Evodiamine potentiates cisplatin-induced cell death and overcomes cisplatin resistance in non-small-cell lung cancer by targeting SOX9-β-catenin axis

BACKGROUND

In recent decades, phytotherapy has remained as a key therapeutic option for the treatment of various cancers. Evodiamine, an excellent phytocompound from Evodia fructus, exerts anticancer activity in several cancers by modulating drug resistance. However, the role of evodiamine in cisplatin-resistant NSCLC cells is not clear till now. Therefore, we have used evodiamine as a chemosensitizer to overcome cisplatin resistance in NSCLC.

METHODS

Here, we looked into SOX9 expression and how it affects the cisplatin sensitivity of cisplatin-resistant NSCLC cells. MTT and clonogenic assays were performed to check the cell proliferation. AO/EtBr and DAPI staining, ROS measurement assay, transfection, Western blot analysis, RT-PCR, Scratch & invasion, and comet assay were done to check the role of evodiamine in cisplatin-resistant NSCLC cells.

RESULTS

SOX9 levels were observed to be higher in cisplatin-resistant A549 (A549CR) and NCI-H522 (NCI-H522CR) compared to parental A549 and NCI-H522. It was found that SOX9 promotes cisplatin resistance by regulating β-catenin. Depletion of SOX9 restores cisplatin sensitivity by decreasing cell proliferation and cell migration and inducing apoptosis in A549CR and NCI-H522CR. After evodiamine treatment, it was revealed that evodiamine increases cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity in A549CR and NCI-H522CR cells through increasing intracellular ROS generation. The combination of both drugs also significantly inhibited cell migration by inhibiting epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). Mechanistic investigation revealed that evodiamine resensitizes cisplatin-resistant cells toward cisplatin by decreasing the expression of SOX9 and β-catenin.

CONCLUSION

The combination of evodiamine and cisplatin may be a novel strategy for combating cisplatin resistance in NSCLC.

Exposure of piperlongumine attenuates stemness and epithelial to mesenchymal transition phenotype with more potent anti-metastatic activity in SOX9 deficient human lung cancer cells

Phytocompounds have shown hopeful results in cancer therapy. Piperlongumine (PIP), a naturally derived bioactive alkaloid found in our dietary spice, exhibits promising pharmacological relevance including anticancer activity. This study reconnoitred the anti-lung cancer effect of PIP and the allied mechanisms, in vitro and ex vivo. The cytotoxic, anti-proliferative, and apoptotic effects of PIP on lung cancer cells (LCC) were checked via cell viability, colony formation, cell migration, invasion, comet assay, and various staining techniques. Further, multicellular spheroids assay explored the anti-lung cancer potential of PIP, ex vivo. Preliminary results explored that PIP exerts selective cytotoxic and anti-proliferative effects on LCC by DNA damage and cell cycle arrest. PIP remarkably escalated the cellular and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and promoted dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), which triggers activation of caspase-dependent apoptotic pathway in LCC. Mechanistically, PIP showed F-actin deformation mediated significant anti-migratory and anti-invasive activity against LCC. Herein, we also found that F-actin dis-organization modulates the expression of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers and inhibits the expression of stemness marker proteins, like SOX9, CD-133, and CD-44. Moreover, PIP effectively reduced the size of spheroids with strong apoptotic and cytotoxic effects, ex vivo. This has been the first study to discover the high expression of SOX9 supporting the survival of LCC, whereas its inhibition induces higher sensitivity to PIP treatment. This study concludes a newer therapeutic agent (PIP) with promising anticancer activity against LCC by escalating ROS and attenuating MMP, stemness, and EMT.