Comprehensive transcriptomic profiling of liver cancer identifies that histone and PTEN are major regulators of SCU‑induced antitumor activity

Worldwide, liver cancer is the most frequent fatal malignancy. Liver cancer prognosis is poor because patients frequently receive advanced-stage diagnoses. The current study aimed to establish the potential pharmacological targets and the biological networks of scutellarein (SCU) in liver cancer, a natural product known to have low toxicity and side effects. To identify the differentially expressed genes between SCU-treated and SCU-untreated HepG2 cells, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was carried out. A total of 463 genes were revealed to have differential expression, of which 288 were upregulated and 175 were downregulated in the group that had received SCU treatment compared with a control group. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis of associated biological process terms revealed they were mostly involved in the regulation of protein heterodimerization activity and nucleosomes. Interaction of protein-protein network analysis using Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins resulted in two crucial interacting hub targets; namely, histone H1-4 and protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type C. Additionally, the crucial targets were validated using western blotting. Overall, the present study demonstrated that the use of RNA-seq data, with bioinformatics tools, can provide a valuable resource to identify the pharmacological targets that could have important biological roles in liver cancer.

Anticancer Effect by Combined Treatment of Artemisia annua L. Polyphenols and Docetaxel in DU145 Prostate Cancer Cells and HCT116 Colorectal Cancer Cells

Docetaxel (DTX), a semi-synthetic analogue of paclitaxel (taxol), is known to exert potent anticancer activity in various cancer cells by suppressing normal microtubule dynamics. In this study, we examined how the anticancer effect of DTX is regulated by polyphenols extracted from Korean Artemisia annua L. (pKAL) in DU145 prostate cancer cells (mutant p53) and HCT116 colorectal cancer cells (wild-type p53). Here, we show that the anticancer effect of DTX was enhanced more significantly by pKAL in HCT116 cells than in DU145 cells via phase-contrast microscopy, CCK-8 assay, Western blot, and flow cytometric analysis of annexin V/propidium iodide-stained cells. Notably, mutant p53 was slightly downregulated by single treatment of pKAL or DTX in DU145 cells, whereas wild-type p53 was significantly upregulated by pKAL or DTX in HCT116 cells. Moreover, the enhanced anticancer effect of DTX by pKAL in HCT116 cells was significantly associated with the suppression of DTX-induced p53 upregulation, increase of DTX-induced phospho-p38, and decrease of DTX-regulated cyclin A, cyclin B1, AKT, caspase-8, PARP1, GM130, NF-κB p65, and LDHA, leading to the increased apoptotic cell death and plasma membrane permeability. Our results suggest that pKAL could effectively improve the anticancer effect of DTX-containing chemotherapy used to treat various cancers expressing wild-type p53.

Potential Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Polyphenolic Compounds from Cirsium japonicum Extract

Cirsium japonicum is a medicinal plant that has been used due to its beneficial properties. However, extensive information regarding its therapeutic potential is scarce in the scientific literature. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential of polyphenols derived from the Cirsium japonicum extracts (CJE) was systematically analyzed. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with mass spectrometry (MS) was used to examine the compounds in CJE. A total of six peaks of polyphenol compounds were identified in the extract, and their MS data were also confirmed. These bioactive compounds were subjected to ultrafiltration with LC analysis to assess their potential for targeting cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) and DPPH. The outcomes showed which primary compounds had the highest affinity for binding both COX2 and DPPH. This suggests that components that showed excellent binding ability to DPPH and COX2 can be considered significant active substances. Additionally, in vitro analysis of CJE was carried out in macrophage cells after inducing inflammation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). As a result, it downregulated the expression of two critical pro-inflammatory cytokines, COX2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). In addition, we found a solid binding ability through the molecular docking analysis of the selected compounds with inflammatory mediators. In conclusion, we identified polyphenolic compounds in CJE extract and confirmed their potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. These results may provide primary data for the application of CJE in the food and pharmaceutical industries with further analysis.

Artemisia annua L. Polyphenols Enhance the Anticancer Effect of β-Lapachone in Oxaliplatin-Resistant HCT116 Colorectal Cancer Cells

Recent studies suggest that the anticancer activity of β-lapachone (β-Lap) could be improved by different types of bioactive phytochemicals. The aim of this study was to elucidate how the anticancer effect of β-Lap is regulated by polyphenols extracted from Korean Artemisia annua L. (pKAL) in parental HCT116 and oxaliplatin-resistant (OxPt-R) HCT116 colorectal cancer cells. Here, we show that the anticancer effect of β-Lap is more enhanced by pKAL in HCT116-OxPt-R cells than in HCT116 cells via a CCK-8 assay, Western blot, and phase-contrast microscopy analysis of hematoxylin-stained cells. This phenomenon was associated with the suppression of OxPt-R-related upregulated proteins including p53 and β-catenin, the downregulation of cell survival proteins including TERT, CD44, and EGFR, and the upregulation of cleaved HSP90, γ-H2AX, and LC3B-I/II. A bioinformatics analysis of 21 proteins regulated by combined treatment of pKAL and β-Lap in HCT116-OxPt-R cells showed that the enhanced anticancer effect of β-Lap by pKAL was related to the inhibition of negative regulation of apoptotic process and the induction of DNA damage through TERT, CD44, and EGFR-mediated multiple signaling networks. Our results suggest that the combination of pKAL and β-Lap could be used as a new therapy with low toxicity to overcome the OxPt-R that occurred in various OxPt-containing cancer treatments.

Advancements in 2D and 3D In Vitro Models for Studying Neuromuscular Diseases

Neuromuscular diseases (NMDs) are a genetically or clinically heterogeneous group of diseases that involve injury or dysfunction of neuromuscular tissue components, including peripheral motor neurons, skeletal muscles, and neuromuscular junctions. To study NMDs and develop potential therapies, remarkable progress has been made in generating in vitro neuromuscular models using engineering approaches to recapitulate the complex physical and biochemical microenvironments of 3D human neuromuscular tissues. In this review, we discuss recent studies focusing on the development of in vitro co-culture models of human motor neurons and skeletal muscles, with the pros and cons of each approach. Furthermore, we explain how neuromuscular in vitro models recapitulate certain aspects of specific NMDs, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and muscular dystrophy. Research on neuromuscular organoids (NMO) will continue to co-develop to better mimic tissues in vivo and will provide a better understanding of the development of the neuromuscular tissue, mechanisms of NMD action, and tools applicable to preclinical studies, including drug screening and toxicity tests.

Antioxidant effects of phenolic compounds in through the distillation of Lonicera japonica & Chenpi extract and anti-inflammation on skin keratinocyte

The phenolic compounds in Lonicera japonica & Chenpi distillation extract (LCDE) were thoroughly examined for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Phenolic compounds in LCDE were analyzed for five peaks using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined with mass spectrometry (MS) and determined. Five phenolic compounds were identified from the samples and MS data. Ultrafiltration with LC analysis was used to investigate the ability of bioactive compounds to target DPPH. As a result, it was confirmed that the major compounds exhibited a high binding affinity to DPPH and could be regarded as antioxidant-active compounds. In addition, the anti-inflammatory effect of LCDE was confirmed in vitro, and signal inhibition of anti-inflammation cytokines, MAPK and NF-kB pathways was confirmed. Finally, Molecular docking analysis supplements the anti-inflammatory effect through the binding affinity of selected compounds and inflammatory factors. In conclusion, the phenolic compounds of the LCDE were identified and potential active compounds for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities were identified. Additionally, this study will be utilized to provide basic information for the application of LCDE in the pharmaceutical and pharmaceutical cosmetics industries along with information on efficient screening techniques for other medicinal plants.

Potential Joint Protective and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Integrin αvβ3 in IL-1β-Treated Chondrocytes Cells

In osteoarthritis (OA), the articular cartilage covering the articular surface of the bone wears out, exposing the subchondral bone, and the synovial membrane surrounding the joint becomes inflamed, causing pain and deformity. OA causes pain, stiffness, and swelling, and discomfort in the knee when climbing stairs is a typical symptom. Although drug development studies are conducted to treat these inflammatory joint diseases, it is difficult to find conclusive research results which could reduce inflammation and slow cartilage tear. The development of drugs to relieve inflammatory pain often utilizes inflammatory triggers. Interleukins, one of the proteins in the limelight as pro-inflammatory factors, are immune-system-stimulating factors that promote the body's fight against harmful factors such as bacteria. In this study, inflammation was induced in Chondrocytes cells (Chon-001 cells) with IL-1β and then treated with integrin αvβ3 to show anti-inflammatory and chondrogenesis effects. Integrin αvβ3 was not toxic to Chon-001 cells in any concentration groups treated with or without IL-1β. COX-2 and iNOS, which are major markers of inflammation, were significantly reduced by integrin αvβ3 treatment. Expressions of p-ERK, p-JNK, and p-p38 corresponding to the MAPKs signaling pathway and p-IκBα and p-p65 corresponding to the NF-κB signaling pathway were also decreased in a dose-dependent manner upon integrin αvβ3 treatment, indicating that inflammation was inhibited, whereas treatment with integrin αvβ3 significantly increased the expression of ALP, RUNX2, BMP2, BMP4, Aggrecan, SOX9, and COL2A1, suggesting that osteogenesis and chondrogenesis were induced. These results suggest that integrin αvβ3 in-duces an anti-inflammatory effect, osteogenesis, and chondrogenesis on IL-1β-induced Chon-001 cells.

