Hellebrigenin induces oral cancer cell apoptosis by modulating MAPK signalling and XIAP expression.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), which accounts for 90% of all oral cancers, has become a public health crisis worldwide. despite advances in therapeutic interventions, the prognosis remains poor for advanced-stage OSCC. In this study, we investigate the anticancer activity and the mode of action of hellebrigenin in human OSCC. The findings demonstrated that hellebrigenin exerted cytotoxic effects in OSCC cells through cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and downregulation of cell cycle-related proteins (cyclins A2, B1 and D3, Cdc2, CDK4 and CDK6). Moreover, hellebrigenin caused activation of PARP and caspase 3, 8 and 9, followed by downregulation of antiapoptotic proteins (Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL) and upregulation of pro-apoptotic proteins (Bax and Bak). The hellebrigenin treatment also increased Fas, DR5, DcR2 and DcR3 expressions in oral cancer cells, indicating the compound causes oral cancer cell apoptosis through both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. Regarding upstream signalling, hellebrigenin was found to reduce the phosphorylation of ERK, p38, and JNK, indicating that hellebrigenin triggers caspase-mediated apoptosis by downregulating MAPK signalling pathway. Finally, the human apoptosis array findings revealed that hellebrigenin specifically suppressed the expression of XIAP to execute its pro-apoptotic activities. Taken together, the study suggests that hellebrigenin can act as a potent anticancer compound in human OSCC.

Pyrocurzerenone suppresses human oral cancer cell metastasis by inhibiting the expression of ERK1/2 and cathepsin S proteins.

Pyrocurzerenone is a natural compound found in Curcuma zedoaria and Chloranthus serratus. However, the anticancer effect of pyrocurzerenone in oral cancer remains unclear. Using the MTT assay, wound healing assay, transwell assay and western blot analysis, we investigated the impact of pyrocurzerenone on antimetastatic activity, as well as the critical signalling pathways that underlie the processes of oral cancer cell lines SCC-9, SCC-1 and SAS in this work. Our findings suggested that pyrocurzerenone inhibits cell migration and invasion ability in oral cancer cell lines. Furthermore, phosphorylation of ERK1/2 had significant inhibitory effects in SCC-9 and SCC-1 cell lines. Combining ERK1/2 inhibitors with pyrocurzerenone decreased the migration and invasion activity of SCC-9 and SCC-1 cell lines. We also found that the expressed level of cathepsin S decreased under pyrocurzerenone treatment. This study showed that pyrocurzerenone reduced ERK1/2 expression of the proteins and cathepsin S, suggesting that it could be a valuable treatment to inhibit human oral cancer cell metastasis.

Raddeanin A augments the cytotoxicity of natural killer cells against chronic myeloid leukaemia cells by modulating MAPK and Ras/Raf signalling pathways.

Natural killer (NK) cell therapy, a developing approach in cancer immunotherapy, involves isolating NK cells from peripheral blood. However, due to their limited number and activity, it is essential to significantly expand these primary NK cells and enhance their cytotoxicity. In this study, we investigated how Raddeanin A potentiate NK activity using KHYG-1 cells. The results indicated that Raddeanin A increased the expression levels of cytolytic molecules such as perforin, granzymes A and granzymes B, granulysin and FasL in KHYG-1 cells. Raddeanin A treatment increased CREB phosphorylation, p65 phosphorylation, NFAT1 and acetyl-histone H3 expression. Raddeanin A elevated caspase 3 and PARP cleavage, increased t-Bid expression, promoting apoptosis in K562 cells. Furthermore, it reduced the expression of HMGB2, SET and Ape1, impairing the DNA repair process and causing K562 cells to die caspase-independently. Additionally, Raddeanin A increased ERK, p38 and JNK phosphorylation at the molecular level, which increased granzyme B production in KHYG-1 cells. Raddeanin A treatment increased Ras, Raf phosphorylation, MEK phosphorylation, NKG2D, NKp44 and NKp30 expression in KHYG-1 cells. Collectively, our data indicate that Raddeanin A enhances the cytotoxic activity of NK cells against different cancer cells.

A cross-sectional study of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among healthcare workers in a tertiary care hospital in Taiwan: implications for protection against the Omicron variants.

