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Lu T, Wang Y, Liu F, Zhang L, Huang S, Zhou Y, Wu H, Mao Y, Jin C, Song W. Synergistic Inhibitory Effect of Berberine and Low-Temperature Plasma on Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Cells via PI3K-AKT-Driven Signaling Axis. Molecules 2023; 28:7797. [PMID: 38067530 PMCID: PMC10708101 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28237797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Low-temperature plasma (LTP) is an emerging biomedical technique that has been proposed as a potential approach for cancer therapy. Meanwhile, berberine (BER), an active ingredient extracted from various medical herbs, such as Coptischinesis, has been proven antitumor effects in a broad spectrum of cancer cells. In this study, we seek to develop a novel dual cancer therapeutic method by integrating pre-administration of BER and LTP exposure and evaluating its comprehensive antitumor effect on the human non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines (A549 and H1299) in vitro. Cell viability, cell cycle, cell apoptosis, and intracellular and extracellular ROS were investigated. The results showed that cotreatment of BER and LTP significantly decreased the cell viability, arrested the cell cycle in the S phase, promoted cell apoptosis, and increased intracellular and extracellular ROS. Additionally, RNA Sequencing (RNA-Seq) technology was used to explore potential mechanisms. The differentially expressed genes among different treatment groups of NSCLC cells were analyzed and were mainly enriched in the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathway. Moreover, cotreatment of BER and LTP notably depressed the total protein expression level of PI3K and AKT with immunoblotting. In conclusion, BER and LTP have a synergistic inhibitory effect on NSCLC cells via the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway, which could provide a promising strategy for supplementary therapy in the anti-NSCLC battle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Lu
- Key Laboratory for the Application and Transformation of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Prevention and Treatment of Major Pulmonary Diseases, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China; (T.L.); (Y.W.); (L.Z.); (S.H.); (Y.M.)
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics, Institute of Health & Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China; (F.L.); (Y.Z.); (H.W.)
- Key Laboratory of Xin’an Medicine, Ministry of Education, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Key Laboratory for the Application and Transformation of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Prevention and Treatment of Major Pulmonary Diseases, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China; (T.L.); (Y.W.); (L.Z.); (S.H.); (Y.M.)
- Key Laboratory of Xin’an Medicine, Ministry of Education, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China
| | - Fang Liu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics, Institute of Health & Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China; (F.L.); (Y.Z.); (H.W.)
| | - Lu Zhang
- Key Laboratory for the Application and Transformation of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Prevention and Treatment of Major Pulmonary Diseases, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China; (T.L.); (Y.W.); (L.Z.); (S.H.); (Y.M.)
- Key Laboratory of Xin’an Medicine, Ministry of Education, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China
| | - Simin Huang
- Key Laboratory for the Application and Transformation of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Prevention and Treatment of Major Pulmonary Diseases, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China; (T.L.); (Y.W.); (L.Z.); (S.H.); (Y.M.)
- Key Laboratory of Xin’an Medicine, Ministry of Education, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhou
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics, Institute of Health & Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China; (F.L.); (Y.Z.); (H.W.)
| | - Hui Wu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics, Institute of Health & Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China; (F.L.); (Y.Z.); (H.W.)
| | - Yanmei Mao
- Key Laboratory for the Application and Transformation of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Prevention and Treatment of Major Pulmonary Diseases, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China; (T.L.); (Y.W.); (L.Z.); (S.H.); (Y.M.)
- Key Laboratory of Xin’an Medicine, Ministry of Education, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China
| | - Chufeng Jin
- Key Laboratory of Neutronics and Radiation Safety, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
- International Academy of Neutron Science, Qingdao 266199, China
| | - Wencheng Song
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics, Institute of Health & Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China; (F.L.); (Y.Z.); (H.W.)
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