Potential Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Lonicera japonica and Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium Polyphenolic Extract (LCPE)

Dermatitis is an inflammatory condition of the outer layer of the skin that causes itching, blisters, redness, swelling, and often exudation, scabs, and peeling. Among them, purulent inflammation is a symptom that often occurs on the skin and appears in the form of boils and acne. Various studies are being conducted to treat these inflammatory diseases. Accordingly, Lonicera japonica and Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium Polyphenolic Extract (LCPE), which uses herbal preparations such as Lonicera japonica, Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, and Glycyrrhiza uralensis, has been used to suppress inflammation since ancient times, and its anti-inflammatory effect can be observed in skin keratinocytes after inducing inflammation. In this study, the major polyphenolic compounds in LCPE were quantitatively determined by analyzing the data through peak values using high-performance chromatography (HPLC-MS/MS) coupled with mass spectrometry. Additionally, bioactive compounds targeting 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) were analyzed by ultrafiltration integrated with LC. Several compounds with the most significant effects were selected (chlorogenic acid, narirutin, and isorhamnetin). Skin keratinocytes induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were treated with LCPE to show its anti-inflammatory effects. After LCPE treatment, inflammation-mediating cytokines such as cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were decreased. In addition, nuclear factor kappa (NF-кB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) were inhibited in important pathways related to inflammation. Lastly, molecular modeling was performed to determine binding scores with inflammation-related proteins using molecular docking for the selected compounds. According to these results, LCPE is effective in treating keratinocytes induced by LPS and reducing inflammation and has potential antioxidant effects, and the polyphenol components have been identified.

Mechanistic Action of Cell Cycle Arrest and Intrinsic Apoptosis via Inhibiting Akt/mTOR and Activation of p38-MAPK Signaling Pathways in Hep3B Liver Cancer Cells by Prunetrin-A Flavonoid with Therapeutic Potential

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a poor prognosis and a low survival rate. Drugs without side effects are desperately needed since chemotherapy has a negative effect on the host cells. Previous research has firmly established that plant-based compounds have significant bioactivities without a negative impact on the host. Flavonoids, in particular, are a class of compounds with both anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Prunetrin (PUR) is a glycosyloxyisoflavone (Prunetin 4'-O-glucoside) derived from Prunus sp., and its other form, called prunetin, showed optimistic results in an anti-cancerous study. Hence, we aimed to discover the anti-cancer ability of prunetrin in liver cancer Hep3B cells. Our cytotoxicity results showed that PUR can decrease cell viability. The colony formation assay confirms this strongly and correlates with cell cytotoxicity results. Prunetrin, in a dose-dependent manner, arrested the cell cycle in the G2/M phase and decreased the expression of cyclin proteins such as Cyclin B1, CDK1/CDC2, and CDC25c. Prunetrin treatment also promoted the strong cleavage of two important apoptotic hallmark proteins called PARP and caspase-3. It also confirms that apoptosis occurs through the mitochondrial pathway through increased expression of cleaved caspase-9 and increased levels of the pro-apoptotic protein Bak. Bak was significantly increased with the declining expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-xL. Next, it inhibits the mTOR/AKT signaling pathways, proving that prunetrin includes apoptosis and decreases cell viability by suppressing these pathways. Further, it was also observed that the activation of p38-MAPK was dose-dependent. Taken together, they provide evidence that prunetrin has an anti-cancerous ability in Hep3B liver cancer cells by arresting the cell cycle via p38 and inhibiting mTOR/AKT.

Inhibition of Cell Proliferation and Cell Death by Apigetrin through Death Receptor-Mediated Pathway in Hepatocellular Cancer Cells

Epidemiologic research recommends using flavonoids in the diet due to their overall health benefits. Apigetrin (Apigenin 7-O-glucoside) is a glycoside phytonutrient found in fruits and vegetables and known for different biological activities such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Hepatocellular cancer (HCC) is a major health concern because of its adverse prognosis and side effects of chemotherapeutic agents. In the present study, we determine the impact of apigetrin on HepG2 cells and its cell death mechanism. Apigetrin reduced HepG2 cell proliferation with morphological changes and floating cells in treated cells. Colony formation and wound healing assays showed a reduced cell number in treatment groups. Further, we checked for the cell cycle through flow cytometry to understand the cell death mechanism. Apigetrin induced G2/M phase arrest in HepG2 cells by regulating Cyclin B1 and CDK1 protein levels in HepG2 cells. Annexin V and propidium iodide (PI) staining was performed to confirm the apoptotic cell population in treated groups. At the higher concentration, apigetrin showed a late apoptotic population in HepG2 cells. Chromatin condensation was also found in the treatment groups. Western blot analysis showed an increased expression of extrinsic apoptotic proteins such as FasL, Cleaved caspase 8, Cleaved caspase 3, and cleavage of PARP. In comparison, intrinsic apoptotic pathway markers showed no changes in Bax, Bcl-xL, and Cleaved caspase 9. Altogether, these findings strongly indicate that apigetrin causes cell death in HepG2 cells through the extrinsic apoptotic pathway, and that the intrinsic/mitochondrial pathway is not involved.

β-Lapachone Exerts Anticancer Effects by Downregulating p53, Lys-Acetylated Proteins, TrkA, p38 MAPK, SOD1, Caspase-2, CD44 and NPM in Oxaliplatin-Resistant HCT116 Colorectal Cancer Cells

β-lapachone (β-Lap), a topoisomerase inhibitor, is a naturally occurring ortho-naphthoquinone phytochemical and is involved in drug resistance mechanisms. Oxaliplatin (OxPt) is a commonly used chemotherapeutic drug for metastatic colorectal cancer, and OxPt-induced drug resistance remains to be solved to increase chances of successful therapy. To reveal the novel role of β-Lap associated with OxPt resistance, 5 μM OxPt-resistant HCT116 cells (HCT116-OxPt-R) were generated and characterized via hematoxylin staining, a CCK-8 assay and Western blot analysis. HCT116-OxPt-R cells were shown to have OxPt-specific resistance, increased aggresomes, upregulated p53 and downregulated caspase-9 and XIAP. Through signaling explorer antibody array, nucleophosmin (NPM), CD37, Nkx-2.5, SOD1, H2B, calreticulin, p38 MAPK, caspase-2, cadherin-9, MMP23B, ACOT2, Lys-acetylated proteins, COL3A1, TrkA, MPS-1, CD44, ITGA5, claudin-3, parkin and ACTG2 were identified as OxPt-R-related proteins due to a more than two-fold alteration in protein status. Gene ontology analysis suggested that TrkA, Nkx-2.5 and SOD1 were related to certain aggresomes produced in HCT116-OxPt-R cells. Moreover, β-Lap exerted more cytotoxicity and morphological changes in HCT116-OxPt-R cells than in HCT116 cells through the downregulation of p53, Lys-acetylated proteins, TrkA, p38 MAPK, SOD1, caspase-2, CD44 and NPM. Our results indicate that β-Lap could be used as an alternative drug to overcome the upregulated p53-containing OxPt-R caused by various OxPt-containing chemotherapies.

Flavones: The Apoptosis in Prostate Cancer of Three Flavones Selected as Therapeutic Candidate Models

Cancer is a widespread but dangerous disease that can strike anyone and is the second 1leading cause of death worldwide. Prostate cancer, in particular, is a prevalent cancer that occurs in men, and much research is being done on its treatment. Although chemical drugs are effective, they have various side effects, and accordingly, anticancer drugs using natural products are emerging. To date, many natural candidates have been discovered, and new drugs are being developed as drugs to treat prostate cancer. Representative candidate compounds that have been studied to be effective in prostate cancer include apigenin, acacetin and tangeretin of the flavone family among flavonoids. In this review, we look at the effects of these three flavones on prostate cancer cells via apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, in addition to the existing drugs, we suggest the three flavones and their effectiveness as natural anticancer agents, a treatment model for prostate cancer.

Effect of early hysterectomy on a risk of incident cardiovascular disease in women: a nationwide population-based cohort study

Aim

Women who inevitably underwent surgical hysterectomy before natural menopause may have an earlier increase in hematocrit and storage iron than women who continue menstruation, thereby increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) early. We aimed to evaluate the association of women with hysterectomy vs. without hysterectomy before their 50s with the risk of incident CVD.