BACKGROUND: Taiwan, deeply impacted by the 2003 SARS outbreak, promptly implemented rigorous infection control and prevention (ICP) measures in January 2020 to combat the global COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional serologic study was conducted among healthcare workers (HCWs) in a tertiary care hospital in Taiwan from August 1, 2022, to February 28, 2023. The study aimed to assess HCWs' antibody responses to COVID-19 vaccination against Omicron subvariants BA.1, BA.4, and BA.5, considering variations in prior infection. Additionally, it evaluated the effectiveness of ICP and vaccination policies within the hospital setting in Taiwan. METHODS: A cross-sectional serology study was conducted in Taiwan to investigate the seroprevalence rates of Omicron subvariants BA.1, BA.4, and BA.5 among HCWs. A total of 777 HCWs participated in this study. A structured questionnaire was collected to obtain the epidemiological characteristics and risk factors for potential exposure. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect antibody responses. Serum samples were selected for protection against Omicron subvariants BA.1, BA.4, and BA.5 by using a pseudotyped-based neutralization assay. RESULTS: More than 99% of the participants had received SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Overall, 57.7% had been infected with SARS-CoV-2, with some being asymptomatic. The SARS-CoV-2 Anti-Spike S1 protein IgG (Anti-S) distribution was 40,000 AU/mL for 20.2% (157/777) of participants, with a mean ± standard deviation of 23,442 ± 22,086. The decay curve for Anti-S was less than 20,000 AU/ml after 120 days. The probability curve of 50% neutralization showed an Anti-S of 55,000 AU/ml. The optimum Anti-S was 41,328 AU/mL (equal to 5,869 WHO's standard BAU/mL), with 86.1% sensitivity and 63.5% specificity. CONCLUSIONS: In this significant study, 20.2% of HCWs achieved seroprotection against Omicron subvariants BA.1, BA.4, and BA.5. Their immunity against Omicron subvariants was further reinforced through recommended vaccinations and the development of natural immunity from SARS-CoV-2 exposure, collectively enhancing their protection against Omicron.

Semilicoisoflavone B induces oral cancer cell apoptosis by targeting claspin and ATR-Chk1 signaling pathways.

The prevalence of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is increasing worldwide mainly due to poor oral hygiene and unrestricted lifestyle. Advanced-stage OSCC is associated with poor prognosis and a 5-year survival rate of only 30%-50%. The present study was designed to investigate the anticancer effect and mode of action of Glycyrrhiza-derived semilicoisoflavone B (SFB) in 5-fluorourasil (5FU)-resistant human OSCC cell lines. The study findings revealed that SFB significantly reduces OSCC cell viability and colony formation ability by arresting cell cycle at the G2/M and S phases and reducing the expressions of key cell cycle regulators including cyclin A, cyclin B, CDC2, and CDK2. The compound caused a significant induction in the percentage of nuclear condensation and apoptotic cells in OSCC. Regarding pro-apoptotic mode of action, SFB was found to increase Fas-associated death domain and death receptor 5 expressions and reduce decoy receptor 2 expression, indicating involvement of extrinsic pathway. Moreover, SFB was found to increase pro-apoptotic Bim expression and reduce anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL expressions, indicating involvement of intrinsic pathway. Moreover, SFB-mediated induction in cleaved caspases 3, 8, and 9 and cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase confirmed the induction of caspase-mediated apoptotic pathways. Regarding upstream signaling pathway, SFB was found to reduce extracellular signal regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK) phosphorylation to execute its pro-apoptotic activity. The Human Apoptotic Array findings revealed that SFB suppresses claspin expression, which in turn caused reduced phosphorylation of ATR, checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1), Wee1, and CDC25C, indicating disruption of ATR-Chk1 signaling pathway by SFB. Taken together, these findings indicate that SFB acts as a potent anticancer compound against 5FU-resistant OSCC by modulating mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and ATR-Chk1 signaling pathways.

The Interaction between CLSPN Gene Polymorphisms and Alcohol Consumption Contributes to Oral Cancer Progression.

