitaxel (PTX) selectively to tumors and to achieve an enhanced therapeutic effect. In the present study, we examined the utility of PEG5K-EB2 to deliver DOX to tumors. In addition, folic acid (FA) was coupled to the surface of the PEG5K-EB2 micelles (FA-PEG5K-EB2) to further improve the selective targetability of the system. DOX-loaded PEG5K-EB2 micelles were uniformly spherical particles with a diameter of approximately 20 nm. Incorporation of FA had minimal effect on the size of the particles. The DOX loading efficiency was as high as 91.7% and 93.5% for PEG5K-EB2 and FA-PEG5K-EB2, respectively. DOX formulated in PEG5K-EB2 micelles (with or without FA decoration) demonstrated sustained kinetics of DOX release compared to free DOX. FA-PEG5K-EB2 significantly facilitated the intracellular uptake of DOX over free DOX and PEGylated liposomal DOX (Doxil) in breast cancer cells, 4T1.2, and drug resistant cells, NCI/ADR-RES. P-gp ATPase assay showed that PEG5K-EB2 significantly inhibited the function of the P-gp efflux pump. The maximum tolerated dose of DOX-loaded PEG5K-EB2 micelles was 15 mg/kg in mice, which was 1.5-fold greater than that for free DOX. Pharmacokinetics (PK) and biodistribution studies showed that both types of DOX-loaded micelles, especially FA-PEG5K-EB2, were able to significantly prolong the blood circulation time of DOX and facilitate its preferential accumulation at the tumor tissue. Finally, DOX/PEG5K-EB2 mixed micelles demonstrated significantly enhanced tumor growth inhibitory effect with minimal toxicity in comparison to free DOX and Doxil and the antitumor activity was further enhanced after the decoration by folic acid. Our data suggest that FA-PEG5K-EB2 micelles represent a promising DOX delivery system that warrants more study in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianqin Lu
- Center for Pharmacogenetics, ‡Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, and §University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
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Lu J, Qin Q, Zhan LL, Liu J, Zhu HC, Yang X, Zhang C, Xu LP, Liu ZM, Wang D, Cui HQ, Meng CC, Cai J, Cheng HY, Sun XC. AT-406, an IAP inhibitor, activates apoptosis and induces radiosensitization of normoxic and hypoxic cervical cancer cells. J Pharmacol Sci 2014; 126:56-65. [PMID: 25168470 DOI: 10.1254/jphs.14079fp] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Abstract
IAP antagonists increased the antitumor efficacy of X-irradiation in some types of cancers, but their effects on hypoxic cancer cells remain unclarified. We aims to investigate the radiosensitizing effect of an IAP inhibitor AT-406 on cervical cancer cell lines under both normoxia and hypoxia conditions. Hela and Siha cells were treated to investigate the effects of drug administration on cell proliferation, apoptosis, and radiosensitivity. Western blot analysis was used to determine the role of AT-406 in inhibition of IAPs. The pathway of apoptosis was characterized by caspases activity assay. AT-406 potently sensitized Hela cells but not Siha cells to radiation under normoxia. Notably, the radiosensitizing effect of AT-406 on hypoxic cells was more evident than on normoxic cells in both cell lines. Further mechanism studies by western blot showed that under normoxia AT-406 decreased the level of cIAP1 in Hela cells in a dose-dependent manner; while additional downregulation of XIAP expression was induced by AT-406 treatment under hypoxia in both cell lines. Finally, AT-406 works on both extrinsic death receptor and intrinsic mitochondrial apoptosis pathways to activate apoptosis. Totally, AT-406 acts as a strong radiosensitizer in human cervical cancer cells, especially in hypoxic condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Lu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, China
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Peng M, Huang B, Zhang Q, Fu S, Wang D, Cheng X, Wu X, Xue Z, Zhang L, Zhang D, Da Y, Dai Y, Yang Q, Yao Z, Qiao L, Zhang R. Embelin inhibits pancreatic cancer progression by directly inducing cancer cell apoptosis and indirectly restricting IL-6 associated inflammatory and immune suppressive cells. Cancer Lett 2014; 354:407-16. [PMID: 25128650 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2014.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2014] [Revised: 07/15/2014] [Accepted: 08/07/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive malignancy and unresponsive to conventional chemotherapies. Here, the anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects of embelin on pancreatic cancer were investigated. Embelin significantly attenuated cells invasion, proliferation and induced apoptosis through inhibition of STAT3 and activation of p53 signaling pathways. Embelin substantially reduced the tumorigenicity of pancreatic cancer cells in vivo, which was associated with reduced inflammatory cells and immune suppressive cells, IL-17A(+) Th17, GM-CSF(+) Th, MDSCs and Treg, through inhibition of IL-6 secretion. Moreover, embelin decrease IL-6-induced STAT3 phosphorylation. In summary, embelin represents a novel therapeutic drug candidate for the clinical treatment of pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiyu Peng