Methods

This was a retrospective-cohort study, 135,575 women aged 40 to 50 years in 2011–2014 were extracted from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service data and after propensity score matching, 55,539 pairs were included in hysterectomy and non-hysterectomy group respectively. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and coronary artery revascularization.

Results

After adjustment for confounding factors, hysterectomy group had an increased risk of MACCE compared with non-hysterectomy group (hazard ratio [HR], 1.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09–1.44). Regarding individual outcomes, cardiovascular death, MI, and coronary revascularization were comparable between the groups, whereas, the risk of stroke was significantly higher in hysterectomy group than non-hysterectomy group (HR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.12–1.53). Even after excluding women who underwent oophorectomy, hysterectomy group had a higher risk of MACCE than non-hysterectomy group (HR, 1.24; 95% CI 1.06–1.44).

Conclusions

Early surgical menopause due to hysterectomy, not hormonal menopause, was associated with an increased risk for a composite of CVD, especially stroke. This suggest that the role of “uterus” as well as sex hormones may be important for the sharp increase in the risk of CVD in women after menopause.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

Optimal strategy for antiplatelet therapy after endovascular revascularization in patients with lower extremity artery disease

Background

The duration of antiplatelet therapy after endovascular revascularization in patients with lower extremity artery disease (LEAD) has not been well established. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcome according to the duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in real practice.

Methods

From April 2009 to June 2019, 376 patients with LEAD underwent successful endovascular revascularization. After the procedure, the received single antiplatelet therapy (SAPT) or DAPT of various durations were classified into two groups (SAPT or DAPT <6 months vs. DAPT ≥6 months). The primary outcomes were major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) and major adverse limb events (MALEs). The safety outcome was moderate-to-severe bleeding according to the Global Use of Strategies to Open Occluded Arteries (GUSTO) criteria.

Results

Over the 40-month follow-up period, MACE occurred less frequently in the DAPT ≥6 months group than that in the SAPT or DAPT <6 months group (12.4% vs. 23.8%; hazard ratio [HR]: 0.56; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.35–0.89; p=0.014) after inverse probability-weighted adjustment and propensity-score matching analysis (HR: 0.55, 95% CI; 0.30–0.99, p=0.048). The incidence of MALE did not show significant difference between the two groups (DAPT ≥6 months group: 17.1% vs. SAPT or DAPT <6 months group: 13.1%; HR: 1.05; 95% CI: 0.62–1.78; p=0.846). A significant difference between the DAPT ≥6 months group and the SAPT or DAPT <6 months group was not observed regarding the incidence of moderate-to-severe GUSTO bleeding.

Conclusions

In patients with LEAD, DAPT for ≥6 months after endovascular revascularization was associated with a lower incidence of MACE.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Public Institution(s). Main funding source(s): National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the government of Korea (MSIT) (No. 2019R1G1A1100442).

The impact of statin treatment intensity after endovascular revascularization for lower extremity peripheral artery disease

Purpose

There are few Asian studies on the clinical impact of statin intensity on clinical outcomes in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). This study investigated the clinical impact of statin intensity in patients with PAD after endovascular revascularization.

Material and methods

From April 2009 to June 2019, 376 patients with lower extremity PAD treated with endovascular revascularization were enrolled. They were classified into three groups according to statin intensity: no-statin, low-to-moderate intensity (LMI), and high-intensity (HI) groups. The primary outcomes were major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and major adverse limb events (MALE).

Results

During the 40-month follow-up, MACE occurred less in the HI and LMI groups than the no-statin group (11.4% vs. 16.0% vs. 39%, p<0.001). In the adjusted Cox models, the HI group had the lowest MACE (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.347; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.144–0.834; p=0.018) and MALE (HR: 0.344; 95% CI 0.120–0.989, p=0.048), while the LMI group had fewer MACE (HR: 0.319; 95% CI 0.169–0.604, p=0.048) than the no-statin group. HI therapy was associated with better outcomes in terms of MALE (HR: 0.377; 95% CI: 0.208–0.684; p=0.001) and repeat revascularization (HR: 0.449; 95% CI: 0.243–0.830; p=0.011) than the LMI group after the inverse probability treatment weighting analysis.

Conclusions

HI and LMI statin use is associated with a significant reduction of MACE than no statin use. Regarding MALE, HI statin use was associated with better outcomes than no statin or LMI statin use.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Public Institution(s). Main funding source(s): National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIT) (No. 2019R1G1A1100442).

Apigetrin Promotes TNFα-Induced Apoptosis, Necroptosis, G2/M Phase Cell Cycle Arrest, and ROS Generation through Inhibition of NF-κB Pathway in Hep3B Liver Cancer Cells

Apigetrin (7-(β-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-4′,5-dihydroxyflavone), a glycoside bioactive dietary flavonoid derived from Taraxacum officinale and Teucrium gnaphalodes, is known to possess anticancer, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects on numerous cancers. In the present study, we examined the effect of apigetrin in Hep3B hepatocellular cancer cell line (HCC). Apigetrin inhibited cell growth and proliferation of Hep3B cells, as confirmed by MTT and colony formation assay. We used apigetrin at concentrations of 0, 50, and 100 µM for later experiments. Of these concentrations, 100 µM of apigetrin showed a significant effect on cell inhibition. In apigetrin-treated Hep3B cells, cell cycle arrest occurred at the G2/M phase. Apoptosis and necroptosis of Hep3B cells treated with apigetrin were confirmed by Annexin V/propidium iodide (PI) staining and flow cytometry results. Morphological observation through 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining showed intense blue fluorescence representing chromatin condensation. Hematoxylin staining showed necroptotic features such as formation of vacuoles and swelling of organelles. Apigetrin increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in cells, based on fluorescence imaging. Furthermore, the underlying mechanism involved in the apoptosis and necroptosis was elucidated through western blotting. Apigetrin up-regulated TNFα, but down-regulated phosphorylation of p-p65, and IκB. Apigetrin inhibited the expression of Bcl-xl but increased Bax levels. Up-regulation of cleaved PARP and cleaved caspase 3 confirmed the induction of apoptosis in apigetrin-treated Hep3B cells. Additionally, necroptosis markers RIP3, p-RIP3, and p-MLKL were significantly elevated by apigetrin dose-dependently, suggesting necroptotic cell death. Taken together, our findings strongly imply that apigetrin can induce apoptosis and necroptosis of Hep3B hepatocellular cancer cells. Thus, apigetrin as a natural compound might have potential for treating liver cancer.

Cellular Regulation of Kynurenic Acid-Induced Cell Apoptosis Pathways in AGS Cells

Kynurenic acid was included in the three compounds (caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, and kynurenic acid) that showed high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential among the phenolic compounds contained in Gynura procumbens. In this study, the mechanism of cancer cell death induced by kynurenic acid (KYNA), which has the highest molecular binding affinity, in the gastric cancer cell line AGS was confirmed in molecular docking analysis. KYNA showed the most cancer cell death effect on AGS cells among several gastric cancer cell lines (MKN, AGS, and SNU). AGS cells were used for later experiments, and KYNA concentrations of 0, 150, 200, and 250 µM were used. KYNA inhibited cell migration and proliferation in AGS cells in a concentration-dependent manner. G2/M phase cell cycle arrest and reduction of related proteins (Cdc25C, CDK1 and CyclinB1) were confirmed in KYNA-treated AGS cells. Apoptosis of KYNA-treated AGS cells was confirmed by Annexin V/propidium iodide (PI) staining flow cytometry analysis. As a result of morphological chromatin condensation through DAPI (4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole), intense blue fluorescence was confirmed. The mechanism of apoptosis induction of KYNA-treated AGS cells was confirmed by western blotting. In the extrinsic pathway, apoptosis induction markers FasL, Fas, and Caspase-3 and -8 were increased in a concentration-dependent manner upon KYNA treatment. In the intrinsic pathway, the expression of anti-apoptotic factors PI3K, AKT, and Bcl-xL was down-regulated, and the expression of apoptosis-inducing factors BAD, Bak, Bax, Cytochrom C, and Caspase-9 was up-regulated. Therefore, in the present study, we strongly imply that KYNA induces apoptosis in AGS gastric cancer cells. This suggests that KYNA, a natural compound, could be the basis for drug for the treatment of gastric cancer.

Function and Application of Flavonoids in the Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is one of the top causes of death, particularly among women, and it affects many women. Cancer can also be caused by various factors, including acquiring genetic alteration. Doctors use radiation to detect and treat breast cancer. As a result, breast cancer becomes radiation-resistant, necessitating a new strategy for its treatment. The approach discovered by the researchers is a flavonoid, which is being researched to see if it might help treat radiation-resistant breast cancer more safely than an approved medicine already being used in the field. As a result, this study focuses on the role of flavonoids in breast cancer suppression, breast cancer gene anomalies, and the resulting apoptotic mechanism.

