The mechanism and experimental verification of Ixeris sonchifolia promoting apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma based on network pharmacology: Ixeris sonchifolia Induces Hepatocellular Carcinoma Apoptosis via the PI3K/AKT Pathway

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Ixeris sonchifolia alias Kudiezi, it was named Ixeris sonchifolia (Bunge) Hance, a synonym for Crepidiastrum sonchifolium (Bunge) Pak & Kawano in the https://www.iplant.cn/. And it was first published in J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 13: 108 (1873), which was named Ixeris sonchifolia (Maxim.) Hance in the MPNS (http://mpns.kew.org). As a widely distributed medicinal and edible wild plant, it possesses unique bitter-cold characteristics and constituents with various pharmacological activities. Its main antitumor substances, same as artemisinin and paclitaxel, are classified as terpenoids and have become research foci in recent years. However, its specific biological activity and role in antitumor treatment remain largely unclear.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aimed to elucidate the molecular targets and potential mechanisms of hepatocellular carcinoma apoptosis induced by Ixeris sonchifolia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We used network pharmacology methods to analyze and screen the active ingredients and possible underlying mechanisms of Ixeris sonchifolia in treating liver cancer and employed integrative time- and dose-dependent toxicity, transcriptomics, and molecular biology approaches to comprehensively verify the function of Ixeris sonchifolia extract (IsE) in human hepatoblastoma cell (HepG2) apoptosis and its potential mechanism.

RESULTS

A total of 169 common targets were screened by network pharmacology, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis showed that IsE inhibited HepG2 cell activity in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Western blot analysis confirmed that IsE promoted HepG2 cell apoptosis by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and that the PI3K/AKT inhibitor LY294002 also substantially enhanced IsE-induced apoptosis. The PI3K/AKT signaling pathway exhibited significant differences compared to that in the control group.

CONCLUSION

Combining network pharmacology with experimental verification, IsE inhibited mitochondrial function and the PI3K/AKT pathway while inducing hepatoma cell apoptosis. IsE may have promising potential for liver cancer treatment and chemoprevention.

Recent advances in recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma therapy

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent form of primary liver cancer, accounting for 75%-85% of cases. Although treatments are given to cure early-stage HCC, up to 50%-70% of individuals may experience a relapse of the illness in the liver after 5 years. Research on the fundamental treatment modalities for recurrent HCC is moving significantly further. The precise selection of individuals for therapy strategies with established survival advantages is crucial to ensuring better outcomes. These strategies aim to minimize substantial morbidity, support good life quality, and enhance survival for patients with recurrent HCC. For individuals with recurring HCC after curative treatment, no approved therapeutic regimen is currently available. A recent study presented novel approaches, like immunotherapy and antiviral medication, to improve the prognosis of patients with recurring HCC with the apparent lack of data to guide the clinical treatment. The data supporting several neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies for patients with recurring HCC are outlined in this review. We also discuss the potential for future clinical and translational investigations.

Cannabidiol inhibits invasion and metastasis in colorectal cancer cells by reversing epithelial-mesenchymal transition through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, wherein distant metastasis is the main reason for death. The non-psychoactive phytocannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) effectively induces the apoptosis of CRC cells. We investigated the role of CBD in the migration and metastasis of CRC cells. CBD significantly inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion of colon cancer cells in a dose- or time-dependent manner. CBD could also inhibit epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by upregulating epithelial markers such as E-cadherin and downregulating mesenchymal markers such as N-cadherin, Snail, Vimentin, and HIF-1α. CBD could suppress the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, inhibit the expression of β-catenin target genes such as APC and CK1, and increase the expression of Axin1. Compared to the control group, the volume and weight of orthotopic xenograft tumors significantly decreased after the CBD treatment. The results demonstrated that CBD inhibits invasion and metastasis in CRC cells. This was the first study elucidating the underlying molecular mechanism of CBD in inhibiting EMT and metastasis via the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in CRC cells. The molecular mechanism by which CBD inhibits EMT and metastasis of CRC cells was shown to be through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway for the first time.

The intracellular mechanism of Berberine-induced inhibition of CYP3A4 activity

BACKGROUND

Berberine (BBR) is an isoquinoline alkaloid extracted from Chinese medicine, exerting various pharmacological effects. BBR is partially metabolized by cytochrome 3A4 (CYP3A4) in vivo. Some reports indicated that BBR could inhibit the activity of CYP3A4. However, the underlying mechanisms are not entirely understood. CYP3A4 is transcriptionally regulated by two nuclear receptors: nuclear transcription X receptor (PXR) and constitutive androstane receptor (CAR). It degraded via the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Hence, we tried to explore the mechanisms of CYP3A4 inhibition on both transcriptive and protein levels.