Most disease single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are regulatory and approximately half of heritability is occupied by the top 1% of genes, with the gene-level structure varying with the number of variants associated with the most common alleles. Cancer occurrence and progression are significantly affected by Claspin (CLSPN) gene polymorphism present in the population, which alters the expression, function, and regulation of the gene. CLSPN genotypes are associated with oral cancer, but the literature on this association is limited. As a result, the goal of this study is to investigate the correlation between CLSPN genotypes and oral cancers' development. This study will explore the presence of four CLSPN SNPs including rs12058760, rs16822339, rs535638 and rs7520495 gene polymorphisms, and analyze the expression of these genes in 304 cancer-free controls and 402 oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cases. Attempts have been made to obtain insight into the role of CLSPN gene polymorphisms in oral cancer through the analysis of this study. We demonstrated that the OSCC risk of individuals with four CLSPN SNPs relative to the wild type did not differ significantly from that of the wild type when the polymorphisms are analyzed according to individual habits. We further studied the mechanism by which CLSPN polymorphisms affect the progression of clinicopathological features in OSCC patients. The results of the degree of cell differentiation showed that compared with patients of rs7520495 SNP carrying the CC genotype, the incidence of poor cell differentiation in patients carrying the CC + GG genotype was higher (AOR: 1.998-fold; 95% CI, 1.127-3.545; p = 0.018). In particular, patients with the G genotype of rs7520495 had increased poor cell differentiation compared with patients with the C genotype (AOR: 4.736-fold; 95% CI, 1.306-17.178; p = 0.018), especially in the drinking group. On the basis of our analysis of the Cancer Genome Atlas dataset, we found that higher CLSPN levels were associated with poorer cell differentiation in oral cancers. In this study, we provide the first evidence showing that CLSPN SNPs contribute to oral cancer. Whether or not rs7520495 can be used as a confirmatory factor in the future is uncertain, but it seems likely that it can be used as an important factor in predicting recurrence, response to treatment and medication toxicity to patients with oral cancer.

Epiberberine suppresses the metastasis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells by regulating the MMP-13 and JNK pathway.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common histological types of head and neck cancer. Epiberberine is a potent antitumour agent for several types of cancer. This study is aimed at investigating the regulatory and molecular mechanism of epiberberine on HNSSC cell metastasis. The results showed that epiberberine inhibited the motility of Ca9-22 and FaDu cell lines at nontoxicity doses. Moreover, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins, vimentin, snail and slug, were found suppressing after epiberberine treatments. In addition, the JNK signalling cascade and the metalloproteinase 13 (MMP-13) expression were also found downregulated by epiberberine. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that epiberberine suppresses cell migration and invasion by regulating the JNK pathway and MMP-13. These results suggest that epiberberine could be a potential antimetastatic agent in HNSCC cells.

Hispolon induces apoptosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma cells through JNK/HO-1 pathway activation.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has a high recurrence rate and poor prognosis. Hispolon, a polyphenolic compound with antiviral, antioxidant, and anticancer activities, is a potential chemotherapy agent. However, few studies have investigated the anti-cancer mechanism of hispolon in oral cancer. This present study used the cell viability assay, clonogenic assay, fluorescent nuclear staining, and flow cytometry assay to analyse the apoptosis-inducing effects of hispolon in OSCC cells. After hispolon treatment, the apoptotic initiators, cleaved caspase-3, -8, and - 9, were upregulated, whereas the cellular inhibitor of apoptosis protein-1 (cIAP1) was downregulated. Furthermore, a proteome profile analysis using a human apoptosis array revealed the overexpression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) by hispolon, which was determined to be involved in caspase-dependent apoptosis. Moreover, cotreatment with hispolon and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitors revealed that hispolon induces apoptosis in OSCC cells through activation of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway and not the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) or p38 pathway. These findings indicate that hispolon may exert an anticancer effect on oral cancer cells by upregulating HO-1 and inducing caspase-dependent apoptosis by activating the JNK pathway.

FAM13A polymorphisms are associated with a specific susceptibility to clinical progression of oral cancer in alcohol drinkers.

BACKGROUND: Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) is a genetic variation that occurs when a single nucleotide base in the DNA sequence varies between individuals and is present in at least 1% of the population. Genetic variants in FAM13A are associated with different types of chronic respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis (CF), and lung cancer. However, there is little literature on the association of FAM13A genotypes with oral cancer. Therefore, this project will explore the correlation between the FAM13A genotype and the formation of oral cancer. METHODS: In this project, we will examine the presence of gene polymorphisms gene polymorphisms of rs1059122, rs3017895, rs3756050, and rs7657817 in the FAM13A gene exon, and combine the expression of these genes to try to clarify the impact of the FAM13A gene polymorphism on oral cancer. First, four loci (rs1059122, rs3017895, rs3756050, and rs7657817) of the FAM13A SNP were genotyped using TaqMan allelic discrimination. RESULTS: By estimating OR and AOR, FAM13A exhibited different genotypic variables in four SNPs that were not statistically significant between controls and patients with oral cancer. The results of the general analysis showed that different distributions of allelic types did not affect clinical stage, tumour size, lymph node invasion, distant metastasis, and pathological differentiation status. However, in the alcohol drinking group specifically, patients with the rs3017895 SNP G genotype had a 3.17-fold (95% CI, 1.102-9.116; p = 0.032) increase in the well differentiated state of cells compared to patients with the A allele. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that the SNP rs3017895 FAM13A could contribute to oral cancer. More sample studies are needed in the future to confirm our results and more functional studies are needed to investigate their relevant roles in the development of oral cancer.