Investigation on the cellular mechanism of Prunetin evidenced through next generation sequencing and bioinformatic approaches against gastric cancer

Gastric cancer is the common type of malignancy positioned at second in mortality rate causing burden worldwide with increasing treatment options. More accurate and reliable diagnostic methods/biomarkers are urgently needed. The application of transcriptomics technologies possesses the high efficiency of identifying key metabolic pathways and functional genes in cancer research. In this study, we performed a transcriptome analysis on Prunetin treated AGS cells. A total of 1,118 differentially expressed (DE) genes on Prunetin treated AGS cancer cells, among which 463 were up-regulated and 655 were down-regulated. Notably, around 40 genes were found to be related with necroptosis, among which 16 genes were found to be in close association with Receptor Interacting Protein Kinase (RIPK) family. Validation of the RIPK genes through GEPIA identified 8 genes (NRP1, MNX1, SSRP1, PRDX2, PLRG1, LGALS4, SNX5 and FXYD3) which are highly expressed in stomach cancer were significantly down-regulated in PRU treated samples. In conclusion, the sequencing data explores the expression of RIPK mediated genes through necroptosis signaling network in treating gastric cancer. The futuristic validations on the 8 genes as candidate biomarkers will offer a treatment approach against gastric cancer using PRU.

Scutellarein Inhibits LPS-Induced Inflammation through NF-κB/MAPKs Signaling Pathway in RAW264.7 Cells

Inflammation is a severe topic in the immune system and play a role as pro-inflammatory mediators. In response to such inflammatory substances, immune cells release cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is known as an endotoxin in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, and it catalyzes inflammation by stimulating the secretion of inflammatory-mediated cytokines such as cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) by stimulated immune cells. Among the pathways involved in inflammation, nuclear factor kappa (NF-кB) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are important. NF-kB is a diploid composed of p65 and IkBα and stimulates the pro- gene. MAPKs is a family consisting of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38, JNK and p38 play a role as proinflammatory mediators. Thus, we aim to determine the scutellarein (SCU) effect on LPS stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Furthermore, since scutellarein has been shown to inhibit the SARS coronavirus helicase and has been used in Chinese medicine to treat inflammatory disorders like COVID-19, it would be required to examine scutellarein’s anti-inflammatory mechanism. We identified inflammation-inducing substances using western blot with RAW264.7 cells and SCU. And we discovered that was reduced by treatment with SCU in p-p65 and p-IκBα. Also, we found that p-JNK and p-ERK were also decreased but there was no effect in p-p38. In addition, we have confirmed that the iNOS was also decreased after treatment but there is no change in the expression of COX-2. Therefore, this study shows that SCU can be used as a compound to treat inflammation.

Glycosidic flavonoids and their potential applications in cancer research: a review

Purpose of review

Every year, the cancer patient registry increases, and the leading cause of death in a global context. Plant-based molecules are gaining attention in cancer research due to the side effects of chemotherapy. A glycosidic derivative of flavonoid (GDF) plays a significant role in cancer proliferation mechanisms. GDF inhibits cell proliferation by elevating the expression of apoptotic proteins, altering the expression of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF- κB), and decreasing mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) in cancer cells.

Recent findings

Reported studies on the flavonoids orientin, vitexin, prunetionoside, chrysin, and scutellarein increased attention and are being widely investigated for their potential role in different parts of cancer research. Prunetionoside is a flavonoid with high cytotoxic potential and capable of inducing necroptosis in AGS gastric cancer cells. Similarly, scutellarein is a flavonol, induces an extrinsic apoptotic pathway and downregulates the expression level of cyclin proteins in HepG2 liver cancer cells. Vitexin is reported to be capable of deregulating the expression levels of p-Akt, p-mTOR, and p-PI3K in A549 lung cancer cells. Orientin inhibits IL-8 expression and invasion in MCF-7 breast cancer cells by suppressing MMP-9 in the presence of TPA via STAT3/AP-1/ERK/PKCα-mediated signaling pathways. It also induces mitochondria-mediated intrinsic apoptosis and G0/G1 cell cycle arrest in HT29 colon cancer cells. Chrysin is a flavonoid present in honey that has been shown to play an important role in cervical and colon cancer by suppressing the AKT/mTOR/PI3K pathway and increasing ROS accumulation, LDH leakage, respectively.

Differences of Key Proteins between Apoptosis and Necroptosis

Many different types of programmed cell death (PCD) have been identified, including apoptosis and necroptosis. Apoptosis is a type of cell death that is controlled by various genes. It is in charge of eliminating aberrant cells such as cancer cells, replenishing normal cells, and molding the body as it develops. Necroptosis is a type of programmed cell death that combines necrosis and apoptosis. In other words, it takes on a necrotic appearance, although cells die in a controlled manner. Various investigations of these two pathways have revealed that caspase-8, receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (RIPK1), and RIPK3 are crucial proteins in charge of the switching between these two pathways, resulting in the activation or inhibition of necroptosis. In this review, we have summarized the key proteins between apoptosis and necroptosis.

Assessment of Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Effects of Citrus unshiu Peel (CUP) Flavonoids on LPS-Stimulated RAW 264.7 Cells

Citrus unshiu is a popular medicinal herb in several Asian countries, in particular South Korea. C. unshiu peel (CUP) has several biologically active compounds, including flavonoids. Hence, this research aimed to label the flavonoids from CUP by HPLC-MS/MS analysis and examine their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potential on LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. A total of four flavonoids (Rutin, naringin, hesperidin, and poncirin) were characterized, and their contents were quantified from CUP. It showed that the naringin is rich in CUP. Further, treatment with the flavonoids at concentrations of 2.5 and 5 μg/mL had no effect on the cell viability of RAW 264.7 macrophages. On the other hand, it decreased the production and expression of inflammatory mediators and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as NO, PGE2, TNF-α, IL-1β, iNOS, and COX2 in the LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. In addition, flavonoids treatment inhibited the NF-κB activation by downregulating the p-p65 and p-IκBα proteins expression. Furthermore, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production considerably decreased at the same concentrations while antioxidant enzyme activity increased in the LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Collectively, our results show that CUP flavonoids have the potential to decrease inflammation and oxidative damage.

Novel Butein Derivatives Repress DDX3 Expression by Inhibiting PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 Cell Lines

Background

Breast cancer is one of the major causes of mortalities noticed in women globally. DDX3 has emerged as a potent target for several cancers, including breast cancer to which currently there are no reported or approved drugs.

Methods

To find effective cancer therapeutics, three compounds were computationally designed tweaking the structure of natural compound butein. These compounds were synthesized and evaluated for their anticancer property in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines targeting DDX3. The in silico molecular docking studies have shown that the compounds have occupied the binding site of the human DDX3 target. Furthermore, to investigate the cell viability effect of 3a, 3b, and 3c on MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines, the cell lines were treated with different concentrations of compounds for 24 and 48 h and measured using MTT assay.

Results

The cell viability results showed that the have induced dose dependent suppression of DDX3 expression. Additionally, 3b and 3c have reduced the expression of DDX3 in MCF-7 and MDA-MD-231 cell lines. 3b or 3c treated cell lines increased apoptotic protein expression. Both the compounds have induced the apoptotic cell death by elevated levels of cleaved PARP and cleaved caspase 3 and repression of the anti-apoptosis protein BCL-xL. Additionally, they have demonstrated the G2/M phase cell cycle arrest in both the cell lines. Additionally, 3c decreased PI3K and AKT levels.

Conclusions

Our results shed light on the anticancer ability of the designed compounds. These compounds can be employed as chemical spaces to design new prospective drug candidates. Additionally, our computational method can be adapted to design new chemical scaffolds as plausible inhibitors.

