Sanguinarine chloride induces ferroptosis by regulating ROS/BACH1/HMOX1 signaling pathway in prostate cancer

BACKGROUND

Sanguinarine chloride (S.C) is a benzophenanthrine alkaloid derived from the root of sanguinaria canadensis and other poppy-fumaria species. Studies have reported that S.C exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, proapoptotic, and growth inhibitory effects, which contribute to its anti-cancer properties. Recent studies suggested that the antitumor effect of S.C through inducing ferroptosis in some cancers. Nevertheless, the precise mechanism underlying the regulation of ferroptosis by S.C remains poorly understood.

METHODS

A small molecule library was constructed based on FDA and CFDA approved small molecular drugs. CCK-8 assay was applied to evaluate the effects of the small molecule compound on tumor cell viability. Prostate cancer cells were treated with S.C and then the cell viability and migration ability were assessed using CCK8, colony formation and wound healing assay. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and iron accumulation were quantified through flow cytometry analysis. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and total glutathione (GSH) were measured using commercially available kits. RNA-seq analysis was performed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) among the treatment groups. Western blotting and qPCR were utilized to investigate the expression of relevant proteins and genes. In vivo experiments employed a xenograft mice model to evaluate the anti-cancer efficacy of S.C.

RESULTS

Our study demonstrated that S.C effectively inhibited the viability of various prostate cancer cells. Notably, S.C exhibited the ability to enhance the cytotoxicity of docetaxel in DU145 cells. We found that S.C-induced cell death partially relied on the induction of ferroptosis, which was mediated through up-regulation of HMOX1 protein. Additionally, our investigation revealed that S.C treatment decreased the stability of BACH1 protein, which contributed to HMOX1expression. We further identified that S.C-induced ROS caused BACH1 instability by suppressing USP47expression. Moreover, In DU145 xenograft model, we found S.C significantly inhibited prostate cancer growth, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic strategy. Collectively, these findings provide evidence that S.C could induce regulated cell death (RCD) in prostate cancer cells and effectively inhibit tumor growth via triggering ferroptosis. This study provides evidence that S.C effectively suppresses tumor progression and induces ferroptosis in prostate cancer cells by targeting ROS/USP47/BACH1/HMOX1 axis.

CONCLUSION

This study provides evidence that S.C effectively suppresses tumor progression and induces ferroptosis in prostate cancer cells by targeting the ROS/USP47/BACH1/HMOX1 axis. These findings offer novel insights into the underlying mechanism by which S.C inhibits the progression of prostate cancer. Furthermore, leveraging the potential of S.C in targeting ferroptosis may present a new therapeutic opportunity for prostate cancer. This study found that S.C induces ferroptosis by targeting the ROS/USP47/BACH1/HMOX1 axis in prostate cancer cells.

Natural compound library screening identifies Sanguinarine chloride for the treatment of SCLC by upregulating CDKN1A

OBJECTIVES

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is notorious for aggressive malignancy without effective treatment, and most patients eventually develop tumor progression with a poor prognosis. There is an urgent need for discovering novel antitumor agents or therapeutic strategies for SCLC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We performed a screening method based on CCK-8 assay to screen 640 natural compounds for SCLC. The effects of Sanguinarine chloride on SCLC cell proliferation, colony formation, cell cycle, apoptosis, migration and invasion were determined. RNA-seq and bioinformatics analysis was performed to investigate the anti-SCLC mechanism of Sanguinarine chloride. Publicly available datasets and samples were analyzed to investigate the expression level of CDKN1A and its clinical significance. Loss of functional cancer cell models were constructed by shRNA-mediated silencing. Quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot were used to measure gene and protein expression. Immunohistochemistry staining was performed to detect the expression of CDKN1A, Ki67, and Cleaved caspase 3 in xenograft tissues.

RESULTS

We identified Sanguinarine chloride as a potential inhibitor of SCLC, which inhibited cell proliferation, colony formation, cell cycle, cell migration and invasion, and promoted apoptosis of SCLC cells. Sanguinarine chloride played an important role in anti-SCLC by upregulating the expression of CDKN1A. Furthermore, Sanguinarine chloride in combination with panobinostat, or THZ1, or gemcitabine, or (+)-JQ-1 increased the anti-SCLC effect compared with either agent alone treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings identified Sanguinarine chloride as a potential inhibitor of SCLC by upregulating the expression of CDKN1A. Sanguinarine chloride in combination with chemotherapy compounds exhibited strong synergism anti-SCLC properties, which could be further clinically explored for the treatment of SCLC.

Natural compound sanguinarine chloride targets the type III secretion system of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium

The type III secretion system (T3SS) is a key virulence mechanism of many Gram-negative bacterial pathogens. Upon contact between bacteria and host cells, T3SS transfers a series of effectors from the bacterial cytosol to host cells. It is widely known that a mutation in T3SS does not impair bacterial growth, thereby avoiding any subsequent development of resistance. Thus, T3SS is expected to be a candidate therapeutic target. While developing the T3SS screening method, we discovered that sanguinarine chloride, a natural compound, could decrease the production of the SPI-1 type III secretion system main virulence proteins SipA and SipB and prevent the invasion of HeLa cells by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium without affecting the growth of Salmonella. Furthermore, sanguinarine chloride downregulated the transcription of HilA and consequently regulated the expression of the SPI-1 apparatus and effector genes. In summary, our study directly demonstrated that this putative SPI-1 inhibitor belongs to a novel class of anti-Salmonella compounds.

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Sanguinarine chloride effectively inhibits the translocation of a SipA-Lactamase fusion into mammalian cells.

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Sanguinarine chloride inhibits the invasion of Hela cells by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium.

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Sanguinarine chloride inhibits the secretion of SPI-1 virulence proteins.

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Sanguinarine chloride inhibits SPI-1 effectors through SPI-1 transcription regulate.