METHODS

Western Blot, RT-PCR, and Co-immunoprecipitation were used to perform the experiments.

RESULTS

Our results showed that BBR inhibited the transcription of CYP3A4 gene by downregulating PXR. In addition, BBR accelerated the degradation of CYP3A4 protein via the polyubiquitination pathway.

CONCLUSION

These findings may lead to the determination of novel drug-drug interactions with BBR and contribute to the future clinical application of BBR.

Progress and prospects of biomarkers in primary liver cancer (Review)

Tumor biomarkers are important in the early screening, diagnosis, therapeutic evaluation, recurrence and prognosis prediction of tumors. Primary liver cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors; it has high incidence and mortality rates and seriously endangers human health. The main pathological types of primary liver cancer include hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) and combined HCC‑cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC‑CC). In the present review, a systematic outline of the current biomarkers of primary liver cancer is presented, from conventional blood biomarkers, histochemical biomarkers and potential biomarkers to resistance‑associated biomarkers. The important relationships are deeply elucidated between biomarkers and diagnosis, prognosis, clinicopathological features and resistance, as well as their clinical significance, in patients with the three main types of primary liver cancer. Moreover, a summary of several important biomarker signaling pathways is provided, which is helpful for studying the biological mechanism of liver cancer. The purpose of this review is to provide help for clinical or medical researchers in the early diagnosis, differential diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of HCC.

Effect of Trap Color, Height, and Orientation on the Capture of Yellow and Stick Tea Thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) and Nontarget Insects in Tea Gardens

Two thrips species-the yellow tea thrips ( Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood) and the stick tea thrips ( Dendrothrips minowai Priesner)-are serious pests affecting tea plants in southern China. Although the stick tea thrips is primarily restricted to southern China, the yellow tea thrips is gradually proliferating worldwide. Colored sticky card traps may be useful for monitoring and capturing these species, but a systematic analysis has not been conducted to identify the most effective trap color, height, and orientation. We performed indoor experiments using an orthogonal experimental design, as well as field tests in tea gardens, to identify the color most attractive to the two thrips species. Field tests were then conducted using color-optimized traps-lawngreen (RGB: 124, 252, 0) for yellow thrips and lime (RGB: 0, 255, 0) for stick tea thrips-to determine the most effective trap height and orientation. The greatest numbers of both yellow and stick tea thrips were captured on traps positioned 0-20 cm above the tea canopy in an east-west orientation. We also evaluated the performance of the color-optimized sticky card traps compared with commercially available yellow ones. Significantly more yellow and stick tea thrips and fewer natural enemies were captured on the color-optimized traps than on commercial ones. Although additional research is needed to explain the responses of the two different species and to increase trap effectiveness, our findings should assist in the control of these harmful insects.

Isolation and identification of surface-bound acetone enolate on Ni(111)

A surface-bound acetone enolate species has been synthesized on Ni(111) between 260 and 340 K by two different routes catalyzed by surface Ni and O atoms: deprotonation of acetone and deacetylation of acetylacetone. The reaction pathways and surface species have been identified using reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) in combination with isotopic substitution and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Acetone enolate exhibits characteristic vibrational absorption bands at 1260, 1353, and 1545 cm-1 arising from mixed modes that involve CC stretching, CH3 bending, and CO stretching. This work conclusively proves the existence of stable acetone enolate species on a metal single-crystal surface and provides its first detailed characterization.

[Expression pattern of mRNA for follistatin and inhibin/activin beta B-subunit during follicular and testicular development in duck]

Follistatin and inhibin/activin were closely related glycoprotein hormones. The quantitative competitive RT-PCR was used to investigate the expression of follistatin and inhibin/activin beta B-subunit mRNA in the developing ovarian follicles, immature and mature testes. The results revealed all samples showed the expression of mRNA for the two proteins, and the expression is more abundantly in the small follicles than in the large preovulatory follicles. Competitive RT-PCR revealed that the expression of follistatin is the highest in small yellow follicles (SYF), the mean relative content for the F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6-8, LWF (large white follicle), TI(immature testes), and TM(mature testes) was 0.011 +/- 0.004, 0.019 +/- 0.006, 0.021 +/- 0.009, 0.028 +/- 0.007, 0.075 +/- 0.023, 0.15 +/- 0.072, 0.29 +/- 0.068, 0.037 +/- 0.011, and 0.012 +/- 0.004, respectively, compared to a mean relative content of 1.00 for the SYF. The highest level of inhibin/activin beta B mRNA was also found in the SYF, the mean relative content for the F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6-8, LWF, TI, and TM was 0.009 +/- 0.003, 0.013 +/- 0.005, 0.019 +/- 0.007, 0.023 +/- 0.006, 0.29 +/- 0.084, 0.84 +/- 0.093, 0.031 +/- 0.008, 0.38 +/- 0.072, and 0.046 +/- 0.013, respectively, compared to a mean relative content of 1.00 for the SYF. Our data suggested that the expression pattern of mRNA for follistatin and inhibin/activin beta B-subunit was quite similar during follicular and testicular development. The great co-expression of mRNA for the two proteins in small follicles indicated that activin B(beta B-beta B) availability was tightly regulated by follistatin, and the two proteins might both play important roles in early follicular development.