Activated ERK Signaling Is One of the Major Hub Signals Related to the Acquisition of Radiotherapy-Resistant MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cells

Breast cancer is one of the major causes of deaths due to cancer, especially in women. The crucial barrier for breast cancer treatment is resistance to radiation therapy, one of the important local regional therapies. We previously established and characterized radio-resistant MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells (RT-R-MDA-MB-231 cells) that harbor a high expression of cancer stem cells (CSCs) and the EMT phenotype. In this study, we performed antibody array analysis to identify the hub signaling mechanism for the radiation resistance of RT-R-MDA-MB-231 cells by comparing parental MDA-MB-231 (p-MDA-MB-231) and RT-R-MDA-MB-231 cells. Antibody array analysis unveiled that the MAPK1 protein was the most upregulated protein in RT-R-MDA-MB-231 cells compared to in p-MDA-MB-231 cells. The pathway enrichment analysis also revealed the presence of MAPK1 in almost all enriched pathways. Thus, we used an MEK/ERK inhibitor, PD98059, to block the MEK/ERK pathway and to identify the role of MAPK1 in the radio-resistance of RT-R-MDA-MB-231 cells. MEK/ERK inhibition induced cell death in both p-MDA-MB-231 and RT-R-MDA-MB-231 cells, but the death mechanism for each cell was different; p-MDA-MB-231 cells underwent apoptosis, showing cell shrinkage and PARP-1 cleavage, while RT-R-MDA-MB-231 cells underwent necroptosis, showing mitochondrial dissipation, nuclear swelling, and an increase in the expressions of CypA and AIF. In addition, MEK/ERK inhibition reversed the radio-resistance of RT-R-MDA-MB-231 cells and suppressed the increased expression of CSC markers (CD44 and OCT3/4) and the EMT phenotype (β-catenin and N-cadherin/E-cadherin). Taken together, this study suggests that activated ERK signaling is one of the major hub signals related to the radio-resistance of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells.

Quantitative Proteomics Analysis for the Identification of Differential Protein Expression in Calf Muscles between Young and Old SD Rats Using Mass Spectrometry

Aging is associated with loss of muscle mass and strength that leads to a condition termed sarcopenia. Impaired conditions, morbidity, and malnutrition are the factors of devaluation of muscle fibers in aged animals. Satellite cells play an important role in maintaining muscle homeostasis during tissue regeneration and repair. Proteomic profiling on the skeletal muscle tissues of different age group rats helps to determine the differentially expressed (DE) proteins, which may eventually lead to the development of biomarkers in treating the conditions of sarcopenia. In this study, nanoscale liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (nano-LC-MS/MS) analysis was implemented in the calf tissues of young and old groups of rats. The mass spectrometry (MS) analysis revealed the presence of 335 differentially expressed proteins between the two different age conditions, among which those based on log-fold change 25 proteins were upregulated and 77 were downregulated. The protein-protein interaction network analysis revealed 18 upregulated proteins with three distinct interconnected networks and 57 downregulated proteins with two networks. Further, gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis showed the biological process, cellular component, and molecular function of the differential proteins. Pathway enrichment analysis of the DE proteins identified nine significantly enriched pathways with a list of eight significant genes (Cryab, Hspb2, Acat1, Ak1, Adssl1, Anxa5, Gys1, Ogdh, Gc, and Adssl1). Quantification of significant genes by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) confirmed the downregulation at the mRNA level. Western blot analysis of their protein expression showed concordant results on two candidate proteins (Ogdh and annexin 5) confirming their differential regulation between the two age groups of rats. Thus, these proteomic approaches on young and aged rats provide insights into the development of protein targets in the treatment of sarcopenia (muscle loss).

Apoptotic Effects of Anthocyanins from Vitis coignetiae Pulliat Are Enhanced by Augmented Enhancer of the Rudimentary Homolog (ERH) in Human Gastric Carcinoma MKN28 Cells

Evidence suggests that augmented expression of a certain gene can influence the efficacy of targeted and conventional chemotherapies. Here, we tested whether the high expression of enhancer of the rudimentary homolog (ERH), which serves as a prognostic factor in some cancers, can influence the efficacy of anthocyanins isolated from fruits of Vitis coignetiae Pulliat, Meoru in Korea (AIMs) on human gastric cancer cells. The anticancer efficacy of AIMs was augmented in ERH-transfected MKN28 cells (E-MKN28 cells). Molecularly, ERH augmented AIM-induced caspase-dependent apoptosis by activating caspase-3 and -9. The ERH-augmented apoptotic effect was related to mitochondrial depolarization and inhibition of antiapoptotic proteins, XIAP, and Bcl-2. In addition, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was augmented in AIMs-treated E-MKN28 cells compared to AIMs-treated naïve MKN28 cells. In conclusion, ERH augmented AIM-induced caspase-dependent mitochondrial-related apoptosis in MKN28 cells. A decrease in expression of Bcl-2 and subsequent excessive ROS generation would be the mechanism for ERH-augmented mitochondrial-related apoptosis in AIMs-treated MKN28 cells. A decrease in expression of XIAP would be another mechanism for ERH-augmented caspase-dependent apoptosis in AIMs-treated MKN28 cells.

Transcriptome analysis of sinensetin-treated liver cancer cells guided by biological network analysis

Hepatocellular carcinoma is recognized as one of the most frequently occurring malignant types of liver cancer globally, making the identification of biomarkers critically important. The aim of the present study was to identify the genes involved in the anticancer effects of flavonoid compounds so that they may be used as targets for cancer treatment. Sinensetin (SIN), an isolated polymethoxyflavone monomer compound, possesses broad antitumor activities in vitro. Therefore, the identification of a transcriptome profile on the condition of cells treated with SIN may aid to better understand the genes involved and its mechanism of action. Genomic profiling studies of cancer are increasing rapidly in order to provide gene expression data that can reveal prognostic biomarkers to combat liver cancer. In the present study, high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed to reveal differential gene expression patterns between SIN-treated and SIN-untreated human liver cancer HepG2 cells. A total of 43 genes were identified to be differentially expressed (39 downregulated and 4 upregulated in the SIN-treated group compared with the SIN-untreated group). An extensive network analysis for these 43 genes resulted in the identification of 10 upregulated highly interconnected hub genes that contributed to the progression of cancer. Functional enrichment analysis of these 10 hub genes revealed their involvement in the regulation of apoptotic processes, immune response and tumor necrosis factor production. Additionally, the mRNA expression levels of these 10 genes were evaluated using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, and the results were consistent with the RNA-seq data. Overall, the results of the present study revealed differentially expressed genes involved in cancer after SIN treatment in HepG2 cells and may help to develop strategies targeting these genes for treating liver cancer.

Artemisia annua L. Polyphenol-Induced Cell Death Is ROS-Independently Enhanced by Inhibition of JNK in HCT116 Colorectal Cancer Cells

c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) is activated by chemotherapeutic reagents including natural plant polyphenols, and cell fate is determined by activated phospho-JNK as survival or death depending on stimuli and cell types. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the role of JNK on the anticancer effects of the Korean plant Artemisia annua L. (pKAL) polyphenols in p53 wild-type HCT116 human colorectal cancer cells. Cell morphology, protein expression levels, apoptosis/necrosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS), acidic vesicles, and granularity/DNA content were analyzed by phase-contrast microscopy; Western blot; and flow cytometry of annexin V/propidium iodide (PI)-, dichlorofluorescein (DCF)-, acridine orange (AO)-, and side scatter pulse height (SSC-H)/DNA content (PI)-stained cells. The results showed that pKAL induced morphological changes and necrosis or late apoptosis, which were associated with loss of plasma membrane/Golgi integrity, increased acidic vesicles and intracellular granularity, and decreased DNA content through downregulation of protein kinase B (Akt)/β-catenin/cyclophilin A/Golgi matrix protein 130 (GM130) and upregulation of phosphorylation of H2AX at Ser-139 (γ-H2AX)/p53/p21/Bak cleavage/phospho-JNK/p62/microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3B (LC3B)-I. Moreover, JNK inhibition by SP600125 enhanced ROS-independently pKAL-induced cell death through downregulation of p62 and upregulation of p53/p21/Bak cleavage despite a reduced state of DNA damage marker γ-H2AX. These findings indicate that phospho-JNK activated by pKAL inhibits p53-dependent cell death signaling and enhances DNA damage signaling, but cell fate is determined by phospho-JNK as survival rather than death in p53 wild-type HCT116 cells.

p53 Enhances Artemisia annua L. Polyphenols-Induced Cell Death Through Upregulation of p53-Dependent Targets and Cleavage of PARP1 and Lamin A/C in HCT116 Colorectal Cancer Cells

Plant-derived natural polyphenols exhibit anticancer activity without showing any noticeable toxicities to normal cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of p53 on the anticancer effect of polyphenols isolated from Korean Artemisia annua L. (pKAL) in HCT116 human colorectal cancer cells. We confirmed that pKAL induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, propidium iodide (PI) uptake, nuclear structure change, and acidic vesicles in a p53-independent manner in p53-null HCT116 cells through fluorescence microscopy analysis of DCF/PI-, DAPI-, and AO-stained cells. The pKAL-induced anticancer effects were found to be significantly higher in p53-wild HCT116 cells than in p53-null by hematoxylin staining, CCK-8 assay, Western blot, and flow cytometric analysis of annexin V/PI-stained cells. In addition, expression of ectopic p53 in p53-null cells was upregulated by pKAL in both the nucleus and cytoplasm, increasing pKAL-induced cell death. Moreover, Western bot analysis revealed that pKAL-induced cell death was associated with upregulation of p53-dependent targets such as p21, Bax and DR5 and cleavage of PARP1 and lamin A/C in p53-wild HCT116 cells, but not in p53-null. Taken together, these results indicate that p53 plays an important role in enhancing the anticancer effects of pKAL by upregulating p53 downstream targets and inducing intracellular cell death processes.

