Decoding potential targets and pharmacologic mechanisms of curcumin in treating non-small cell lung carcinoma via bioinformatics and molecular docking

Emerging evidence demonstrates that curcumin has an inhibitory effect on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and its targets and mechanism of action need further exploration. The goal of this study was to explore the potential targets and mechanism of curcumin against NSCLC by network pharmacology, bioinformatics, and experimental validation, thereby providing more insight into combination treatment with curcumin for NSCLC in preclinical and clinical research. Curcumin targets against NSCLC were predicted based on HIT2.0, STD, CTD, and DisGeNET, and the core targets were analyzed via protein-protein interaction network construction (PPI), Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and molecular docking. The gene expression levels of samples in A549 cells, NCI-H460, and curcumin treated groups were detected by real-time quantitative PCR. A total of 67 common targets between curcumin and NSCLC were collected by screening public databases. GO and KEGG analysis suggested that curcumin treatment of NSCLC mainly involves cancer-related pathways, such as PI3K-AKT signaling pathway, Foxo signaling pathway, microRNAs, MAPK signaling pathway, HIF-1 signaling pathway, etc. The targets with the highest degree were identified through the PPI network, namely CASP3, CTNNB1, JUN, IL6, MAPK3, HIF1A, STAT3, AKT1, TP53, CCND1, VEGFA, and EGFR. The results of the in vitro experiments showed that curcumin treatment of NSCLC down-regulated the gene expressions of CCND1, CASP3, HIF1A, IL-6, MAPK3, STAT3, AKT1, and TP53. Our findings revealed that curcumin functions as a potential therapeutic candidate for NSCLC by suppressing multiple signaling pathways and interacting with multiple gene targets.

Clinical Characteristics of Stasis-Toxin Pathogenesis in Patients with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer of Blood Stasis and Qi Stagnation Syndrome and the Interventional Mechanism of Adjuvant Therapy with Bufei Huayu Decoction / 广州中医药大学学报