- Laboratory of Immunology and Inflammation, Research Center of Basic Medical Science, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; Department of Immunology, Basic Medical College, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Diseases of Educational Ministry of China, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; Department of Immunology, Basic Medical College, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Bingqing Huang
- Laboratory of Immunology and Inflammation, Research Center of Basic Medical Science, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; Department of Immunology, Basic Medical College, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Diseases of Educational Ministry of China, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Shuyu Fu
- Laboratory of Immunology and Inflammation, Research Center of Basic Medical Science, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; Department of Immunology, Basic Medical College, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Diseases of Educational Ministry of China, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Dan Wang
- Laboratory of Immunology and Inflammation, Research Center of Basic Medical Science, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; Department of Immunology, Basic Medical College, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Diseases of Educational Ministry of China, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xixi Cheng
- Laboratory of Immunology and Inflammation, Research Center of Basic Medical Science, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; Department of Immunology, Basic Medical College, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Diseases of Educational Ministry of China, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xi Wu
- Laboratory of Immunology and Inflammation, Research Center of Basic Medical Science, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; Department of Immunology, Basic Medical College, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Diseases of Educational Ministry of China, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhenyi Xue
- Laboratory of Immunology and Inflammation, Research Center of Basic Medical Science, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; Department of Immunology, Basic Medical College, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Diseases of Educational Ministry of China, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Lijuan Zhang
- Laboratory of Immunology and Inflammation, Research Center of Basic Medical Science, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; Department of Immunology, Basic Medical College, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Diseases of Educational Ministry of China, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Da Zhang
- School of Medical Imaging, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Yurong Da
- Laboratory of Immunology and Inflammation, Research Center of Basic Medical Science, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; Department of Immunology, Basic Medical College, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Diseases of Educational Ministry of China, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yun Dai
- Department of Gastroenterology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Qing Yang
- Department of Genitourinary Oncology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhi Yao
- Laboratory of Immunology and Inflammation, Research Center of Basic Medical Science, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; Department of Immunology, Basic Medical College, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Diseases of Educational Ministry of China, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Liang Qiao
- Storr Liver Unit, Westmead Millennium Institute, The Western Clinical School of the University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia.
| | - Rongxin Zhang
- Laboratory of Immunology and Inflammation, Research Center of Basic Medical Science, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; Department of Immunology, Basic Medical College, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Diseases of Educational Ministry of China, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
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Jiang L, Hao JL, Jin ML, Zhang YG, Wei P. Effect of Embelin on TRAIL receptor 2 mAb-induced apoptosis of TRAIL-resistant A549 non-small cell lung cancer cells. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2014; 14:6115-20. [PMID: 24289635 DOI: 10.7314/apjcp.2013.14.10.6115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Some non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumor cells are insensitive to tumor necrosis factor- related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) -based therapy. This study was conducted to examine the effect of embelin on the sensitivity of the A549 NSCLC cell line to TRAIL receptor2 (TRAILR2) monoclonal antibodies and to investigate the potential mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS A549 cells were treated with embelin, TRAILR2 mAb or a combination of both. Cell viability was measured using ATPlite assay and apoptosis rates were determined by flow cytometry with AnnexinV-FITC and propidium iodide staining, with the expression levels of proteins analyzed by Western blotting. RESULTS The cell survival rate of separate treatments with 100 ng/ml TRAILR2 antibody or 25 uM embelin were 81.5±1.57% and 61.7±2.84%, respectively. Their combined use markedly decreased cell viability in A549 cells to 28.1±1.97% (P<0.05). The