Limocitrin increases cytotoxicity of KHYG-1 cells against K562 cells by modulating MAPK pathway.

Natural killer (NK) cells are gaining popularity in the field of cancer immunotherapy. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of a natural flavonol compound limocitrin in increasing cytotoxicity of a permanent NK leukemia cell line KHYG-1 against an aggressive leukemia cell line K562. The findings revealed that limocitrin increased the expressions of cytolytic molecules perforin, granzymes A and B, and granulysin in KHYG-1 cells by inducing phosphorylation of transcription factor CREB, leading to increased lysis of K562 cells. Mechanistically, limocitrin was found to increase the expressions of t-Bid, cleaved caspase 3, and cleaved PARP to induce K562 cell apoptosis. Moreover, limocitrin reduced the expressions of SET and Ape1 to inhibit DNA repair mechanism, leading to caspase-independent K562 cell death. At the molecular level, limocitrin was found to increase the phosphorylation of ERK, p38, and JNK to increase granzyme B expression in KHYG-1 cells. Taken together, the study indicates that limocitrin increases cytotoxicity of NK cells against a range of cancer cells.

Semilicoisoflavone B Induces Apoptosis of Oral Cancer Cells by Inducing ROS Production and Downregulating MAPK and Ras/Raf/MEK Signaling.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the sixth most common type of cancer worldwide. Despite advancement in treatment, advanced-stage OSCC is associated with poor prognosis and high mortality. The present study aimed to investigate the anticancer activities of semilicoisoflavone B (SFB), which is a natural phenolic compound isolated from Glycyrrhiza species. The results revealed that SFB reduces OSCC cell viability by targeting cell cycle and apoptosis. The compound caused cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and downregulated the expressions of cell cycle regulators including cyclin A and cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 2, 6, and 4. Moreover, SFB induced apoptosis by activating poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) and caspases 3, 8, and 9. It increased the expressions of pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and Bak, reduced the expressions of anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, and increased the expressions of the death receptor pathway protein Fas cell surface death receptor (FAS), Fas-associated death domain protein (FADD), and TNFR1-associated death domain protein (TRADD). SFB was found to mediate oral cancer cell apoptosis by increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. The treatment of the cells with N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) caused a reduction in pro-apoptotic potential of SFB. Regarding upstream signaling, SFB reduced the phosphorylation of AKT, ERK1/2, p38, and JNK1/2 and suppressed the activation of Ras, Raf, and MEK. The human apoptosis array conducted in the study identified that SFB downregulated survivin expression to induce oral cancer cell apoptosis. Taken together, the study identifies SFB as a potent anticancer agent that might be used clinically to manage human OSCC.

7-Epitaxol induces apoptosis in cisplatin-resistant head and neck squamous cell carcinoma via suppression of AKT and MAPK signalling.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide. Although cisplatin-based chemotherapy is commonly used in HNSCC, frequent development of cisplatin resistance is a potential cause of poor HNSCC prognosis. In the present study, we investigated the anticancer efficacy of a major paclitaxel metabolite namely 7-Epitaxol in cisplatin-resistant HNSCC. The findings revealed that 7-Epitaxol exerts cytotoxic effects in cisplatin-resistant HNSCC cell lines by inducing cell cycle arrest and intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways. Specifically, 7-Epitaxol increased Fas, TNF-R1, DR5, DcR3 and DcR2 expressions, reduced Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL (anti-apoptotic proteins) expressions, and increased Bid and Bim L/S (pre-apoptotic proteins) expressions, leading to activation of caspase-mediated cancer cell apoptosis. At the upstream cell signalling level, 7-Epitaxol reduced the phosphorylation of AKT, ERK1/2 and p38 to trigger apoptosis. In vivo results showed that animals treated with 7-Epitaxol show antitumor growth compared to control animals. Taken together, the study demonstrates the potential anticancer efficacy of 7-Epitaxol in inducing apoptosis of cisplatin-resistant HNSCC cells through the suppression of AKT and MAPK signalling pathways.