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics of stasis-toxin pathogenesis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)of blood stasis and qi stagnation type,and to explore the interventional mechanism of adjuvant therapy with Bufei Huayu Decoction.Methods Seventy-eight patients with NSCLC of blood stasis and qi stagnation type admitted to the Department of Respiratory Medicine of Liu'an Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2021 to September 2022 were selected as the NSCLC group,and 71 volunteers who underwent physical examination during the same period served as the healthy control group.The clinical characteristics of stasis-toxin pathogenesis in the NSCLC group were observed,and the differences in the indicators of coagulation function were compared between NSCLC group and the healthy control group.According to the therapy,the NSCLC patients were divided into Bufei Huayu Decoction group(40 cases)and conventional treatment group(38 cases).The conventional treatment group was treated with conventional chemotherapy,while Bufei Huayu Decoction group was treated with Bufei Huayu Decoction together with conventional chemotherapy.Three weeks constituted one course of treatment,and the treatment lasted for 2 courses.The changes of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome scores,Karnofsky Performance Status(KPS)score,coagulation function,immune function,serum nitric oxide(NO),vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)level in Bufei Huayu Decoction group and conventional treatment group were observed before and after treatment.Moreover,the clinical efficacy of the two groups and the occurrence of adverse reactions were compared during the treatment period.Results(1)NSCLC patients were classified into the clinical stages Ⅲ and Ⅳ and the pathological types of squamous carcinoma and adenocarcinoma,had the high proportion of KPS scores lower than 70,and were scored with high TCM syndrome scores,suggesting that the illness condition of patients with NSCLC was serious.Compared with the healthy control group,plasminogen time(PT)and thrombin time(TT)in NSCLC patients were significantly shortened,and levels of fibrinogen(FIB)and D-dimer(D-D)were significantly increased,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.01).(2)After 6 weeks of treatment,the total effective rate and total stability rate of Bufei Huayu Decoction group were 32.50%(13/40)and 85.00%(34/40),which were significantly superior to those of the conventional treatment group[versus 13.16%(5/38)and 60.53%(23/38)],and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).(3)After 3 weeks of treatment,obvious improvement was presented in the scores of all the TCM symptoms of fatigue,chest distress and shortness of breath,stabbing pain in the chest,and blood stasis in the vessels and collaterals of Bufei Huayu Decoction group and in the scores of the fatigue,chest distress and shortness of breath of the conventional treatment group when compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05).After 6 weeks of treatment,all of the TCM syndrome scores of the two groups were improved compared with those before treatment and after three weeks of treatment(P＜0.05).The intergroup comparison showed that except for the scores of chest distress and shortness of breath after 3 weeks of treatment,the effect on improving all of the TCM syndrome scores in Bufei Huayu Decoction group was significantly superior to that in the conventional treatment group after 3 and 6 weeks of treatment(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).(4)After 6 weeks of treatment,the levels of coagulation function indicators of PT,TT,FIB and D-D in the Bufei Huayu Decoction group were significantly improved compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),while only FIB and D-D in the conventional treatment group were improved compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05).The intergroup comparison showed that Bufei Huayu Decoction group had stronger effect on improving the levels of PT,FIB and D-D than the conventional treatment group(P＜0.05).(5)After 6 weeks of treatment,the serum NO and VEGF levels in both groups were significantly lower than those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the effect on lowering serum NO and VEGF levels of the Bufei Huayu Decoction group was significantly superior to that of the conventional treatment group(P＜0.01).(6)After 6 weeks of treatment,the immune function parameters of CD3+,CD4+ levels and CD4+/CD8+ ratio in the Bufei Huayu Decoction group were increased(P＜0.05)and CD8+level was decreased(P＜0.05)as compared with those before treatment,whereas CD3+,CD4+ levels and CD4+/CD8+ ratio in the conventional treatment group were decreased(P＜0.05)and CD8+ level was increased(P＜0.05).The intergroup comparison showed that the effect of Bufei Huayu Decoction group on the increase of CD3+,CD4+ levels and CD4+/CD8+ ratio and the effect on the decrease of CD8+ level were significantly superior to those of the conventional treatment group(P＜0.01).(7)In terms of the quality of life,the KPS scores of patients in the two groups after 6 weeks of treatment were significantly higher than those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the effect of Bufei Huayu Decoction group on the increase of KPS scores was significantly superior to that of the conventional treatment group(P＜0.01).(8)During the course of treatment,the incidence of adverse reactions such as gastrointestinal reactions and alopecia in the two groups was not statistically significant(P＞0.05),while the incidence of hepatic and renal impairment,bone marrow suppression,and toxicity of oral mucosa in Bufei Huayu Decoction group was significantly lower than that of the conventional treatment group(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01),suggesting that Bufei Huayu Decoction group reduced the adverse reactions induced by chemotherapy to a certain extent.Conclusion Patients with NSCLC of blood stasis and qi stagnation type generally have advanced disease progression and high blood coagulation,which is consistent with the stasis-toxin pathogenesis in TCM.The use of Bufei Huayu Decoction against the stasis-toxin pathogenesis can significantly improve patients'TCM syndrome scores and coagulation function,down-regulate the levels of serum NO and VEGF,and improve the immune function,which brings about the enhancement of clinical efficacy and quality of life,and the reduction of adverse reactions caused by chemotherapy,with a high safety.

Clinical significance of detection of EGFR mutation in alveolar lavage fluid exosome of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer / 实用医学杂志

Objective To compare and analyze the gene mutation of EGFR of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)exosome,serum and lung cancer tissue specimens of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)and assess whether the BALF exosome specimens are suitable for screening before clinical targeted therapy,to provide new ideas and screening methods for early individualized treatment of advanced NSCLC patients.Methods BALF exosomes,serum and lung cancer tissue specimens EGFR gene mutations of 78 cases with advanced NSCLC were detected by using amplification refractory mutation system(ARMS)method in Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine in our hospital from May 2021 to May 2023,and the results were retrospec-tively analyzed.A comparative analysis of the specimens was conducted using lung cancer tissue specimens as bench-marks.Results A total of 33,25 and 38 cases of EGFR gene mutation and 42,53 and 40 cases of EGFR wild type were detected in BALF exosomes,serum and lung cancer tissues specimens respectively.The mutation rate of EGFR gene was 42.3%(33/78,32.1%(25/78)and 48.7%(38/78)in BALF exosomes,serum and lung cancer tissues specimens respectively.EGFR detection showed no results in 3 cases and the false-negative rate was 6.4%(5/78)in BALF specimen,and false-negative rate was 16.7%(13/78)in serum.The detection coincidence rate of EGFR mutation was 86.8%(33/38)in BALF exosomes specimen,and 65.8%(25/38)in serum.Conclusions EGFR gene mutation rate in BALF exosome specimen is consistent with that in serum and lung cancer tissue samples,showing no statistical significance(P>0.05).It is superior to serum specimen and suitable for patient screening before targeted therapy and provides new ideas and screening methods for early individualized treatment decisions of advanced NSCLC patients.