general caspase inhibitor Z-VAD- FMK could inhibit the embelin-enhanced sensitivity of A549 cells to TRAILR2 mAb (75.97±3.17%)(P<0.05). Both flow cytometry and cell morphological analysis showed that embelin was able to increase TRAIL-induced apoptosis in A549 cells. Combined treatment with embelin and TRAILR2 mAb augmented the activation of initiator caspases and effector caspase. In addition, A549 cells showed increasing levels of TRAILR2 protein and decreasing levels of Bcl-2, survivin and c-FLIP following the treatment with embelin+TRAILR2 mAb. CONCLUSIONS Embelin could enhance TRAIL-induced apoptosis in A549 cells. The synergistic effect of the combination treatment might be due to modulation of multiple components in the TRAIL receptor-mediated apoptotic signaling pathway, including TRAILR2, XIAP, survivin, Bcl-2 and c-FLIP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Jiang
- Department of Pathology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China E-mail :
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Zhang Y, Huang Y, Li S. Polymeric micelles: nanocarriers for cancer-targeted drug delivery. AAPS PharmSciTech 2014; 15:862-71. [PMID: 24700296 DOI: 10.1208/s12249-014-0113-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 191] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2013] [Accepted: 03/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Polymeric micelles represent an effective delivery system for poorly water-soluble anticancer drugs. With small size (10-100 nm) and hydrophilic shell of PEG, polymeric micelles exhibit prolonged circulation time in the blood and enhanced tumor accumulation. In this review, the importance of rational design was highlighted by summarizing the recent progress on the development of micellar formulations. Emphasis is placed on the new strategies to enhance the drug/carrier interaction for improved drug-loading capacity. In addition, the micelle-forming drug-polymer conjugates are also discussed which have both drug-loading function and antitumor activity.
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Tian A, Wilson GS, Lie S, Wu G, Hu Z, Hebbard L, Duan W, George J, Qiao L. Synergistic effects of IAP inhibitor LCL161 and paclitaxel on hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Cancer Lett 2014; 351:232-41. [PMID: 24976294 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2014.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2014] [Revised: 05/15/2014] [Accepted: 06/09/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins (IAPs) are key regulators of apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and their expression is negatively correlated with patient survival. LCL161 is a small molecule inhibitor of IAPs that has potent antitumour activity in a range of solid tumours. In HCC, response to LCL161 therapy has shown to be mediated by Bcl-2 expression. In this study, we aim to determine whether LCL161 has any therapeutic potential in HCC. Protein expression was determined by Western blot. Cell proliferation was determined by Cell Proliferation ELISA and BrdU colorimetric assays. Apoptosis was determined by Annexin V assay. Cell cycle analysis was performed by staining cells with propidium iodide and analysed in a FACScan. Automated Cell Counter and phase contrast microscopy were used to determine the cell viability. We have found that LCL161 targets (cIAP1, cIAP2 and XIAP) were up-regulated in HCC tumours. Both high Bcl-2 expressing HuH7 cells and low Bcl-2 expressing SNU423 cells showed strong resistance to LCL161 therapy with significant effects on both apoptosis and cell viability only evident at LCL161 concentrations of ⩾100μM. At these doses there was significant inhibition of IAP targets, however there was also significant inhibition of off-target proteins including pERK and pJNK suggesting apoptosis caused by drug toxicity. However, when used in combination with paclitaxel in HuH7 and SNU423 cells, LCL161 had significant antiproliferative effects at doses as low as 2μM and this was independent of Bcl-2 expression. Thus, LCL161 may be a useful agent in combination with paclitaxel to treat liver tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiping Tian
- First Clinical Medical School and the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology of the First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - George S Wilson
- Storr Liver Unit, University of Sydney, Westmead Millennium Institute, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Stefanus Lie
- Storr Liver Unit, University of Sydney, Westmead Millennium Institute, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Guang Wu
- Storr Liver Unit, University of Sydney, Westmead Millennium Institute, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Zenan Hu
- First Clinical Medical School and the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology of the First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Lionel Hebbard
- Storr Liver Unit, University of Sydney, Westmead Millennium Institute, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Wei Duan
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds, VIC 3217, Australia
| | - Jacob George
- Storr Liver Unit, University of Sydney, Westmead Millennium Institute, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Liang Qiao
- Storr Liver Unit, University of Sydney, Westmead Millennium Institute, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia.
