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Silva SLR, Dias IRSB, Rodrigues ACBDC, Costa RGA, Oliveira MDS, Barbosa GADC, Soares MBP, Dias RB, Valverde LF, Rocha CAG, Roy N, Park CY, Bezerra DP. Emetine induces oxidative stress, cell differentiation and NF-κB inhibition, suppressing AML stem/progenitor cells. Cell Death Discov 2024; 10:201. [PMID: 38684672 PMCID: PMC11059384 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-024-01967-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a fatal malignancy of the blood and bone marrow. Leukemic stem cells (LSCs) are a rare subset of leukemic cells that promote the development and progression of AML, and eradication of LSCs is critical for effective control of this disease. Emetine is an FDA-approved antiparasitic drug with antitumor properties; however, little is known about its potential against LSCs. Herein, we explored the antileukemic potential of emetine, focusing on its effects on AML stem/progenitor cells. Emetine exhibited potent cytotoxic activity both in hematologic and solid cancer cells and induced AML cell differentiation. Emetine also inhibited AML stem/progenitor cells, as evidenced by decreased expression of CD34, CD97, CD99, and CD123 in KG-1a cells, indicating anti-AML stem/progenitor cell activities. The administration of emetine at a dosage of 10 mg/kg for two weeks showed no significant toxicity and significantly reduced xenograft leukemic growth in vivo. NF-κB activation was reduced in emetine-treated KG-1a cells, as shown by reduced phospho-NF-κB p65 (S529) and nuclear NF-κB p65. DNA fragmentation, YO-PRO-1 staining, mitochondrial depolarization and increased levels of active caspase-3 and cleaved PARP (Asp214) were detected in emetine-treated KG-1a cells. Moreover, treatment with the pancaspase inhibitor Z-VAD(OMe)-FMK partially prevented the apoptotic cell death induced by emetine. Emetine treatment also increased cellular and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, and emetine-induced apoptosis in KG-1a cells was partially prevented by the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine, indicating that emetine induces apoptosis, at least in part, by inducing oxidative stress. Overall, these studies indicate that emetine is a novel potential anti-AML agent with promising activity against stem/progenitor cells, encouraging the development of further studies aimed at its clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suellen L R Silva
- Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IGM-FIOCRUZ/BA), Salvador, BA, 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Ingrid R S B Dias
- Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IGM-FIOCRUZ/BA), Salvador, BA, 40296-710, Brazil
| | | | - Rafaela G A Costa
- Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IGM-FIOCRUZ/BA), Salvador, BA, 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Maiara de S Oliveira
- Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IGM-FIOCRUZ/BA), Salvador, BA, 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Gabriela A da C Barbosa
- Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IGM-FIOCRUZ/BA), Salvador, BA, 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Milena B P Soares
- Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IGM-FIOCRUZ/BA), Salvador, BA, 40296-710, Brazil
- SENAI Institute for Innovation in Advanced Health Systems, SENAI CIMATEC, Salvador, BA, 41650-010, Brazil
| | - Rosane B Dias
- Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IGM-FIOCRUZ/BA), Salvador, BA, 40296-710, Brazil
- Department of Propaedeutics, Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, BA, 40301-155, Brazil
| | - Ludmila F Valverde
- Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IGM-FIOCRUZ/BA), Salvador, BA, 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Clarissa A G Rocha
- Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IGM-FIOCRUZ/BA), Salvador, BA, 40296-710, Brazil
- Department of Propaedeutics, Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, BA, 40301-155, Brazil
- Center for Biotechnology and Cell Therapy, D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Salvador, BA, 41253-190, Brazil
| | - Nainita Roy
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY, 10016, United States of America
| | - Christopher Y Park
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY, 10016, United States of America
| | - Daniel P Bezerra
- Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IGM-FIOCRUZ/BA), Salvador, BA, 40296-710, Brazil.
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Rodrigues ACBDC, Silva SLR, Dias IRSB, Costa RGA, Oliveira MDS, Soares MBP, Dias RB, Valverde LF, Rocha CAG, Johnson EM, Pina C, Bezerra DP. Piplartine eliminates CD34 + AML stem/progenitor cells by inducing oxidative stress and suppressing NF-κB signalling. Cell Death Discov 2024; 10:147. [PMID: 38503729 PMCID: PMC10951277 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-024-01909-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a haematological malignancy characterised by the accumulation of transformed myeloid progenitors in the bone marrow. Piplartine (PL), also known as piperlongumine, is a pro-oxidant small molecule extracted from peppers that has demonstrated antineoplastic potential in solid tumours and other haematological malignancies. In this work, we explored the potential of PL to treat AML through the use of a combination of cellular and molecular analyses of primary and cultured leukaemia cells in vitro and in vivo. We showed that PL exhibits in vitro cytotoxicity against AML cells, including CD34+ leukaemia-propagating cells, but not healthy haematopoietic progenitors, suggesting anti-leukaemia selectivity. Mechanistically, PL treatment increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and induced ROS-mediated apoptosis in AML cells, which could be prevented by treatment with the antioxidant scavenger N-acetyl-cysteine and the pancaspase inhibitor Z-VAD(OMe)-FMK. PL treatment reduced NFKB1 gene transcription and the level of NF-κB p65 (pS536), which was depleted from the nucleus of AML cells, indicating suppression of NF-κB p65 signalling. Significantly, PL suppressed AML development in a mouse xenograft model, and its combination with current AML treatments (cytarabine, daunorubicin and azacytidine) had synergistic effects, indicating translational therapeutic potential. Taken together, these data position PL as a novel anti-AML candidate drug that can target leukaemia stem/progenitors and is amenable to combinatorial therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Carolina B da C Rodrigues
- Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IGM-FIOCRUZ/BA), Salvador, Bahia, 40296-710, Brazil
- College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Suellen L R Silva
- Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IGM-FIOCRUZ/BA), Salvador, Bahia, 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Ingrid R S B Dias
- Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IGM-FIOCRUZ/BA), Salvador, Bahia, 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Rafaela G A Costa
- Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IGM-FIOCRUZ/BA), Salvador, Bahia, 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Maiara de S Oliveira
- Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IGM-FIOCRUZ/BA), Salvador, Bahia, 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Milena B P Soares
- Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IGM-FIOCRUZ/BA), Salvador, Bahia, 40296-710, Brazil
- SENAI Institute for Innovation in Advanced Health Systems, SENAI CIMATEC, Salvador, Bahia, 41650-010, Brazil
| | - Rosane B Dias
- Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IGM-FIOCRUZ/BA), Salvador, Bahia, 40296-710, Brazil
- Department of Propaedeutics and Integrated Clinical, Faculty of Dentistry, Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, Bahia, 40301-155, Brazil
| | - Ludmila F Valverde
- Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IGM-FIOCRUZ/BA), Salvador, Bahia, 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Clarissa A G Rocha
- Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IGM-FIOCRUZ/BA), Salvador, Bahia, 40296-710, Brazil
- Department of Propaedeutics and Integrated Clinical, Faculty of Dentistry, Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, Bahia, 40301-155, Brazil
- Center for Biotechnology and Cell Therapy, D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Salvador, Bahia, 41253-190, Brazil
| | - Emily M Johnson
- College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Cristina Pina
- College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH, UK.
- Centre for Genome Engineering and Maintenance, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH, UK.
| | - Daniel P Bezerra
- Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IGM-FIOCRUZ/BA), Salvador, Bahia, 40296-710, Brazil.
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