Vitamin D3 potentiates the growth inhibitory effects of metformin in DU145 human prostate cancer cells mediated by AMPK/mTOR signalling pathway.

Metformin and vitamin D3 both exhibit a strong antiproliferative action in numerous cancer cell lines, including in human prostate cancer cells. Here we showed that the combination of the two drugs had a much stronger effect on DU145 human prostate cancer cell growth than either drug alone. In this research, cell proliferation was measured by methylthiazol tetrazolium (MTT) assay. Cell apoptosis was determined with Hoechst 33342 staining. Western blotting and cell cycle analyses were used to elucidate potential mechanisms of interaction between the drugs. It is shown that in cultured DU145 cells, vitamin D3 combined with metformin exhibits synergistic effects on cell proliferation and apoptosis. The underlying antitumor mechanisms may involve altered cycle distribution with a G1/S cell cycle arrest, activation of phospho-AMPK with subsequent inhibition of downstream mTOR signalling pathway, down-regulate c-Myc expression, and reducing the level of anti-apoptotic protein p-Bcl-2. In conclusion, metformin and vitamin D3 synergistically inhibit DU145 cell growth, indicating a promising clinical therapeutic strategy for the treatment of androgen-independent prostate cancer.

Targeted isolation, identification, and antioxidant evaluation of aromatic polyketides from a plant-derived fungus Ophiobolus cirsii LZU-1509.

There are >350 species of the Ophiobolus genus, which is not yet very well-known and lacks research reports on secondary metabolites. Three new 3,4-benzofuran polyketides 1-3, a new 3,4-benzofuran polyketide racemate 4, two new pairs of polyketide enantiomers (±)-5 and (±)-7, two new acetophenone derivatives 6 and 8, and three novel 1,4-dioxane aromatic polyketides 9-11, were isolated from a fungus Ophiobolus cirsii LZU-1509 derived from an important medicinal and economic crop Anaphalis lactea. The isolation was guided by LC-MS/MS-based GNPS molecular networking analysis. The planar structures and relative configurations were mainly elucidated by NMR and HR-ESI-MS data. Their absolute configurations were determined by using X-ray diffraction analysis and via comparing computational and experimental ECD, NMR, and specific optical rotation data. 9 possesses an unreported 5/6/6/6/5 five-ring framework with a 1,4-dioxane, and 10 and 11 feature unprecedented 6/6/6/5 and 6/6/5/6 four-ring frames containing a 1,4-dioxane. The biosynthetic pathways of 9-11 were proposed. 1-11 were nontoxic in HT-1080 and HepG2 tumor cells at a concentration of 20 µM, whereas 3 and 5 exerted higher antioxidant properties in the hydrogen peroxide-stimulated model in the neuron-like PC12 cells. They could be potential antioxidant agents for neuroprotection.

Diverse anti-inflammation and anti-cancer polyketides isolated from the endophytic fungi Alternaria sp. MG1.

Six new polyketides, alternaritins A-D [(±)-1-4] and isoxanalteric acid I (8), and 25 known Alternaria toxins were isolated from the culture of an endophytic fungi Alternaria sp. MG1. 3 is a rare fungal metabolite. 6 is a new natural product, and 5, 7, and 9 are known previously but their absolute configurations have not been determined. Three enantiomers [(±)-1, (±)-7, and (±)-15] were separated via chiral HPLC resolution. The structures of those polyketides (1-9) were elucidated by spectrometric analysis using MS and NMR. The absolute configurations were established using X-ray diffraction analysis and statistical comparative analysis of the experimental ECD and OR data, in conjunction with quantum mechanical calculations. All of the compounds were evaluated for their bioactivities. Known compound 27 exerted the most potent cytotoxic activities against HT-1080 and NCI-H1299 cell lines. The new compounds, 2 and 3, showed moderate inhibition on COX-2, while a pair of isomers, 8 and 9, exhibited medium activity on COX-2 and uropathogenic Escherichia coli.