[cDNA cloning and mRNA expression pattern in follicles of the mature inhibin alpha subunit from Xianju chicken]

The mature region of Xianju chicken inhibin alpha-subunit was amplified from the total RNA of follicle granulosa cells by RT-PCR using the primer pair designed according to the reported cDNA sequence of chicken inhibin alpha-subunit, and this fragment of alpha-subunit was cloned and sequenced subsequently. The results revealed that the mature alpha-subunit of Xianju chicken was a fragment of 113 amino acids containing one glycosylation site and seven cysteine residues. It was approximately 98% and 61.4%-68.7% identical in nucleotide sequence, 97.3% and 64.6%-69% similar in deduced amino acid sequence, respectively, in the mature region to the chicken and mammalian inhibin alpha-subunit cDNA clone. As for the mature chicken inhibin alpha-subunit, the number of potential glycosylation site and cysteine residues was the same, and their corresponding positions in the amino acid sequences were almost identical as compared to chicken and mammalian inhibin alpha-subunit, which indicated that the inhibin alpha-subunit was highly conserved among different species, implying an important role of inhibin alpha-subunit in various animals. The quantitative analysis of competitive RT-PCR for inhibin alpha-subunit revealed that the expression of alpha-subunit decreased with further follicle maturity from SYF to F1 follicle. The highest level of inhibin alpha-subunit mRNA was found in the SYF and F6-8 follicles, which indicated that inhibin alpha-subunit played an important role during the course of follicular recruitment, selection and dominance.

[Expression of inhibin alpha and inhibin/activin beta A subunits in the developing follicles of the duck]

The very sensitive quantitative competitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to investigate the expression of mRNA for the inhibin alpha and inhibin/activin beta A subunit in the developing ovarian follicles of the duck. The results indicated all follicles showed the expression of mRNA for the inhibin alpha and inhibin/activin beta A. The inhibin alpha subunit mRNA is expressed more abundantly than the beta A subunit in the large preovulatory follicles. Competitive RT-PCR revealed that the expression of inhibin alpha subunit is the highest in small yellow follicles (SYF), the mean relative content for the F1, F2, F3, F4/5 and LWF (large white follicle) was 0.26 +/- 0.05, 0.28 +/- 0.07, 0.57 +/- 0.12, 0.98 +/- 0.09 and 0.026 +/- 0.006, respectively, compared to a mean relative content of 1.00 for the SYF. The highest level of inhibin/activin beta A mRNA was found in the F1 follicle, the mean relative content for the F2, F3, F4/5, SYF and LWF was 0.218 +/- 0.09, 0.111 +/- 0.03, 0.058 +/- 0.011, 0.053 +/- 0.013 and 0.005 +/- 0.002, respectively, compared to a mean relative content of 1.00 for the F1 follicle. Our data suggest that the expression of the alpha subunit is reduced with follicular development whereas beta A subunit expression is dramatically enhanced, which indicates the expression of inhibin alpha and inhibin/activin beta A subunit is differentially regulated during follicular development. In addition, the highest level of beta A mRNA in F1 follicle indicates the production of dimeric inhibin and/or activin primarily occurred in the largest F1 follicle.

Preovulatory follicles in the ovary as the source of circulating inhibin in the duck

Inhibin secretion in the adult female duck was investigated. The bovine inhibin radioimmunoassay (RIA) system and human enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of inhibin A and inhibin B were first validated for use in the duck. In both RIA and ELISA, the dilution curves of plasma and homogenate of the first largest follicle (F1) were parallel to each standard curve, indicating that plasma and the F1 follicle contained immunoreactive (ir) and dimeric inhibins. Short-term food deprivation caused follicular atresia in the ovary and significantly depressed the plasma concentration of ir-inhibin. Positive immunostaining for inhibin alpha-, betaA-, and betaB-subunits was clearly detected in the granulosa cells of the four largest preovulatory follicles. Immunolocalization of these three inhibin subunits was also weakly seen in the interna theca cells of these follicles. These results demonstrate that inhibin alpha-, betaA-, and betaB-subunit proteins are colocalized in the granulosa cell and theca cell of the four largest preovulatory follicles in the duck ovary. The present results, therefore, indicate that the four largest follicles in the ovary are the main source of circulating inhibin in the female duck.