Interaction Between Bruceoside B and Intestinal Flora and Its Inhibitory Effect on Human Lung Cancer A549 Cells / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the interaction between bruceoside B and gut microbiota and the inhibitory activity of its metabolites on human lung cancer A549 cells， and to explore the value of bruceoside B in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer（NSCLC）. MethodBruceoside B was co-incubated with the human gut microbiota under anoxic conditions in vitro， and ultra high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS） was used to analyze the metabolic transformation products. Cell counting kit-8（CCK-8） assay was performed to determine the effects of bruceoside B and its metabolites on the proliferation of human lung cancer A549 cells and the half inhibitory concentration（IC50） was calculated. Five healthy male rats were gavaged with bruceoside B（2 mg·kg-1） for 7 days after adaptive feeding. The feces of rats were collected before and after administration. 16S rRNA sequencing was used to assess gut microbiota. ResultBruceoside B was mainly metabolized to brusatol by human gut microbiota， the IC50 of bruceoside B and the conversion product to A549 cells were 1 755.50， 19.57 μmol·L-1， respectively， and the conversion product had a better activity at inhibiting A549 cells proliferation than bruceoside B. Additionally， The results of intestinal flora analysis showed no significant differences in α diversity and β diversity of gut microbiota after administration. In terms of species abundance， at the phylum level， bruceoside B decreased the relative abundance of Actinobacteriota and Proteobacteria， increased the relative abundance of Firmicutes， Patescibacteria and Cyanobacteria. At the genus level， bruceoside B decreased the relative abundance of Staphylococcus， Aerococcus and Psychrobacter， increased the relative abundance of Romboutsia， Lactobacillus， Clostridium sensu stricto 1， Norank-f-norank-o-Clostridia-UCG-014， Turicibacter， Allobaculum and Candidatus Saccharimonas. The results of functional prediction showed that the gut microbiota functional compositions were relatively stable. ConclusionBruceoside B can be deglycosylated by intestinal flora and converted into brusatol， with a significant increase in antitumor activity. The administration of bruceoside B will not cause significant changes in the structure and function of the intestinal flora， resulting in intestinal microecological balance disorders， and the administration appears to be beneficial to the intestinal flora of NSCLC patients.

Extracellular matrix stiffness induces CCL5 synthesis to enhance immunotherapy response in non-small cell lung cancer / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

【Objective】 To investigate the mechanism of C-C motif chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5) modulation by extracellular matrix stiffness in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to determine the effect of CCL5 on the immunotherapy response of NSCLC. 【Methods】 The correlation between extracellular matrix stiffness and CCL5 expression in NSCLC was analyzed with the TCGA database. Polyacrylamide hydrogels with different stiffness were designed according to the extracellular matrix stiffness of NSCLC, and H1299 cells responding to the mechanical loading of hydrogel matrix stiffness were subjected to transcriptome sequencing. High matrix stiffness was verified to promote the expression of CCL5 by using sequence. 【Results】 High extracellular matrix stiffness upregulated CCL5 expression, and interferon-γ mediated signaling pathway might be involved in the process. NSCLC patients with high CCL5 expression had a greater abundance of cytotoxic T-cells in tumor tissue and reacted favorably to anti-programmed cell death protein 1 treatment. 【Conclusion】 Increased extracellular matrix stiffness promotes CCL5 synthesis, and CCL5 enhances immunotherapy responsiveness in NSCLC by increasing cytotoxic T cell infiltration in tumor tissue.