Role of TNFSF15 variants in oral cancer development and clinicopathologic characteristics.

Tumour necrosis family superfamily (TNFSF) member 15 (TNFSF15), encoded by TNFSF15, regulates immune responses and inflammation. However, the roles of TNFSF15 single-nucleotide variants (SNVs; formerly SNPs) in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) remain unclear. This case-control study included 2523 participants (1324 patients with OCSCC [52.5%] and 1199 healthy controls [47.5%]). The effects of TNFSF15 rs3810936, rs6478108 and rs6478109 on cancer development and prognosis were analysed by real-time PCR genotype assay. The Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases were used to validate our findings. The results demonstrated that the patients with altered TNFSF15 SNVs had poorer histological differentiation than did those with wild-type alleles. TNFSF15 SNVs were significantly associated with moderate-to-poor histological differentiation in univariate logistic regression. In the GTEx database, the expression of altered TNFSF15 SNVs in whole blood was lower than that of wild-type alleles. However, the expression of altered SNVs in the upper aerodigestive mucosa was higher than that of wild-type alleles. In the TCGA database, the patients with higher TNFSF15 expression had shorter overall survival than did those with lower TNFSF15 expression, especially for human papillomavirus-negative and advanced staging groups. In conclusion, although TNFSF15 SNVs did not affect OCSCC development, the patients with altered TNFSF15 SNVs exhibited poorer histological differentiation. The patients with higher TNFSF15 expression had poorer prognosis than did those with lower TNFSF15 expression.

Rising incidence of HPV positive oropharyngeal cancer in Taiwan between 1999 and 2014 where betel nut chewing is common.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of human papillomavirus (HPV) positive oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) is rising but HPV negative OPC is decreasing in Western countries. In Taiwan, the incidence of HPV negative OPC is common but the incidence of HPV positive OPC remains unknown. The objective of this study is to estimate the incidence trend and the survival of HPV positive OPC in Taiwan. METHODS: Between 1999 and 2014, primary tumor tissues from 425 incident OPCs were obtained from 5 medical centers in Taiwan. 408 OPCs were evaluated by the EasyChip HPV genotyping (King-Car, I-Lan, Taiwan) and 369 OPCs by p16 staining. The clinical data were retrospectively obtained from the medical records. RESULTS: In our study, 29% of OPCs were HPV positive. The percentage of HPV positive OPC was stable from 1999 to 2014 (25% (1999-2002), 30% (2003-2006), 30% (2007-2010), 29% (2011-2014)). The estimated crude incidence rate of HPV positive OPC increased significantly from 0.62 (1999-2002), 1.06 (2003-2006), 1.52 (2007-2010) to 1.74 (2011-2014) per 100,000 person-year. The sensitivity and specificity of p16 staining for positive HPV infection were 92% and 91%, respectively. The 5-year overall survival rates for patients with HPV positive OPC and with HPV negative OPC were 67.8% and 49.0%, respectively (HR = 0.52 (0.35-0.76), p = 0.0005). Patients with HPV positive OPC but no betel nut/cigarette exposure had the best overall survival (5-year: 88.2%, p < 0.0001). Patients with HPV negative OPC and betel nut/cigarette exposure had the worst overall survival (5-year: 46.6%, p < 0.0001). Patients with HPV positive OPC but also with betel nut/cigarette exposure had poorer 5-year overall survival (48.3%, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The incidence of HPV positive OPC is increasing along with HPV negative OPC, which leads to stably low percentage of HPV positive OPC in Taiwan. HPV positive OPC may become an important head and neck cancer when the incidence of HPV negative OPC declines in the near future. P16 is a useful surrogate marker for HPV infection in OPC and a good prognostic indicator for treatment outcome of OPC. Patients with HPV positive OPC but no betel nut/cigarette exposure has an excellent prognosis. Betel nut/cigarette exposure significantly worsens the prognosis of HPV positive OPC.

