Alteration of Gut Microbiota and Inflammatory Cytokine/Chemokine Profiles in 5-Fluorouracil Induced Intestinal Mucositis.

Disturbed homeostasis of gut microbiota has been suggested to be closely associated with 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu) induced mucositis. However, current knowledge of the overall profiles of 5-Fu-disturbed gut microbiota is limited, and so far there is no direct convincing evidence proving the causality between 5-Fu-disturbed microbiota and colonic mucositis. In mice, in agreement with previous reports, 5-Fu resulted in severe colonic mucositis indicated by weight loss, diarrhea, bloody stool, shortened colon, and infiltration of inflammatory cells. It significantly changed the profiles of inflammatory cytokines/chemokines in serum and colon. Adhesion molecules such as vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and VE-Cadherin were increased. While tight junction protein occludin was reduced, however, zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and junctional adhesion molecule-A (JAM-A) were increased in colonic tissues of 5-Fu treated mice. Meanwhile, inflammation related signaling pathways including NF-κB and mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPKs) in the colon were activated. Further study disclosed that 5-Fu diminished bacterial community richness and diversity, leading to the relative lower abundance of Firmicutes and decreased Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio in feces and cecum contents. 5-Fu also reduced the proportion of Proteobacteria, Tenericutes, Cyanobacteria, and Candidate division TM7, but increased that of Verrucomicrobia and Actinobacteria in feces and/or cecum contents. The fecal transplant from healthy mice prevented body weight loss and colon shortening of 5-Fu treated mice. In addition, the fecal transplant from 5-Fu treated mice reduced body weight and colon length of vancomycin-pretreated mice. Taken together, our study demonstrated that gut microbiota was actively involved in the pathological process of 5-Fu induced intestinal mucositis, suggesting potential attenuation of 5-Fu induced intestinal mucositis by manipulating gut microbiota homeostasis.

[Notoginsenoside Ft1 down-regulates HIF-1α, inhibits cell proliferation, decreases migration and promotes apoptosis in breast cancer cells].

To investigate the effect of notoginsenoside Ft1 (Ft1) on proliferation, migration and apoptosis of breast cancer cells, we conducted several assays including CCK-8 assay, Ed U staining, single cell migration assay and Hoechst 33258 staining. The effect of Ft1 on expression of apoptosis related proteins, HIF-1α, PI3K/Akt/mTOR/p70S6 K and MAPK pathways was examined with Western blot. Ft1 could significantly reduce cell survival and inhibit cell proliferation in breast cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. Ft1 also increased chromatin condensation of MDA-MB-231 cells. Furthermore, Ft1 decreased protein expression of Bcl-2 and HIF-1α and increased expression of cleaved caspase 3 in MDA-MB-231 cells after 12 h treatment. Ft1 significantly down-regulated the levels of p-Akt, p-mTOR and p-p70S6 K as well as p-ERK1/2, but up-regulated that of p-JNK. Ft1 significantly inhibited the level of p-EGFR (Tyr1068) and p-EGFR (Ser1046/1047) in MDA-MB-231 cells. Finally, Ft1 significantly inhibited the migration path length and velocity of HS578 T cells when used at the concentration without affecting cell viability. Thus, Ft1 exhibited multiple antitumor effects including inhibition of cell survival and migration, promotion of cell apoptosis in breast cancer cells. Suppression of HIF-1α via Akt/mTOR/p70S6K and MAPK pathways may be involved in the pharmacological effect of Ft1 on cell proliferation and apoptosis of breast cancer cells.

Berberine hydrochloride IL-8 dependently inhibits invasion and IL-8-independently promotes cell apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells.

Breast cancer, the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide in females, has high metastastic and recurrence rates. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the anti-metastatic and anticancer in situ effect of berberine hydrochloride (BER) in MDA-MB-231 cells. BER dose-dependently inhibited proliferation and the IL-8 secretion of MDA-MB-231 cells. Additional experiments revealed that the inactivation of PI3K, JAK2, NF-κB and AP-1 by BER contributed to the decreased IL-8 secretion. BER abrogated cell invasion induced by IL-8 accompanied with the downregulation of the gene expression of MMP-2, EGF, E-cadherin, bFGF and fibronectin. In addition, BER reduced cell motility but induced G2/M arrest and cell apoptosis in an IL-8­independent manner. BER modulated multiple signaling pathway molecules involved in the regulation of cell apoptosis, including activation of p38 MAPK and JNK and deactivation of JAK2, p85 PI3K, Akt and NF-κB. The enhanced cell apoptosis induced by BER was eliminated by inhibitors of p38 MAPK and JNK but was strengthened by activator of p38 MAPK. Thus, BER inhibited cell metastasis partly through the IL-8 mediated pathway while it induced G2/M arrest and promoted cell apoptosis through the IL-8 independent pathway. Apoptosis induced by BER was mediated by crosstalks of various pathways including activation of p38 MAPK and JNK pathways and inactivation of Jak2/PI3K/NF-κB/AP-1 pathways. The results suggested that BER may be an efficient and safe drug candidate for treating highly metastatic breast cancer.

p38 MAPK and ERK1/2 pathways are involved in the pro-apoptotic effect of notoginsenoside Ft1 on human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells.

AIMS: This study aims to investigate the effect and the mechanisms of notoginsenoside Ft1, a natural compound exclusively found in P. notoginseng, on the proliferation and apoptosis of human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. MAIN METHODS: CCK-8 assay was used to assess the cell proliferation. Flow cytometry was performed to measure the cell cycle distribution and cell apoptosis. Hoechst 33258 staining was conducted to confirm the morphological changes of apoptotic cells. Protein expression was detected by western blot analysis and caspase 3 activity was measured by colorimetric assay kit. KEY FINDINGS: Among the saponins examined, Ft1 showed the best inhibitory effect on cell proliferation of SH-SY5Y cells with IC50 of 45µM. Ft1 not only arrested the cell cycle at S, G2/M stages, but also promoted cell apoptosis, which was confirmed by Hoechst 33258 staining. Further studies demonstrated that Ft1 up-regulated the protein expressions of cleaved caspase 3, phospho-p53, p21, and cyclin B1, but down-regulated that of Bcl-2. Moreover, Ft1 enhanced the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, JNK and p38 MAPK. However, the phosphorylation of Jak2 and p85 PI3K was reduced by Ft1. Inhibitors of p38 MAPK and ERK1/2 but not JNK abrogated the up-regulated protein expressions of cleaved caspase 3, p21 and down-regulated protein expression of Bcl-2 as well as elevated caspase 3 activity induced by Ft1. SIGNIFICANCE: Ft1 arrested the proliferation and elicited the apoptosis of SH-SY5Y cells possibly via p38 MAPK and ERK1/2 pathways, which indicates the potential therapeutic effect of it on human neuroblastoma.