Research progress and potential medical applications of anaplastic lymphoma kinase in treatment of non-small cell lung cancer / 中国药理学通报

During the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer ( NSCLC) , many patients have developed drug resistance due to the use of targeted EGFR inhibitors. The main reasons for drug resistance are EGFR site mutations and bypass activation. Activation of ALK pathway is one of the major types of bypass activation. A recent authoritative study indicates that ALK is closely related to immunotherapy. This article reviews the treatment of ALK in tumors from three aspects: the structure and physiological function of ALK, the small molecule inhibitor of ALK, the biological function of ALK and its related treatment methods for NSCLC, and prospects future directions for better application of ALK in the treatment of NSCLC.

Progress of Microsatellite (GT/CA)n Repeat Polymorphisms in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer / 肿瘤防治研究

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most important histological type of lung cancer. This disease affects a large number of patients, and the prognosis of advanced patients is poor. Although great progress has been achieved for existing treatment methods, challenges still exist. Cancer is a genetic disease, and its occurrence is accompanied by substantial genomic-sequence instability. (GT/CA)n repeat sequence is a common microsatellite sequence serving as transcriptional function-related regions, DNA-methylation modification sites, and other functional sites. Its polymorphism is closely related to the expression of EGFR, HO-1, and HIF-1α in NSCLC patients. (GT/CA)n repeat sequence is the breakthrough point to explore the molecular mechanism of NSCLC occurrence and development, develop molecular markers for diagnosis and prognosis and epigenetics research. This paper summarizes the studies on (GT/CA)n repeat polymorphisms in NSCLC with the aim of providing references for relevant NSCLC research.

Tumor-targeted metabolic inhibitor prodrug labelled with cyanine dyes enhances immunoprevention of lung cancer

Recent progress in targeted metabolic therapy of cancer has been limited by the considerable toxicity associated with such drugs. To address this challenge, we developed a smart theranostic prodrug system that combines a fluorophore and an anticancer drug, specifically 6-diazo-5-oxo-l-norleucine (DON), using a thioketal linkage (TK). This system enables imaging, chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy, and on-demand drug release upon radiation exposure. The optimized prodrug, DON-TK-BM3, incorporating cyanine dyes as the fluorophore, displayed potent reactive oxygen species release and efficient tumor cell killing. Unlike the parent drug DON, DON-TK-BM3 exhibited no toxicity toward normal cells. Moreover, DON-TK-BM3 demonstrated high tumor accumulation and reduced side effects, including gastrointestinal toxicity, in mice. This study provides a practical strategy for designing prodrugs of metabolic inhibitors with significant toxicity stemming from their lack of tissue selectivity.

Research Progress of Osimertinib Supported by Nanodrug Delivery System Against Non-small Cell Lung Cancer / 肿瘤防治研究

Osimertinib is an irreversible third representative epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with T790M resistance and classical EGFR mutations. However, the therapeutic effectiveness of osimertinib is limited by acquired drug-resistance, poor water solubility and low tumor accumulation rates. Nanodrug delivery systems can increase the solubility and stability of drugs, prolong the blood circulation time of drugs, improve the uptake rate of cells, promote drug accumulation in tumor tissues, and improve drug resistance. Thus, they are effective in overcoming the limitations of traditional targeted drugs. In this study, we reviewed the mechanism of action of the third-generation EGFR-TKI osimertinib, focused on research advances in osimertinib nanodrug delivery systems against NSCLC, and explored the challenges and future development direction in this field.