Functions of polyphenols and its anticancer properties in biomedical research: a narrative review

Cancer is a major health concern as the incidence is growing worldwide and still lacks successful therapies. Plant-derived functional foods are getting considerable attention, primarily due to their safety and therapeutic potential. Polyphenols are a group of mostly natural, water-soluble organic compounds. Here, we review the functions of selected polyphenols and their anticancer properties on numerous cancer cell lines and their mechanisms. The literature search was performed using the electronic database PubMed, Google scholar up to June 2020, with the following keywords—polyphenol, polyphenol anticancer, quercetin anticancer, resveratrol anticancer, curcumin anticancer, and kaempferol anticancer. Chemical structures of the selected polyphenols were obtained using the ChemDraw program. The initial search identified 40,554 polyphenols papers and among that, 2,559 were limited to polyphenol and cancer, 987 quercetin and cancer, 2,174 curcumin and cancer, 1,079 resveratrol and cancer, and 226 were limited to kaempferol and cancer. A total of 84 papers are included in this review paper. Most studies report the multiple anticarcinogenic properties of plant-derived polyphenols, including its inhibitory effects on the proliferation of cancer cells, tumor expansion, angiogenesis, inflammation, and metastasis. Besides, some studies shows potential synergistic effects when polyphenol treatment combined with chemotherapeutic agents. Anticancer effects of polyphenolic compounds like quercetin, curcumin, resveratrol, and kaempferol are investigated on numerous cancer cell lines and have shown prominent results. The present review provides a direction to determine the anticarcinogenic ability of the selected polyphenols in vitro and in vivo. Consequently, the use of polyphenols in cancer treatment should be investigated in-depth in the future.

Anthocyanins Derived from Vitis coignetiae Pulliat Contributes Anti-Cancer Effects by Suppressing NF-κB Pathways in Hep3B Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells and In Vivo

We previously demonstrated that anthocyanins from the fruits of Vitis coignetiae Pulliat (AIMs) induced the apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. However, many researchers argued that the concentrations of AIMs were too high for in vivo experiments. Therefore, we performed in vitro at lower concentrations and in vivo experiments for the anti-cancer effects of AIMs. AIMs inhibited the cell proliferation of Hep3B cells in a dose-dependent manner with a maximum concentration of 100 µg/mL. AIMs also inhibited the invasion and migration at 100 µg/mL concentration with or without the presence of TNF-α. To establish the relevance between the in vitro and in vivo results, we validated their effects in a Xenograft model of Hep3B human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. In the in vivo test, AIMs inhibited the tumorigenicity of Hep3B cells in the xenograft mouse model without showing any clinical signs of toxicity or any changes in the body weight of mice. AIMs inhibited the activation NF-κB and suppressed the NF-κB-regulated proteins, intra-tumoral microvessel density (IMVD) and the Ki67 activity of Hep3B xenograft tumors in athymic nude mice. In conclusion, this study indicates that AIMs have anti-cancer effects (inhibition of proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis) on human hepatocellular carcinoma xenograft through the inhibition of NF-κB and its target protein.

Cellular Function of Annexin A1 Protein Mimetic Peptide Ac2-26 in Human Skin Keratinocytes HaCaT and Fibroblast Detroit 551 Cells

Inflammation of the skin is the most common dermatological problem in human. The anti-inflammatory mediated responses of the skin cells provide a mechanism for combating these conditions. Annexin A1 (AnxA1) is one of the proteins that has been shown to have a potent anti-inflammatory effect. However, the effects and mechanisms of AnxA1 in skin keratinocyte and fibroblast have not been reported yet. In the current study, we hypothesized that Ac2-26, AnxA1 mimetic peptide, ameliorates inflammation and wrinkle formation in human skin cells. Therefore, we aimed to identify whether Ac2-26 has anti-inflammatory and anti-wrinkle effects in human keratinocyte (HaCaT) and fibroblast (Detroit 551) cells, respectively. Human HaCaT cells were stimulated by TNF-α/IFN-γ with or without Ac2-26, to identify the anti-inflammatory effect. Human Detroit 551 cells were treated with Ac2-26 to verify the anti-wrinkle effect. Initially, cell cytotoxicity was carried out in each cell line treated using Ac2-26 by MTT assay. Human MDA, IL-8, and procollagen secretion were detected by ELISA assay. The inflammatory chemokines were measured by qRT-PCR analysis. To demonstrate the mechanism, MAPK, NF-κB, JAK/STAT, and MMPs were analyzed by Western blotting. As a result, we identified that Ac2-26 significantly decreased the expression of TNF-α/IFN-γ-stimulated pro-inflammatory chemokines, including IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, MDC, TARC, and TNF-α, by inhibiting the activation of MAPK, NF-κB, and JAK/STAT pathway in TNF-α/IFN-γ-stimulated HaCaT human keratinocytes. In addition, we also identified that Ac2-26 significantly induced collagen synthesis by generating pro-collagen, and suppressed collagen degradation by inhibiting the collagenase MMP-1 and MMP-8 expression. Collectively, these results suggest that Ac2-26 shows anti-inflammatory and anti-wrinkling effect. These effects may lead to the development of preventive and therapeutic application for inflammation-related skin disease and wrinkle formation.

Sinensetin Induces Autophagic Cell Death through p53-Related AMPK/mTOR Signaling in Hepatocellular Carcinoma HepG2 Cells

Sinensetin (SIN) has been reported to exhibit anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activity. However, the cellular and molecular mechanism by which SIN promotes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell death remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the induction of cell death by SIN and its underlying mechanism in HepG2 cells, an HCC cell line. We found that SIN significantly induced cell death in HepG2 cells, whereas the proliferation rate of Thle2, human liver epithelial cells, was unaffected by SIN. SIN-treated HepG2 cells were not affected by apoptotic cell death; instead, autophagic cell death was induced through the p53-mediated AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway. Inhibition of p53 degradation led to both autophagy and apoptosis in HepG2 cells. p53 translocation led to SIN-induced autophagy, whereas p53 translocation inhibited SIN-induced apoptosis. However, SIN showed apoptosis in the p53-mutant Hep3B cell line. Molecular docking simulation of the p53 core domain showed effective binding with SIN, which was found significant compared with the known p53 activator, RITA. Collectively, these data suggest that SIN may be a potential anti-cancer agent targeting autophagic cell death in human liver cancer.

Anthocyanins Isolated from Vitis coignetiae Pulliat Enhances Cisplatin Sensitivity in MCF-7 Human Breast Cancer Cells through Inhibition of Akt and NF-κB Activation

Anthocyanins isolated from Vitis coignetiae Pulliat (Meoru in Korea) (AIMs) have various anti-cancer properties by inhibiting Akt and NF-κB which are involved in drug resistance. Cisplatin (CDDP) is one of the popular anti-cancer agents. Studies reported that MCF-7 human breast cancer cells have high resistance to CDDP compared to other breast cancer cell lines. In this study, we confirmed CDDP resistance of MCF-7 cells and tested whether AIMs can overcome CDDP resistance of MCF-7 cells. Cell viability assay revealed that MCF-7 cells were more resistant to CDDP treatment than MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells exhibiting aggressive and high cancer stem cell phenotype. AIMs significantly augmented the efficacy of CDDP with synergistic effects on MCF-7 cells. Molecularly, Western blot analysis revealed that CDDP strongly increased Akt and moderately reduced p-NF-κB and p-IκB and that AIMs inhibited CDDP-induced Akt activation, and augmented CDDP-induced reduction of p-NF-κB and p-IκB in MCF-7 cells. In addition, AIMs significantly downregulated an anti-apoptotic protein, XIAP, and augmented PARP-1 cleavage in CDDP-treated MCF-7 cells. Moreover, under TNF-α treatment, AIMs augmented CDDP efficacy with inhibition of NF-κB activation on MCF-7 cells. In conclusion, AIMs enhanced CDDP sensitivity by inhibiting Akt and NF-κB activity of MCF-7 cells that show relative intrinsic CDDP resistance.