Xanthohumol targets the JNK1/2 signaling pathway in apoptosis of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is one of the most aggressive malignant tumors of the head and neck. Xanthohumol (Xn) is a compound extracted in a high concentration from the hard resin of hops (Humulus lupulus L.), the basic raw material of beer. This study investigated the apoptotic effect and anticancer properties of Xn in human NPC cell lines. Our study demonstrated that at the concentration 40 µM, Xn significantly reduced cell viability and promoted cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase in two cell lines. The results indicated that Xn induced apoptosis in NPC cell lines through annexin V/propidium iodide staining, chromatin condensation, and apoptosis-related pathways. Xn upregulated the expression of apoptosis-related proteins, namely DR5, cleaved RIP, caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9, PARP, Bim, and Bak, and it downregulated the expression of Bcl-2. Xn upregulated the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and the inhibition of JNK clearly resulted in decreasing expression of Xn-activated cleaved caspase-3 and PARP. Our research provides sufficient evidence to confirm that Xn induces the MAPK JNK pathway to promote apoptosis of NPC and is expected to become a safe and acceptable treatment option for human NPC.

Picrasidine I Triggers Heme Oxygenase-1-Induced Apoptosis in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cells via ERK and Akt Signaling Pathways.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has a higher incidence in Taiwan than worldwide. Although it is a radiosensitive malignancy, cancer recurrence is still high in the advanced stages because of its ability to induce lymph node metastasis. Picrasidine I from Picrasma quassioides has been reported as a potential drug for targeting multiple signaling pathways. The present study aimed to explore the role of picrasidine I in the apoptosis of NPC cells. Our results show that picrasidine I induced cytotoxic effects in NPC cells and caused cell cycle arrest in the sub-G1, S, and G2/M phases. Western blot analysis further demonstrated that the modulation of apoptosis through the extrinsic and intrinsic pathways was involved in picrasidine I-induced cell death. Downregulation of the ERK1/2 and Akt signaling pathways was also found in picrasidine I-induced apoptosis. Additionally, the apoptosis array showed that picrasidine I significantly increased heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression, which could act as a critical molecule in picrasidine I-induced apoptosis in NPC cells. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets also revealed that the HMOX1 mRNA level (HO-1) is lower in patients with head and neck squamous carcinoma (HNSCC) and NPC than in patients without cancer. Our study indicated that picrasidine I exerts anticancer effects in NPC by modulating HO-1 via the ERK and Akt signaling pathways.

Shuterin Enhances the Cytotoxicity of the Natural Killer Leukemia Cell Line KHYG-1 by Increasing the Expression Levels of Granzyme B and IFN-γ through the MAPK and Ras/Raf Signaling Pathways.

Natural killer (NK) cell therapy is an emerging tool for cancer immunotherapy. NK cells are isolated from peripheral blood, and their number and activity are limited. Therefore, primary NK cells should be expanded substantially, and their proliferation and cytotoxicity must be enhanced. Shuterin is a phytochemical isolated from Ficus thonningii. In this study, we explored the possible capacity of shuterin to enhance the proliferation and activity of KHYG-1 cells (an NK leukemia cell line). Shuterin enhanced the proliferation of KHYG-1 cells and their cytotoxicity to K562 cells. Moreover, this phytochemical induced the expression of granzyme B by promoting the phosphorylated cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element-binding protein (CREB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways. Furthermore, the secretion of interferon (IFN)-γ increased with increasing levels of shuterin in KHYG-1 cells and NK cells obtained from adults with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Shuterin appeared to induce IFN-γ secretion by increasing the expression of lectin-like transcript 1 and the phosphorylation of proteins involved in the Ras/Raf pathway. Thus, shuterin represents a promising agent for promoting the proliferation and cytotoxicity of NK cells.

Impact of illness perception, mental adjustment, and sociodemographic characteristics on return to work in patients with head and neck cancer.