Prognostic nomogram based on pre-treatment HALP score for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Abstract Background To explore the correlation of pre-treatment Hemoglobin-Albumin-Lymphocyte-Platelet (HALP) score with the prognosis of patients with advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) undergoing first-line conventional platinum-based chemotherapy. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, 203 patients with advanced NSCLC were recruited from January 2017 to December 2021. The cut-off value for the HALP score was determined by Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The baseline characteristics and blood parameters were recorded, and the Log-rank test and Kaplan-Meier curves were applied for the survival analysis. In the univariate and multivariate analyses, the Cox regression analysis was carried out. The predictive accuracy and discriminative ability of the nomogram were determined by the Concordance index (C-index) and calibration curve and compared with a single HALP score by ROC curve analysis. Results The optimal cut-off value for the HALP score was 28.02. The lower HALP score was closely associated with poorer Progression-Free Survival (PFS) and Overall Survival (OS). The male gender and other pathological types were associated with shorter OS. Disease progression and low HALP were correlated with shorter OS and PFS. In addition, nomograms were established based on HALP scores, gender, pathology type and efficacy rating, and used to predict OS. The C-index for OS prediction was 0.7036 (95% CI 0.643 to 0.7643), which was significantly higher than the C-index of HALP at 6-, 12-, and 24-months. Conclusion The HALP score is associated with the prognosis of advanced NSCLC patients receiving conventional platinum-based chemotherapy, and the nomogram established based on the HALP score has a better predictive capability for OS.

Toxicidad pulmonar por pembrolizumab / Pulmonary Toxicity of Pembrolizumab

Se presenta el caso de un paciente con diagnóstico de adenocarcinoma de pulmón metastásico que, luego de realizar cinco meses de tratamiento con pembrolizumab, presentó neumonitis grado 2, interpretada como toxicidad por pembrolizumab con buena respuesta y resolución de los infiltrados con la suspensión del inmunomodulador y la administración de corticoides(AU)

We present the case of a patient diagnosed with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma who, after five months of treatment with pembrolizumab, presented grade 2 pneumonitis, interpreted as pembrolizumab toxicity, with a good response and resolution of the infiltrates with the suspension of the immunomodulator and the administration of corticosteroids(AU)

The prognostic value of decrease in prognostic nutritional index in stage III non-small cell lung cancer patients during curative thoracic radiotherapy

Background: Curative thoracic radiotherapy (CTRT) with concurrent chemotherapy has been considered as standard treatment approach for stage-III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The hematological and esophageal toxicities that have been encountered during CTRT would affect the immunonutritional status of the patients. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prognostic value of the change in pre- and post-treatment prognostic nutritional index (PNI) in stage-III NSCLC patients. Methods: Eighty seven consecutive stage III NSCLC patients� data were collected. Pre-radiotherapy (RT) and post-RT PNI values were calculated and the impact of prognostic value of PNI change on overall survival (OS) was evaluated by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. A cutoff value of PNI change was obtained by receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: The cutoff value was found to be a 22% decrease in PNI by ROC curve analysis in terms of effect on OS. The median OS of low and high PNI decrease groups were 22.5 and 16.5 months respectively (P = 0,001). In univariate and multivariate analyses PNI decrease of ? 22% was found to be an independent poor prognostic factor for OS (P = 0.012) and hazard ratio (95% confidence interval)= 2.05 (1.16�62). Conclusion: The PNI change would be a convenient parameter to assess the immunonutrition

Comparison of two palliative regimens of radiation on the quality of life in metastatic non small cell lung cancer

Background: Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in males worldwide and its number is increasing every year. Of these cases 75-80% case are of non-small cell type. Methods: This study was conducted on 30 patients of stage IV non-small cell lung cancer in the department of radiation oncology at tertiary care center, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh India from 1st Jun 2019 to 30th Jun 2020 by dividing them into study and control arm for assessing quality of life (QOL) with EORTC QLQ-C30 version3.0. Results: We observed significant improvement in Global health scale of control arm (p=0.005) but it got worse in study arm (p=0.743). All the parameters of Functional scale i.e. Physical (p=0.584; 0.170), Role (p=0.213; 0.016), Emotional (p=0.239; 0.002), Cognitive (p=0.793; 0.247) and Social functioning (p=0.030; 0.231) got worse in study arm while they improved in control arm. As far as Symptom scale is concerned, in the study arm; dyspnea (p=0.724), appetite (p=0.836), constipation (0.192), diarrhea (p=0.341) improved but other symptoms like fatigue (p=0.566), nausea (p=0.347), pain (p=0.305), insomnia (p=0.025), financial difficulties (p=0.082) got worse while in control arm; fatigue (p=0.003), pain (p=0.000), dyspnea (p=0.022), insomnia (p=0.336), appetite (p=0.028), constipation (0.019), diarrhea (p=0.336), financial difficulties (p=0.336) improved and nausea (p=0.120) got worse. Conclusion: QOL assessment by the physician before commencement of the treatment and later on at every visit seems to be beneficial for symptom relief and to allay the anxiety of both patient and their attendants.