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Vallarino C, Perez A, Fusco G, Liang H, Bron M, Manne S, Joseph G, Yu S. Comparing pioglitazone to insulin with respect to cancer, cardiovascular and bone fracture endpoints, using propensity score weights. Clin Drug Investig 2014; 33:621-31. [PMID: 23881565 PMCID: PMC3751328 DOI: 10.1007/s40261-013-0106-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Background Diabetes is an important global disease, associated with significant morbidity and an increased risk of death due to chronic end-organ complications. The thiazolidinediones, used mainly as third-line agents in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), have been associated with some safety concerns, such as an increased risk of bladder cancer, an increased risk of bone fracture and heterogeneous effects on cardiovascular events. Objective This study aimed to evaluate safety data on pioglitazone for several outcomes and examine them in context with each other as well as with insulin, another third-line treatment for T2DM. Methods This retrospective cohort study extracted data from May 1, 2000 until June 30, 2010, from the i3 InVision Data Mart™ database. To adjust for the testing of multiple hypotheses, the Holm method was applied to endpoints representing potential harm from pioglitazone treatment, separately from those representing potential benefit from pioglitazone. The study population included patients with T2DM ≥ 45 years old who were new users of either pioglitazone or insulin. Key outcomes were incident cases of a composite of myocardial infarction (MI) or stroke requiring hospitalization; bone fracture requiring hospitalization; bladder cancer; and a composite of nine other selected cancers. Kaplan–Meier curves were generated and hazard ratios (HRs) for pioglitazone versus insulin were estimated from Cox proportional hazards models adjusted with inverse probability of treatment weights derived from propensity scores. Results A total of 56,536 patients (pioglitazone group 38,588; insulin group 17,948) qualified for the study. The mean follow-up was 2.2 years for pioglitazone and 1.9 years for insulin patients. Weighted survival analysis of the composite of MI and stroke, as well as the composite of nine cancers, yielded significant differences in favour of pioglitazone. For the composite of MI and stroke, the HR for pioglitazone versus insulin was 0.44 (95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.39–0.50, p < 0.0001). Modelling of the composite of nine selected cancers produced an HR of 0.78 (95 % CI 0.71–0.85, p < 0.0001). A non-statistically significant difference in favour of pioglitazone was observed in the incidence rate of bone fracture requiring hospitalization (HR 0.86, 95 % CI 0.74–1.01, p = 0.058). For bladder cancer, the overall incidence rates were relatively low and showed no significant difference between the two groups; the HR for pioglitazone versus insulin was 0.92 (95 % CI 0.63–1.33, p = 0.64). Conclusion Compared with insulin, pioglitazone was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of MI and stroke requiring hospitalization, and a significant reduction in the risk of other selected cancers. While pioglitazone treatment may be linked with a lower risk of bladder cancer and bone fracture relative to insulin, these differences were not statistically significant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Vallarino
- Takeda Global Research and Development Center, Inc., Deerfield, IL 60015, USA.
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Mazzoccoli G, Vinciguerra M, Papa G, Piepoli A. Circadian clock circuitry in colorectal cancer. World J Gastroenterol 2014; 20:4197-4207. [PMID: 24764658 PMCID: PMC3989956 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i15.4197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2013] [Revised: 11/18/2013] [Accepted: 01/20/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer is the most prevalent among digestive system cancers. Carcinogenesis relies on disrupted control of cellular processes, such as metabolism, proliferation, DNA damage recognition and repair, and apoptosis. Cell, tissue, organ and body physiology is characterized by periodic fluctuations driven by biological clocks operating through the clock gene machinery. Dysfunction of molecular clockworks and cellular oscillators is involved in tumorigenesis, and altered expression of clock genes has been found in cancer patients. Epidemiological studies have shown that circadian disruption, that is, alteration of bodily temporal organization, is a cancer risk factor, and an increased incidence of colorectal neoplastic disease is reported in shift workers. In this review we describe the involvement of the circadian clock circuitry in colorectal carcinogenesis and the therapeutic strategies addressing temporal deregulation in colorectal cancer.