PURPOSE: To examine the effects of emotional distress, illness perception, and mental adjustment on return to work (RTW) among patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) and identify factors associated with RTW. METHODS: A cross-sectional study with convenience sampling was conducted in Taiwan. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data on RTW status and to explore possible factors related to RTW. RTW status was assessed by a single question. Anxiety and depression were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, illness perception was assessed by the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, and mental adjustment was assessed using the Mini-mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale. Sociodemographic and disease background data were also collected and analyzed. Factors related to RTW were identified by multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 150 patients with HNC were recruited into the study. Of them, 58 (38.7%) returned to work after treatment. Compared to those who did not RTW, patients who did RTW had lower levels of emotional distress (anxiety and depression), better illness perception (cognitive illness representations and illness comprehensibility), and better mental adjustment (hopelessness and helplessness, anxious preoccupation, avoidance, and fatalism). Multivariable analysis indicated that anxiety (OR = 0.863, p < 0.05), avoidance (OR = 1.280, p < 0.001), cognitive illness representations (OR = 0.891, p < 0.01), illness comprehensibility (OR = 1.271, p < 0.05), higher education level (OR = 3.048-3.609, p < 0.05), married status (OR = 5.220, p < 0.05), tumor site in oral cavity (OR = 5.057, p < 0.05), and no reconstruction (OR = 3.415, p < 0.05) were significantly associated with RTW. CONCLUSION: The issue of RTW among patients with HNC is related to multidimensional factors, including sociodemographic, psychological, and disease-related situations. We suggest that programs for emotional rehabilitation and occupational counseling need to be developed to assist patients with HNC to RTW at an early stage.

Luteolin-7-O-glucoside inhibits cell proliferation and modulates apoptosis through the AKT signaling pathway in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an unnoticeable malignant tumor with a high potential of lymphatic metastasis, and its prevalence is high in Asia. Ionizing radiation is the mainstay of treatment for patients with NPC without metastasis. However, patients with metastatic lesions require advanced treatments such as chemotherapy. The present study investigated the apoptotic effect of luteolin-7-O-glucoside on NPC cells and elucidated its underlying signaling mechanisms. The results revealed that luteolin-7-O-glucoside significantly reduced the proliferation of NPC cell lines (NPC-039 and NPC-BM). Flow cytometry and morphological analysis results demonstrated that luteolin-7-O-glucoside treatment induced S and G2 /M cell cycle arrest, chromatin condensation, and apoptosis. In addition, mitochondrial membrane potential was observed to be depolarized with an increasing concentration of luteolin-7-O-glucoside. Proteins involved in the extrinsic and intrinsic pathways of apoptosis, such as death receptor, caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9, and Bcl-2 family proteins (Bax, t-Bid, Bcl-2, and Bcl-xL), were downregulated and upregulated after treatment with luteolin-7-O-glucoside, respectively. Moreover, the addition of a PI3K/AKT inhibitor enhanced the activation of poly-ADP-ribose-polymerase (PARP) and attenuated cell viability, indicating that luteolin-7-O-glucoside induced apoptosis in NPC cells through the AKT signaling pathway. These results indicated that the apoptosis of NPC cells modulated by luteolin-7-O-glucoside may be preceded by mitochondrial depolarization, cell cycle arrest, extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis pathway activation, and AKT signaling modulation. Thus, luteolin-7-O-glucoside can be a promising anticancer agent against human NPC.

Dehydrocrenatidine inhibits head and neck cancer cells invasion and migration by modulating JNK1/2 and ERK1/2 pathway and decreases MMP-2 expression.

Head and neck cancer is associated with poor prognosis because of its highly metastatic nature. For the better management of head and neck cancer patients, it is very important to diagnose the cancer at an early stage, as well as to prevent the rapid spread of cancer either through direct invasion or lymphatic metastasis. In present study, the effect of dehydrocrenatidine, which is a beta-carboline alkaloid found in the medicinal plant Picrasma quassioides, on human head and neck cancer metastasis was investigated. The study results revealed the treatment of FaDu, SCC9, and SCC47 cells with 5, 10, and 20 µM of dehydrocrenatidine significantly decreased the motility, migration, and invasion of head and neck cancer cells. Moreover, the dehydrocrenatidine treatment significantly decreased the expression of MMP-2 and phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and JNK1/2. Additional experiments revealed that the cotreatment of dehydrocrenatidine with either ERK1/2 or JNK1/2 inhibitor caused further reduction in cancer cell motility and migration compared to that in dehydrocrenatidine treatment alone. Moreover, similar trend was observed in case of ERK1/2 and JNK1/2 phosphorylation and MMP-2 expression after the cotreatment. Taken together, the mechanism by which dehydrocrenatidine can decrease the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and JNK1/2, follow decrease the expression of MMP-2 and inhibits head and neck cancer cells invasion and migration. This present study identifies dehydrocrenatidine as a potent antimetastatic agent that can be used clinically to improve head and neck cancer prognosis.