NDFIP1 limits cellular TAZ accumulation via exosomal sorting to inhibit NSCLC proliferation

NDFIP1 has been previously reported as a tumor suppressor in multiple solid tumors, but the function of NDFIP1 in NSCLC and the underlying mechanism are still unknown. Besides, the WW domain containing proteins can be recognized by NDFIP1, resulted in the loading of the target proteins into exosomes. However, whether WW domain-containing transcription regulator 1 (WWTR1, also known as TAZ) can be packaged into exosomes by NDFIP1 and if so, whether the release of this oncogenic protein via exosomes has an effect on tumor development has not been investigated to any extent. Here, we first found that NDFIP1 was low expressed in NSCLC samples and cell lines, which is associated with shorter OS. Then, we confirmed the interaction between TAZ and NDFIP1, and the existence of TAZ in exosomes, which requires NDFIP1. Critically, knockout of NDFIP1 led to TAZ accumulation with no change in its mRNA level and degradation rate. And the cellular TAZ level could be altered by exosome secretion. Furthermore, NDFIP1 inhibited proliferation in vitro and in vivo, and silencing TAZ eliminated the increase of proliferation caused by NDFIP1 knockout. Moreover, TAZ was negatively correlated with NDFIP1 in subcutaneous xenograft model and clinical samples, and the serum exosomal TAZ level was lower in NSCLC patients. In summary, our data uncover a new tumor suppressor, NDFIP1 in NSCLC, and a new exosome-related regulatory mechanism of TAZ.

Diagnostic and Therapeutic Strategy Updates of Rare Oncogenic Mutations in Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology Guidelines on Diagnosis and Treatment of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (2023 Edition) / 肿瘤防治研究

The Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) issued the new version of the guidelines on diagnosis and treatment of NSCLC in April 2023.The new version updated the diagnostic and therapeutic strategy of rare oncogenic mutations, including ROS1 fusion, BRAF V600E mutation, NTRK fusion, MET exon 14 skipping mutation, RET fusion, and EGFR exon 20 insertion mutation, in NSCLC.This review will interpret the most important updates in the guidelines 2023 regarding the diagnosis as well as first-line and post-line therapies of these rare oncogenic mutations.

α-Hederin Regulates SREBP1/FASN Pathway and Inhibits Malignant Phenotype of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer / 肿瘤防治研究

Objective To explore the regulative effect of α-Hederin on the proliferation and invasion of NSCLC and investigate its related molecular mechanism. Methods After A549 and HCC-1833 cells were treated with a concentration gradient of α-Hederin for 24 and 48 h, the OD450nm was detected by using CCK8 assays, and the IC50 was calculated.The A549 and HCC-1833 cells were divided into the blank control and α-Hederin groups in accordance with IC50 values.Cell proliferation was detected by EdU assays, and cell cycle transformation and cell apoptosis were detected by flow cytometry.Cell mobility was detected by using Transwell and scratch assays.SREBP1 and FASN protein expression levels were detected through Western blot analysis, and cell lipid accumulation was detected via oil red O staining. Results The survival rate of lung cancer cells decreased significantly with the increase of α-Hederin concentration, and the IC50 values of A549 and HCC-1833 cells at 48 h were 15 and 25 μg/ml, respectively.Compared with the blank control group, cells proliferation and migration were significantly inhibited, cells were blocked in the G1/S phase, the apoptosis rate increased, and the protein expression and lipid accumulation of SREBP1/FASN significantly reduced after α-Hederin treatment. Conclusion α-Hederin can inhibit the proliferation and migration, G1/S phase transition and induce the apoptosis of NSCLC cells and hinder the malignant progression of NSCLC by downregulating the expression of SREBP1 and FASN and reducing the accumulation of cell lipids.