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Dai Y, Wilson G, Huang B, Peng M, Teng G, Zhang D, Zhang R, Ebert MPA, Chen J, Wong BCY, Chan KW, George J, Qiao L. Silencing of Jagged1 inhibits cell growth and invasion in colorectal cancer. Cell Death Dis 2014; 5:e1170. [PMID: 24722295 PMCID: PMC5424114 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2014.137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2014] [Revised: 02/18/2014] [Accepted: 02/26/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Dysregulated Notch signaling has a critical role in the tumorigenesis. Jagged1, a Notch ligand, is overexpressed in various human cancers. Recent studies revealed the involvement of Jagged1 in colorectal cancer (CRC) development. These basic studies provide a promising potential for inhibition of the Notch pathway for the treatment of CRC. Herein, we aimed to investigate the consequences of targeting Jagged1 using shRNA on CRC both in vitro and in vivo to test their potential to inhibit this key element for CRC treatment. We found that downregulation of Jagged1 with lentiviral Jagged1-shRNA resulted in decreased colon cancer cell viability in vitro, most likely mediated through reduced cell proliferation. Importantly, Jagged1 knockdown induced G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest, with reduced Cyclin D1, Cyclin E and c-Myc expression. Silencing of Jagged1 reduced the migration and invasive capacity of the colon cancer cells in vitro. Furthermore, colon cancer cells with knockdown of Jagged1 had much slower growth rate than control cells in a xenograft mouse model in vivo, with a marked downregulation of cell proliferation markers (PCNA, Ki-67, and c-Myc) and metastasis markers (MMP-2 and MMP-9). These findings rationalize a mechanistic approach to CRC treatment based on Jagged1-targeted therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Dai
- Department of Gastroenterology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - G Wilson
- Storr Liver Unit, Westmead Millennium Institute, Department of Medicine and Western Clinical School, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - B Huang
- Research Center of Basic Medical Sciences and Department of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Diseases of Educational Ministry of China, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - M Peng
- Research Center of Basic Medical Sciences and Department of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Diseases of Educational Ministry of China, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - G Teng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - D Zhang
- Research Center of Basic Medical Sciences and Department of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Diseases of Educational Ministry of China, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - R Zhang
- Research Center of Basic Medical Sciences and Department of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Diseases of Educational Ministry of China, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - M P A Ebert
- Department of Medicine II, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University, Munich, Germany
| | - J Chen
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - B C Y Wong
- Departments of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - K W Chan
- Departments of Pathology, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - J George
- Storr Liver Unit, Westmead Millennium Institute, Department of Medicine and Western Clinical School, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - L Qiao
- Storr Liver Unit, Westmead Millennium Institute, Department of Medicine and Western Clinical School, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
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Dai Y, Jiao H, Teng G, Wang W, Zhang R, Wang Y, Hebbard L, George J, Qiao L. Embelin Reduces Colitis-Associated Tumorigenesis through Limiting IL-6/STAT3 Signaling. Mol Cancer Ther 2014; 13:1206-16. [PMID: 24651526 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-13-0378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yun Dai
- Authors' Affiliations: Departments of Gastroenterology, Gerontology, and Pathology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing; Research Center of Basic Medical Sciences and Department of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Diseases of Educational Ministry of China, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; and Storr Liver Unit, Westmead Millennium Institute, the University of Sydney at the Westmead Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
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Abstract
Clinical application of anticancer drugs is limited by problems such as low water solubility, lack of tissue-specificity and toxicity. Formulation development represents an important approach to these problems. Among the many delivery systems studied, polymeric micelles have gained considerable attention owing to ease in preparation, small sizes (10-100 nm), and ability to solubilize water-insoluble anticancer drugs and accumulate specifically at the tumors. This article provides a brief review of several promising micellar systems and their applications in tumor therapy. The emphasis is placed on the discussion of the authors' recent work on several nanomicellar systems that have both a delivery function and antitumor activity, named dual-function drug carriers.
