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Qin L, Zhong Y, Li Y, Yang Y. TCM targets ferroptosis: potential treatments for cancer. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1360030. [PMID: 38738174 PMCID: PMC11082647 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1360030] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Ferroptosis is caused by the accumulation of cellular reactive oxygen species that exceed the antioxidant load that glutathione (GSH) and phospholipid hydroperoxidases with GSH-based substrates can carry When the antioxidant capacity of cells is reduced, lipid reactive oxygen species accumulate, which can cause oxidative death. Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent regulatory necrosis pathway, has emerged as a new modality of cell death that is strongly associated with cancer. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are the main methods of cancer treatment. However, resistance to these mainstream anticancer drugs and strong toxic side effects have forced the development of alternative treatments with high efficiency and low toxicity. In recent years, an increasing number of studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), especially herbs or herbal extracts, can inhibit tumor cell growth and metastasis by inducing ferroptosis, suggesting that they could be promising agents for cancer treatment. This article reviews the current research progress on the antitumor effects of TCMs through the induction of ferroptosis. The aim of these studies was to elucidate the potential mechanisms of targeting ferroptosis in cancer, and the findings could lead to new directions and reference values for developing better cancer treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liwen Qin
- Core Facilities of West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuhan Zhong
- Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yi Li
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Institute of Respiratory Health, Center of Precision Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yongfeng Yang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Institute of Respiratory Health, Center of Precision Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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Liu X, Zhao Y, Liang X, Ding Y, Hu J, Deng N, Zhao Y, Huang P, Xie W. In Vivo Evaluation of Self-assembled nano-Saikosaponin-a for Epilepsy Treatment. Mol Biotechnol 2023:10.1007/s12033-023-00851-7. [PMID: 37608078 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-023-00851-7] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Saikosaponin-a (SSa) exhibits antiepileptic effects. However, its poor water solubility and inability to pass through the blood-brain barrier greatly limit its clinical development and application. In this study, SSa-loaded Methoxy poly (ethylene glycol)-poly(ε-caprolactone) (MePEG-SSa-PCL) NPs were successfully prepared and characterized. Our objective was to further investigate the effect of this composite on acute seizure in mice. First, we confirmed the particle size and surface potential of the composite (51.00 ± 0.25 nm and - 33.77 ± 2.04 mV, respectively). Further, we compared the effects of various MePEG-SSa-PCL doses (low, medium, and high) with those of free SSa, valproic acid (VPA - positive control), and saline only (model group) on acute seizure using three different acute epilepsy mouse models. We observed that compared with the model group, the three MePEG-SSa-PCL treatments showed significantly lowered seizure frequency in mice belonging to the maximum electroconvulsive model group. In the pentylenetetrazol and kainic acid (KA) acute epilepsy models, MePEG-SSa-PCL increased both clonic and convulsion latency periods and shortened convulsion duration more effectively than equivalent SSa-only doses. Furthermore, hematoxylin-eosin and Nissl staining revealed considerably less neuronal damage in the hippocampal CA3 area of KA mice in the SSa, VPA, and three MePEG-SSa-PCL groups relative to mice in the model group. Hippocampal gamma-aminobutyric acid-A (GABA-A) receptor and cleaved caspase-3 expression levels in KA mice were significantly higher and lower, respectively, in the three MePEG-SSa-PCL treatment groups than in the model group. Thus, MePEG-SSa-PCL exhibited a more potent antiepileptic effect than SSa in acute mouse epilepsy models and could alleviate neuronal damage in the hippocampus following epileptic seizures, possibly via GABA-A receptor expression upregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueqi Liu
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Yunyan Zhao
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Afflliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510130, China
| | - Xiaoshan Liang
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Yuewen Ding
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Jiao Hu
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Ning Deng
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Yiting Zhao
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Ping Huang
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Wei Xie
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
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Zhu Y, Lai Y. Pharmacological properties and derivatives of saikosaponins-a review of recent studies. J Pharm Pharmacol 2023:7194607. [PMID: 37307427 DOI: 10.1093/jpp/rgad052] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Saikosaponins (SSs) constitute a class of medicinal monomers characterised by a triterpene tricyclic structure. Despite their potential therapeutic effects for various pathological conditions, the underlying mechanisms of their actions have not been systematically analysed. Here, we mainly review the important anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antiviral mechanisms underlying SS actions. METHODS Information from multiple scientific databases, such as PubMed, the Web of Science, and Google Scholar, was collected between 2018 and 2023. The search term used was saikosaponin. KEY FINDINGS Numerous studies have shown that Saikosaponin A exerts anti-inflammatory effects by modulating cytokine and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and lipid metabolism. Moreover, saikosaponin D exerts antitumor effects by inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis and autophagy, and the antiviral mechanisms of SSs, especially against SARS-CoV-2, have been partially revealed. Interestingly, an increasing body of experimental evidence suggests that SSs show the potential for use as anti-addiction, anxiolytic, and antidepressant treatments, and therefore, the related molecular mechanisms warrant further study. CONCLUSIONS An increasing amount of data have indicated diverse SS pharmacological properties, indicating crucial clues for future studies and the production of novel saikosaponin-based anti-inflammatory, efficacious anticancer, and anti-novel-coronavirus agents with improved efficacy and reduced toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingchao Zhu
- Clinical Medical College of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Yu Lai
- School of Basic Medicine, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
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Wei B, Hao Z, Zheng H, Qin Y, Zhao F, Shi L. Brevilin A Inhibits VEGF-Induced Angiogenesis through ROS-Dependent Mitochondrial Dysfunction. Oxid Med Cell Longev 2022; 2022:5888636. [PMID: 36567856 DOI: 10.1155/2022/5888636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Brevilin A (BA), a sesquiterpene lactone isolated from Centipeda minima herb, has been identified to exhibit potent anticancer activity. However, the potential pharmacological effect and mechanism of BA in regulating endothelial cell (EC) angiogenesis, a key event in tumor growth, is poorly understood. In this study, BA was shown to significantly prevent vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) induced EC angiogenic capacities in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo. Subsequent functional assays revealed that BA dose dependently inhibited VEGF-stimulated survival, proliferation, migration, and triggered apoptosis activity in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), as well as suppressed the expression of antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2, increased the expression of proapoptotic protein caspase-3 and Bax, and suppressed PI3K/AKT pathway. Meanwhile, BA was also able to depolarize mitochondrial membranal permeability (MMP), accelerate mitochondrial superoxide accumulation, induce intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and decreased intracellular glutathione (GSH) in HUVECs. Furthermore, both mitochondria-specific superoxide scavenger Mito-TEMPOL and broad-spectrum antioxidant N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) dramatically abolished BA-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and mitochondrial ROS production, causing the reversion of PI3K/AKT pathway and repression of apoptosis, eventually correcting the impaired endothelial behavior in survival, growth, migration, and angiogenesis. Collectively, our data for the first time identified a new mechanism for antiangiogenic effect of BA in vascular EC, one that is based on the regulation of mitochondrial-dependent ROS overproduction.
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