Efficacy of Combination of Camrelizumab with Anlotinib as Third-line Therapy for Patients with Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer / 肿瘤防治研究

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy and related adverse reactions of the combination of camrelizumab with anlotinib as the third-line therapy on advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 84 patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer after second-line treatment. According to different treatment methods, 44 patients who received camrelizumab combined with anlotinib were included in the observation group, and 40 patients who received anlotinib alone were included in the control group. The PFS, ORR, DCR and incidence of adverse reactions were analyzed and compared between the two groups. Results The median PFS of the observation group was longer than that of the control group (7.0 vs. 5.6 months, P=0.001). No statistically significant difference was observed in ORR, DCR, the incidence of adverse reactions or the incidence of adverse reactions above grade 3 between two groups (all P > 0.05). Conclusion The clinical efficacy of camrelizumab combined with anlotinib as third-line therapy on advanced non-small cell lung cancer is better than anlotinib alone, and the safety is good.

Chinese Herbal Medicine Feiyanning Prescription Regulates EMT to Reverse Cisplatin Resistance in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of Feiyanning prescription （FYN） on cisplatin （DDP） resistance in non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC） and explore the underlying mechanism. MethodCell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay was used to detect the proliferation of A549 and A549/DDP （DDP-resistant） cells treated by DDP （0， 2.0， 4.0， 6.0， 8.0， 10.0 mg⋅L-1） and the proliferation of A549/DDP cells treated by FYN （0， 100， 200， 300， 400， 500， 600 mg⋅L-1）. Based on immunofluorescence staining and Western blot （WB）， the expression of epithelial mesenchymal transition （EMT）-related proteins in A549 and A549/DDP groups was observed. A549/DDP cells were classified into control group， FYN group （200 mg⋅L-1）， DDP group （6.0 mg⋅L-1）， and combination group ［FYN （200 mg⋅L-1） + DDP （6.0 mg⋅L-1）］ and respectively treated with corresponding drugs. Then， invasion ability of each group was examined by transwell assay， and the expression of EMT-related proteins in each group by WB. Moreover， real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） and immunofluorescence staining were separately applied to detect the mRNA and protein expression of drug resistance-related factors in each group， respectively. ResultCompared with A549 group， A549/DDP group showed high resistance to DDP （P<0.01）， low expression of E-cadherin， and high protein expression of Vimentin， N-cadherin， and Snail （P<0.05， P<0.01）. As compared with the control group， FYN inhibited the proliferation of A549/DDP cells in a concentration-dependent manner （P<0.01）， and the FYN group， DDP group， and combination group demonstrated low invasion ability （P<0.01）. In addition， the invasion ability in the combination group was particularly lower than that in the DDP group （P<0.01）. The expression of E-cadherin protein was higher and the protein expression of N-cadherin， Vimentin， and Snail was lower in the in FYN group than in the control group （P<0.01）. The protein expression of E-cadherin， N-cadherin， and Vimentin was lower and the expression of Snail was higher in the DDP group than in the control group （P<0.05，P<0.01）. The protein expression of E-cadherin， N-cadherin， Vimentin， and Snail in the combination group decreased as compared with that in the control group （P<0.01）. Compared with the DDP alone， the combination raised the expression of E-cadherin and lowered the protein expression of N-cadherin， Vimentin， and Snail （P<0.01）. The protein and mRNA expression of lung resistance-related protein （LRP） and multidrug resistance 1 （MDR1） was lower and the protein and mRNA expression of topoisomerase Ⅱα （TOPO Ⅱα） was higher in the FYN group than in the control group （P<0.01）. The protein and mRNA expression of LRP， MDR1， and TOPO Ⅱα was higher in the DDP group than in the control group （P<0.01）. The expression of LRP protein and mRNA showed no significant variation， but the protein and mRNA expression of MDR1 and TOPO Ⅱα increased in the combination group compared with those in the control group （P<0.01）. Compared with the DDP group， FYN group and combination group showed low protein and mRNA expression of LRP and MDR1 and high protein and mRNA expression of TOPO Ⅱα （P<0.01）. Compared with FYN， the combination elevated the protein and mRNA expression of LRP， MDR1， and TOPO Ⅱα （P<0.01）. ConclusionFYN prescription can reverse the DDP resistance of NSCLC by modulating EMT.