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Avisetti DR, Babu KS, Kalivendi SV. Activation of p38/JNK pathway is responsible for embelin induced apoptosis in lung cancer cells: transitional role of reactive oxygen species. PLoS One 2014; 9:e87050. [PMID: 24466324 PMCID: PMC3899364 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0087050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2013] [Accepted: 12/17/2013] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The natural product embelin has been demonstrated to possess a wide range of therapeutic properties, however, the mechanisms by which it exerts anticancer effects are not yet clear. By monitoring the molecular changes associated during early apoptotic phase, we have identified the crucial role of oxidative stress induced MAP kinase signalling as a predominant mechanism for its anticancer effects. Treatment of A549 lung cancer cells with embelin resulted in the enhancement of phospho-p38 and phospho-JNK levels as early as 4h. Pretreatment of cells with specific inhibitors of p38 (PD169316) and JNK (SP600125) abrogated embelin-induced caspase-3 activation. Studies employing embelin in the presence or absence of specific MAP kinase inhibitors indicated that the observed changes in phosphorylation levels of p38, JNK and ERK 1/2 are solely due to embelin and not because of cross-talk between MAP kinases. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a crucial role in embelin induced alterations in MAP kinase phosphorylation and apoptosis as pretreatment of cells with FeTMPyP mitigated this effect. The observed changes are not due to the inhibitory effect of embelin on XIAP as cells treated with SMAC-N7-Ant peptide, a specific inhibitor of XIAP’s BIR3 domain did not mimic embelin induced apoptotic effects. The findings of the present study clearly indicate the crucial role of p38 and JNK pathways in embelin induced apoptosis and provide us with new clues for improving its therapeutic efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepa R. Avisetti
- Centre for Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT), Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
- Centre for Chemical Biology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT), Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - K. Suresh Babu
- Natural Products Chemistry, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT), Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Shasi V. Kalivendi
- Centre for Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT), Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
- Centre for Chemical Biology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT), Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
- * E-mail:
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Xue Z, Ge Z, Zhang K, Sun R, Yang J, Han R, Peng M, Li Y, Li W, Zhang D, Hao J, Da Y, Yao Z, Zhang R. Embelin Suppresses Dendritic Cell Functions and Limits Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis Through the TGF-β/β-catenin and STAT3 Signaling Pathways. Mol Neurobiol 2014; 49:1087-101. [DOI: 10.1007/s12035-013-8583-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2013] [Accepted: 10/31/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Wang DG, Sun YB, Ye F, Li W, Kharbuja P, Gao L, Zhang DY, Suo J. Anti-tumor activity of the X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP) inhibitor embelin in gastric cancer cells. Mol Cell Biochem 2013; 386:143-52. [PMID: 24136460 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-013-1853-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2013] [Accepted: 09/27/2013] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the anticancer effects of embelin in human gastric cancer cells and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Gastric cancer cells were treated with embelin and 5-FU for methyl-thiazolyl-tetrazolium bromide cell viability assay and flow cytometric detection of cell viability and apoptosis. Protein pathway array (PPA) and Western blot were used to investigate differentially expressed proteins in embelin-treated gastric cancer cells. Embelin reduced gastric cancer cell viability, induced apoptosis, and enhanced 5-FU antitumor activity in gastric cancer cells. Mechanistically, embelin induced cell cycle arrest at the S and G2/M phases. Molecularly, embelin downregulated expression of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis and cell cycle-regulatory proteins, such as CDK1, CDC25B, CDC25C, cyclinB1, and CDK2. PPA analysis showed that embelin modulated several pathways that are associated with cell growth and apoptosis, such as PI3K/AKT, JAK/STAT, p38 MAPK, and p53. The data from the current study implied that reduction of gastric cancer cell viability after treatment with embelin was through cell cycle arrest at the S and G2/M phases and apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da-Guang Wang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, China