Compound Prunetin Induces Cell Death in Gastric Cancer Cell with Potent Anti-Proliferative Properties: In Vitro Assay, Molecular Docking, Dynamics, and ADMET Studies

Gastric cancer is the common type of malignancy positioned at second in mortality rate causing burden worldwide with increasing treatment options. Prunetin (PRU) is an O-methylated flavonoid that belongs to the group of isoflavone executing beneficial activities. In the present study, we investigated the anti-proliferative and cell death effect of the compound PRU in AGS gastric cancer cell line. The in vitro cytotoxic potential of PRU was evaluated and significant proliferation was observed. We identified that the mechanism of cell death was due to necroptosis through double staining and was confirmed by co-treatment with inhibitor necrostatin (Nec-1). We further elucidated the mechanism of action of necroptosis via receptor interacting protein kinase 3 (RIPK3) protein expression and it has been attributed by ROS generation through JNK activation. Furthermore, through computational analysis by molecular docking and dynamics simulation, the efficiency of compound prunetin against RIPK3 binding was validated. In addition, we also briefed the pharmacokinetic properties of the compound by in silico ADMET analysis.

Comparative proteomic analysis uncovers potential biomarkers involved in the anticancer effect of Scutellarein in human gastric cancer cells

Scutellarein (SCU), a flavone that belongs to the flavonoid family and abundantly present in Scutellaria baicalensis a flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, has been reported to exhibit anticancer effects in several cancer cell lines including gastric cancer (GC). Although our previous study documented the mechanisms of Scutellarein‑induced cytotoxic effects, the literature shows that the proteomic changes that are associated with the cellular response to SCU have been poorly understood. To avoid adverse side‑effects and significant toxicity of chemotherapy in patients who react poorly, biomarkers anticipating therapeutic responses are imperative. In the present study, we utilized a comparative proteomic analysis to identify proteins associated with Scutellarein (SCU)‑induced cell death in GC cells (AGS and SNU484), by integrating two‑dimensional gel electrophoresis (2‑DE), mass spectrometry (MS), and bioinformatics to analyze the proteins. Proteomic analysis between SCU‑treated and DMSO (control) samples successfully identified 41 (AGS) and 31 (SNU484) proteins by MALDI‑TOF/MS analysis and protein database search. Comparative proteomics analysis between AGS and SNU484 cells treated with SCU revealed a total of 7 protein identities commonly expressed and western blot analysis validated a subset of identified critical proteins, which were consistent with those of the 2‑DE outcome. Molecular docking studies also confirmed the binding affinity of SCU towards these critical proteins. Phosphatidylinositol 4,5‑bisphosphate 3‑kinase catalytic subunit β isoform (PIK3CB) protein expression was accompanied by a distinct group of cellular functions, including cell growth, and proliferation. Cancerous inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A (CIP2A), is one of the oncogenic molecules that have been shown to promote tumor growth and resistance to apoptosis and senescence‑inducing therapies. In the present study, both PIK3CB and CIP2A proteins were downregulated in SCU‑treated cells, which boosts our previous results of SCU to induce apoptosis and inhibits GC cell growth by regulating these critical proteins. The comparative proteomic analysis has yielded candidate biomarkers of response to SCU treatment in GC cell models and further validation of these biomarkers will help the future clinical development of SCU as a novel therapeutic drug.

Apigetrin induces extrinsic apoptosis, autophagy and G2/M phase cell cycle arrest through PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in AGS human gastric cancer cell

Apigetrin is a flavonoid glycoside phytonutrient derived from fruits and vegetables that is well known for a variety of biological activities such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. In the current study, we determined the effect of apigetrin on AGS gastric cancer cell. Apigetrin reduced cancer cell proliferation and induced G2/M phase cell cycle arrest by regulating cyclin B1, cdc25c and cdk1 protein expression in AGS cell. Apigetrin treatment caused apoptotic cell death in AGS cells, characterized by the accumulation of apoptosis portion, cleavage of caspase-3 and poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP). Apigetrin-treated cells increased the expression of extrinsic apoptosis pathway proteins and mRNA. However, intrinsic apoptosis pathway related proteins were not altered. In addition, AGS cells treated with apigetrin increased autophagic cell death, featured by the formation of autophagic vacuole and acidic vesicular organelles. Autophagy marker proteins, such as LC3B-II and beclin-1, were increased, and p62, an autophagy flux marker protein, was also increased by endoplasmic reticulum stress. Also, the phosphorylation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway proteins and its downstream targets in apigetrin-treated AGS cells was identified to be decreased. Taken together, these data suggest that apigetrin-treated AGS cells induced G2/M phase cell cycle arrest, extrinsic apoptosis and autophagic cell death through PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, which can lead to the inhibition of gastric cancer development. Thus, our findings strongly indicate that apigetrin is a basic natural derived compound that could be used as a nutrient source with potential anticancer activities against gastric cancer.

Pretreatment of Anthocyanin from the Fruit of Vitis coignetiae Pulliat Acts as a Potent Inhibitor of TNF-α Effect by Inhibiting NF-κB-Regulated Genes in Human Breast Cancer Cells

Vitis coignetiaePulliat (Meoru in Korea) has been used in Korean folk medicine for the treatment of inflammatory diseases and cancers. Evidence suggests that NF-κB activation is mainly involved in cancer cell proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis. TNF-α also enhances the inflammatory process in tumor development. Recently, flavonoids from plants have been reported to have inhibitory effects on NF-κB activities. We investigated the effects of anthocyanins extracted from the fruits of Vitis coignetiae Pulliat (AIM, anthocyanins isolated from Meoru (AIM)) on TNF-α-induced NF-κB activities in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells and the molecules involved in AIM-induced anti-cancer effects, especially on cancer metastasis. We performed cell viability assay, gelatin zymography, invasion assay, and western blot analysis to unravel the anti-NF-κB activity of AIMs on MCF-7 cells. AIM suppressed the TNF-α effects on the NF-κB-regulated proteins involved in cancer cell proliferation (COX-2, C-myc), invasion, and angiogenesis (MMP-2, MMP9, ICAM-1, and VEGF). AIM also increased the expression of E-cadherin, which is one of the hallmarks of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the anthocyanins isolated from the fruits of Vitis coignetiae Pulliat acts as an inhibitor of TNF-α induced NF-κB activation, and subsequent downstream molecules involved in cancer proliferation, invasion, adhesion, angiogenesis, and thus have anti-metastatic activities in MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

Naringin Induces Lysosomal Permeabilization and Autophagy Cell Death in AGS Gastric Cancer Cells

Autophagy is a process of active programmed cell death, where a dying cell induces autophagosomes and subsequently regulated by degradative machinery. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism behind induction of autophagic cell death by Naringin flavonoid in AGS cancer cells. Growth inhibition of AGS cells showed downregulation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling by Naringin treatment. Transmission electron microscopy observation showed swollen mitochondria and lysosome near peri-nuclear zone fused with autophagic vacuoles. Rapamycin pre-treatment with Naringin showed significant decrease in mTOR phosphorylation and increase in LC3B activation in AGS cells. Decrease in mTOR phosphorylation is associated with lysosomal function activation was observed by time-dependent treatment of Naringin. Induction of lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP) was observed by LAMP1 activation leading lysosomal cell death by releasing Cathepsin D from lysosomal lumen to cytosol. Naringin treated AGS cells showed up-regulating BH3 domain Bad, down-regulating Bcl-xL, and Bad phosphorylation and significant mitochondrial fluorescence intensity expression. Significant localization of mitochondria and LC3B activation was examined by person coefficient correlation. Activation of ERK1/2-p38 MAPKs and production of intracellular ROS has been observed over Naringin treatment. It has also been elucidated that pre-treatment with NAC inhibited mitochondria-LC3B colocalization, where ROS acted as upstream of ERK1/2-p38 MAPKs activation. Lysosomal cell death involvement has been evaluated by BAF A1 pre-treatment, inhibiting LAMP1, Cathepsin D, ROS, and blocking autophagolysosome in AGS cell death. Taken together, these findings show that, Naringin induced autophagy cell death involves LMP mediated lysosomal damage and BH3 protein Bad activation in AGS cancer cells.

Polyphenols Extracted from Artemisia annua L. Exhibit Anti-Cancer Effects on Radio-Resistant MDA-MB-231 Human Breast Cancer Cells by Suppressing Stem Cell Phenotype, β-Catenin, and MMP-9

Artemisia annua L. has been reported to show anti-cancer activities. Here, we determined whether polyphenols extracted from Artemisia annua L. (pKAL) exhibit anti-cancer effects on radio-resistant MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells (RT-R-MDA-MB-231 cells), and further explored their molecular mechanisms. Cell viability assay and colony-forming assay revealed that pKAL inhibited cell proliferation on both parental and RT-R-MDA-MB-231 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The anti-proliferative effects of pKAL on RT-R-MDA-MB-231 cells were superior or similar to those on parental ones. Western blot analysis revealed that expressions of cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44) and Oct 3/4, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT-3) phosphorylation were significantly increased in RT-R-MDA-MB-231 cells compared to parental ones, suggesting that these proteins could be associated with RT resistance. pKAL inhibited the expression of CD44 and Oct 3/4 (CSC markers), and β-catenin and MMP-9 as well as STAT-3 phosphorylation of RT-R-MDA-MB-231. Regarding upstream signaling, the JNK or JAK2 inhibitor could inhibit STAT-3 activation in RT-R-MDA-MB-231 cells, but not augmented pKAL-induced anti-cancer effects. These findings suggest that c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) or Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/STAT3 signaling are not closely related to the anti-cancer effects of pKAL. In conclusion, this study suggests that pKAL exhibit anti-cancer effects on RT-R-MDA-MB-231 cells by suppressing CD44 and Oct 3/4, β-catenin and MMP-9, which appeared to be linked to RT resistance of RT-R-MDA-MB-231 cells.