Mechanisms and Clinical Application of Common Oral Chinese Patent Medicines Against Non-small Cell Lung Cancer： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Lung cancer tops the disease list in the world due to the high incidence and mortality， and about 85% of lung cancer cases is non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC）. Most NSCLC patients are in the advanced stage at the time of diagnosis， with a low 5-year survival. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） plays a role in the comprehensive treatment of malignant tumors. Oral Chinese patent medicines， as an important part of TCM， have the advantages of stable preparations， mild taste， simple package， and accurate effective ingredients， which are different from decoctions. They have been widely used in the adjuvant treatment of NSCLC. In clinical practice， the combination of oral Chinese patent medicines with chemotherapy， targeted therapy， or radiotherapy， as well as the application of the oral Chinese patent medicines alone， can increase efficiency， reduce toxicity， prolong the survival time of patients， and improve the quality of life. The mechanisms of oral Chinese patent medicines in the treatment of NSCLC mainly include inhibiting the proliferation， invasion， and metastasis of lung cancer cells， promoting the apoptosis of lung cancer cells， inhibiting tumor neovascularization， reversing multidrug resistance， and regulating the immune functions， which reflects the multi-pathway and multi-target manner of TCM. The oral Chinese patent medicines commonly used in the clinical treatment of NSCLC include Jinfukang oral liquid， Shenyi capsules， Pingxiao capsules， Xiao'aiping tablets， Kanglaite capsules， compound Cantharis capsules， Huisheng oral liquid， Yangzheng Xiaoji capsules， Xihuang pills， Zilongjin tablets， and Cinobufagin capsules. There are many clinical and basic studies about the treatment of NSCLC with these medicines， while a systematic review remains to be carried out. Therefore， we systematically reviewed the mechanisms and clinical application of commonly used oral Chinese patent medicines in the adjuvant treatment of NSCLC， aiming to provide reference for follow-up research and clinical treatment.

Effect of Reduning Injection， Shenfu Injection Combined with Gefitinib on Proliferation， Stemness Characteristics and Metabolism of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Cells / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo compare and observe the effect of Reduning injection （mainly clearing heat）， Shenfu injection （mainly warming Yang） combined with gefitinib on the proliferation， apoptosis， stemness characteristics and metabolism of lung cancer cells. MethodDifferent non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC） cell lines were selected and intervened with gefitinib （5， 10， 20 μmol·L-1）， Reduning injection （0.6%， 0.9%）， Shenfu injection （0.6%， 0.9%）， gefitinib combined with Reduning injection， and gefitinib combined with Shenfu injection. Cell proliferation in each group was detected by cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay， and cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. The mRNA and protein expressions of lung cancer stem cell markers sex determining region Y-box 2 （Sox2） and aldehyde dehydrogenase family 1 member A1 （ALDH1A1） were determind by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot， respectively. The redox ratio of lung cancer cells was observed by femtosecond label-free imaging （FLI） and energy metabolism instrument was used to determine the glycolysis level in cells. ResultCompared with the blank group， Reduning injection reduced the survival rate of lung cancer cells （P<0.05）， increased the apoptosis rate （P<0.05）， down-regulated the mRNA and protein expressions of Sox2 and ALDH1A1 （P<0.05）， and up-regulated the redox ratio of cells （P<0.05）， while Shenfu injection exerted no remarkable effect on the above indexes. In addition， compared with gefitinib alone， Reduning injection combined with gefitinib inhibited the survival rate of lung cancer cells （P<0.05）， promoted the cell apoptosis （P<0.05）， down-regulated the mRNA and protein expressions of Sox2 and ALDH1A1 （P<0.05）， up-regulated the redox ratio of cells （P<0.05）， and lowered the proton efflux rate of glycolysis （P<0.05）， while Shenfu injection combined with gefitinib failed to affect these indexes of lung cancer cells significantly. ConclusionReduning injection may inhibit stemness characteristics of tumor cells by regulating their metabolism to enhance the proliferation-inhibiting and pro-apoptotic effects of gefitinib on lung cancer cells， while Shenfu injection had no significant enhancing effect on gefitinib. This indicates that epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors （EGFR-TKIs） should be used in combination with heat-clearing Chinese medicines.