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Ramer R, Walther U, Borchert P, Laufer S, Linnebacher M, Hinz B. Induction but not inhibition of COX-2 confers human lung cancer cell apoptosis by celecoxib. J Lipid Res 2013; 54:3116-29. [PMID: 23943857 DOI: 10.1194/jlr.m042283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The antitumorigenic mechanism of the selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor celecoxib is still a matter of debate. Among different structurally related COX-2 inhibitors, only celecoxib was found to cause apoptosis and cell death of human lung cancer cells (IC₅₀ values of 19.96 µM [A549], 12.48 µM [H460], and 41.39 µM [H358]) that was paralleled by a time- and concentration-dependent upregulation of COX-2 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) at mRNA and protein levels. Apoptotic death of celecoxib-treated cancer cells was suppressed by the PPARγ antagonist GW9662 and by siRNA targeting PPARγ and, surprisingly, also by the selective COX-2 inhibitor NS-398 and siRNA targeting COX-2. NS-398 (1 µM) was shown to suppress celecoxib-induced COX-2 activity. Among the COX-2-dependent prostaglandins (PG) induced upon celecoxib treatment, PGD₂ and 15-deoxy-Δ¹²,¹⁴-PGJ₂ were found to induce a cytosol-to-nucleus translocation of PPARγ as well as a PPARγ-dependent apoptosis. Celecoxib-elicited PPARγ translocation was inhibited by NS-398. Finally, a COX-2- and PPARγ-dependent cytotoxic action of celecoxib was proven for primary human lung tumor cells. Together, our data demonstrate a proapoptotic mechanism of celecoxib involving initial upregulation of COX-2 and PPARγ and a subsequent nuclear translocation of PPARγ by COX-2-dependent PGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Ramer
- Institute of Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Rostock, Schillingallee 70, D-18057 Rostock, Germany
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Lu J, Huang Y, Zhao W, Chen Y, Li J, Gao X, Venkataramanan R, Li S. Design and characterization of PEG-derivatized vitamin E as a nanomicellar formulation for delivery of paclitaxel. Mol Pharm 2013; 10:2880-90. [PMID: 23768151 DOI: 10.1021/mp300729y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Various PEG-Vitamin E conjugates including d-α-tocopheryl poly(ethylene glycol) succinate 1000 (TPGS) have been extensively studied as a nonionic surfactant in various drug delivery systems. However, limited information is available about the structure-activity relationship of PEG-Vitamin E conjugates as a micellar formulation for paclitaxel (PTX). In this study, four PEG-Vitamin E conjugates were developed that vary in the molecular weight of PEG (PEG2K vs PEG5K) and the molar ratio of PEG/Vitamin E (1/1 vs 1/2) in the conjugates. These conjugates were systematically characterized with respect to CMC, PTX loading efficiency, stability, and their efficiency in delivery of PTX to tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. Our data show that PEG5K-conjugates have lower CMC values and are more effective in PTX loading with respect to both loading capacity and stability. The conjugates with two Vitamin E molecules also worked better than the conjugates with one molecule of Vitamin E, particularly for PEG2K-system. Furthermore, all of the PEG-Vitamin E conjugates can induce significant suppression of P-gp function. More importantly, PTX-loaded PEG5K-VE2 resulted in significantly improved tumor growth inhibitory effect in comparison to PTX formulated in PEG2K-VE or PEG2K-VE2, as well as Cremophor EL (Taxol) in a syngeneic mouse model of breast cancer (4T1.2). Our study suggests that PEG5K-Vitmin E2 may hold promise as an improved micellar formulation for in vivo delivery of anticancer agents such as PTX.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianqin Lu
- Center for Pharmacogenetics, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
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Wang A, Zhang B, Zhang J, Wu W, Wu W. Embelin-induced brain glioma cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest via the mitochondrial pathway. Oncol Rep 2013; 29:2473-8. [PMID: 23545899 DOI: 10.3892/or.2013.2369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2013] [Accepted: 02/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain glioma is the most common malignant intracranial tumor and has become the focus of research on diseases of the central nervous system due to its high incidence and poor prognosis. As a small‑molecule inhibitor of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), embelin has the ability to specifically inhibit XIAP to control and regulate the apoptosis of various types of tumor cells. However, to date, the mechanism of action for this effect is not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the role that the mitochondrial pathway plays in embelin-induced brain glioma cell apoptosis and the effect of embelin on the cell cycle. Brain glioma cells were treated with different doses of embelin. The MTT method was used to determine cell proliferation, and flow cytometry was used to determine apoptosis, as well as changes in the cell cycle and cell mitochondrial membrane potential. Western blot analysis was performed to determine the expression levels of apoptosis‑associated proteins, Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, Bax and Bak as well as cytochrome c. We found that embelin induced a time‑ and dose‑dependent apoptosis of brain glioma cells, and that it could arrest the cell cycle in the G0/G1 phase. Embelin also caused changes in brain glioma cell mitochondrial membrane potential. Additionally, embelin regulated the shifting of Bax and Bcl-2 to promote the mitochondrial release of cytochrome c, thus activating the caspase proteins to cause apoptosis. Thus, embelin induces apoptosis in brain glioma cells which is closely associated with the mitochondrial pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiping Wang
- Department of Internal Medicine-Neurology, Central Hospital of Nanyang, Nanyang 473009, PR China
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