Artemisia iwayomogi (Dowijigi) inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in RAW264.7 macrophages by suppressing the NF-κB signaling pathway

Inflammatory diseases are an important health concern and have a growing incidence worldwide. Thus, developing novel and safe drugs to treat these disorders remains an important pursuit. Artemisia iwayomogi, locally known as Dowijigi (DJ), is a perennial herb found primarily in Korea and is used to treat various diseases such as hepatitis, inflammation and immune disorders. In the present study, the anti-inflammatory effects of a polyphenolic extract from the DJ flower (PDJ) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated mouse macrophage RAW264.7 cells were investigated. Cell cytotoxicity was assessed using the MTT assay. The production of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) was measured by Griess and ELISA analysis, respectively. The expression levels of inducible nitric oxide (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) were examined by western blot analysis. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR was performed to detect the mRNA expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1β, as well as COX2 and iNOS. The production of NO and PGE₂ was significantly decreased following treatment with PDJ. The mRNA expression levels of TNFα, IL-6, IL-1β, COX2 and iNOS were significantly decreased in LPS-induced PDJ co-treated cells compared with the group treated with LPS alone. Western blot analysis indicated that PDJ downregulated the LPS-induced expression of iNOS and COX2, as well as the expression of NF-κB proteins. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that PDJ exerted anti-inflammatory effects in LPS-induced macrophage cells by suppressing the NF-κB signaling pathway. Therefore, PDJ may be used as a potential therapeutic agent in inflammation.

Function of flavonoids on different types of programmed cell death and its mechanism: a review

Cell death in the living system plays a vital role in maintaining the homeostasis and balancing the cell count in the body. Programmed cell death (PCD) is a crucial component of several development and defense mechanisms. PCD is also important in terms of aging which avoids the accumulation of cellular damage by maintaining cell division. Depending on the execution of cell death and its role in destruction, PCD is categorized into several subtypes. The major different forms of PCD in animals are apoptosis, autophagy and necrosis, which can be distinct in morphological terms. More intense investigations of cell death have given close insight showing other important types of cellular destruction and their pivotal roles in treating disease conditions like cancer. Flavonoids have been acquired a great interest for disease therapies and chemoprevention through activation of several PCD mechanisms. The significant potential of natural flavonoids in the induction of distinct signaling cascades is being a massive approach for targeting uncontrolled cell growth. For these reasons, understanding PCD mechanisms is a promising approach for the interventions in treating cancer. Thus, it is intriguing that understanding the different forms of PCD mechanism induced by flavonoids with more accurate descriptions on the biochemical and cellular processes are gaining more significance in cancer research. Here, we provide a brief overview on the different types of PCD and aim to discuss the functional role of flavonoids in promoting different types of cell death as well as an extensive brief review on their mechanism of action has been highlighted.

Sinensetin regulates age-related sarcopenia in cultured primary thigh and calf muscle cells

Background

Sarcopenia, the decline of skeletal muscle tissue attributed to primary aging is a major concern in older adults. Flavonoids might have potential benefits by modulating the regulation of satellite cells, thus preventing muscle loss. Sinensetin (SIN), a citrus methylated flavone with anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative activity, can enhance lipolysis. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether SIN might have sarcopenia-suppressing effect on satellite cells from thigh and calf muscle tissues of young and old rats.

Methods

Primary muscle cells were obtained from thigh and calf tissues of young and old group rats by dissection. Obtained satellite cells were incubated with indicated concentrations of SIN (50 and 100 μM) treated and untreated condition in differentiation medium. Morphological changes of cells were examined using a phase-contrast microscope. Protein expression levels of myoD and myogenin were analyzed by Western blot. Cells treated with or without SIN under differentiation condition were also immunocytochemically stained for myogenin and 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI).

Results

Morphologically, the differentiation extracted satellite cells was found to be more evident in SIN treated group of aged rat′s cells than that in SIN untreated group. Expression levels of myoD and myogenin proteins involved in myogenesis were increased upon treatment with SIN.

Conclusions

Collectively, our results indicate that SIN can alleviate age-related sarcopenia by increasing differentiation rate and protein levels of myoD and myogenin.

Search for a Dark Matter-Induced Annual Modulation Signal in NaI(Tl) with the COSINE-100 Experiment

We present new constraints on the dark matter-induced annual modulation signal using 1.7 years of COSINE-100 data with a total exposure of 97.7 kg yr. The COSINE-100 experiment, consisting of 106 kg of NaI(Tl) target material, is designed to carry out a model-independent test of DAMA/LIBRA's claim of WIMP discovery by searching for the same annual modulation signal using the same NaI(Tl) target. The crystal data show a 2.7  cpd/kg/keV background rate on average in the 2-6 keV energy region of interest. Using a χ-squared minimization method we observe best fit values for modulation amplitude and phase of 0.0092±0.0067  cpd/kg/keV and 127.2±45.9  d, respectively.

First Direct Search for Inelastic Boosted Dark Matter with COSINE-100

A search for inelastic boosted dark matter (IBDM) using the COSINE-100 detector with 59.5 days of data is presented. This relativistic dark matter is theorized to interact with the target material through inelastic scattering with electrons, creating a heavier state that subsequently produces standard model particles, such as an electron-positron pair. In this study, we search for this electron-positron pair in coincidence with the initially scattered electron as a signature for an IBDM interaction. No excess over the predicted background event rate is observed. Therefore, we present limits on IBDM interactions under various hypotheses, one of which allows us to explore an area of the dark photon parameter space that has not yet been covered by other experiments. This is the first experimental search for IBDM using a terrestrial detector.

Morin enhances auranofin anticancer activity by up-regulation of DR4 and DR5 and modulation of Bcl-2 through reactive oxygen species generation in Hep3B human hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Evidence suggests that auranofin (AF) exhibits anticancer activity by inhibiting thioredoxin reductase (TrxR). Here, in this study, we have investigated the synergistic effects of AF and morin and their mechanism for the anticancer effects focusing on apoptosis in Hep3B human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. We assessed the anticancer activities by annexin V/PI double staining, caspase, and TrxR activity assay. Morin enhances the inhibitory effects on TrxR activity of AF as well as reducing cell viability. Annexin V/PI double staining revealed that morin/AF cotreatment induced apoptotic cell death. Morin enhances AF-induced mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) loss and cytochrome c release. Further, morin/AF cotreatment upregulated death receptor DR4/DR5, modulated Bcl-2 family members (upregulation of Bax and downregulation of Bcl-2), and activated caspase-3, -8, and -9. Morin also enhances AF-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. The anticancer effects results from caspase-dependent apoptosis, which was triggered via extrinsic pathway by upregulating TRAIL receptors (DR4/DR5) and enhanced via intrinsic pathway by modulating Bcl-2 and inhibitor of apoptosis protein family members. These are related to ROS generation. In conclusion, this study provides evidence that morin can enhance the anticancer activity of AF in Hep3B human hepatocellular carcinoma cells, indicating that its combination could be an alternative treatment strategy for the hepatocellular carcinoma.

Therapeutic Effect of Rumex japonicus Houtt. on DNCB-Induced Atopic Dermatitis-Like Skin Lesions in Balb/c Mice and Human Keratinocyte HaCaT Cells

Rumex japonicus Houtt. (RJ) is traditionally used in folk medicines to treat patients suffering from skin disease in Korea and other parts of East Asia. However, the beneficial effect of RJ extract on atopic dermatitis (AD) has not been thoroughly examined. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of RJ on AD in vitro and in vivo. Treatment with RJ inhibited the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) as well as the activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) in tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) stimulated in HaCaT cells. The five-week-old Balb/c mice were used as an AD-like mouse model by treating them with 1-chloro-2, 4-dinitrobenzene (DNCB). Topical administration of RJ to DNCB-treated mice significantly reduced clinical dermatitis severity, epidermal thickness, and decreased mast cell and eosinophil infiltration into skin and ear tissue. These results suggest that RJ inhibits the development of AD-like skin lesions by regulating the skin inflammation responses in HaCaT cells and Balb/c mice. Thus, RJ may be a potential therapeutic agent for AD.