Potential anticancer activities of securinine and its molecular targets.

BACKGROUND: Securinine is an alkaloid identified from the roots and leaves of the shrub Flueggea suffruticosa (Pall.) Baill. The molecular structure of securinine consists of four rings, including three chiral centers. It has been suggested that securinine can be chemically synthesized from tyrosine and lysine. Securinine has long been used to treat central nervous system diseases. In recent years, more and more evidence shows that securinine also has anticancer activity, which has not been systematically discussed and analyzed. PURPOSE: This study aims to propose an overall framework to describe the molecular targets of securinine in different signal pathways, and discuss the current status and prospects of each pathway, so as to provide a theoretical basis for the development securinine as an effective anticancer drug. METHODS: The research databases on the anticancer activity of securinine from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and ScienceDirect to 2021 were systematically searched. This paper follows the Preferred Reporting Items and Meta-Analysis guidelines. RESULTS: Securinine has the ability to kill a variety of human cancer cells, including, leukemia as well as prostate, cervical, breast, lung, and colon cancer cells. It can regulate the signal pathways of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin, Wnt and Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription, promote cancer cell apoptosis and autophagy, and inhibit cancer cell metastasis. Securinine also has the activity of inducing leukemia cell differentiation. CONCLUSION: Although there has been some experimental evidence indicating the anticancer effect of securinine and its possible pharmacology, in order to design more effective anticancer drugs, it is necessary to study the synergy of intracellular signaling pathways. More in vivo experiments and even clinical studies are needed, and the synergy between securinine and other drugs is also worth studying.

A multicentre randomized clinical trial on efficacy and safety of huxin formula in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is widely used in clinical treatment of coronary artery disease. However, the effects of PCI on preventing restenosis after revascularization and improving the quality of life were not satisfying. Huxin Formula is formulated by modifying an experienced Chinese medicine formula and has been widely used in clinical practice due to its marked effects on coronary heart disease. A multicentre double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial was designed to evaluate the effects and safety of Huxin Formula in patients undergoing PCI. Our results showed that there was no significant difference between the two groups in main outcomes. For patients with ejection fraction (EF) >50%, score of the quality of life scale was higher in treatment group compared with control group. For patients with unstable angina, score of the quality of life scale in 360 days was significantly higher in treatment group compared with control group (P < 0.05). No obvious adverse reaction was found in the use of Huxin Formula. In conclusion, Huxin Formula, believed to be a safe treatment for patients after PCI, has benefits in improving the quality of life in patients with unstable angina though it failed to show superiority in primary and secondary outcomes.