HA-ADT suppresses esophageal squamous cell carcinoma progression via apoptosis promotion and autophagy inhibition.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a major cause of cancer-related deaths. We have previously connected a non-sulfated glycosaminoglycan, hyaluronic acid (HA), with a common hydrogen sulfide (H2S) donor, 5-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3H-1,2-dithiol-3-thione (ADT-OH), to reconstruct a novel conjugate, HA-ADT. In this study, we determined the effect of HA-ADT on the growth of ESCC. Our data suggested that HA-ADT exerted more potent effects than sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS, a fast H2S-releasing donor) and morpholin-4-ium (4-methoxyphenyl)-morpholin-4-ylsulfanylidenesulfido-λ5-phosphane (GYY4137, a slow H2S-releasing donor) on inhibiting the viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion of human ESCC cells. HA-ADT increased apoptosis by suppressing the protein expressions of phospho (p)-Ser473-protein kinase B (PKB/AKT), p-Tyr199/Tyr458-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), and p-Ser2448-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), but suppressed autophagy through the inhibition of the protein levels of p-Ser552-ß-catenin, p-Ser9-glycogen synthase kinase-3ß (GSK-3ß), and Wnt3a in human ESCC cells. In addition, HA-ADT was more effective in terms of the growth inhibition of human ESCC xenograft tumor than NaHS and GYY4137. In conclusion, HA-ADT can suppress ESCC progression via apoptosis promotion and autophagy inhibition. HA-ADT might be efficacious for the treatment of cancer.

A novel hydrogen sulfide-releasing donor, HA-ADT, suppresses the growth of human breast cancer cells through inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR and Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathways.

Breast cancer is one of the most frequent cancers among women worldwide. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is one of the best biopolymers in terms of safety issues and has been widely used in drug delivery and tissue engineering. 5-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3H-1,2-dithiol-3-thione (ADT-OH) is a commonly used H2S donor. In this study, we designed and synthesized a conjugate, HA-ADT, by connecting HA with ADT-OH through chemical reactions. Our results indicated that HA-ADT could produce more H2S than NaHS and GYY4137. HA-ADT exerted more potent inhibitory effects than NaHS and GYY4137 in the proliferation, viability, migration, and invasion of human breast cancer cells. Similar trends were observed in the apoptosis and the protein levels of phospho (p)-PI3K, p-AKT, p-mTOR, H-RAS, p-RAF, p-MEK, and p-ERK in human breast cancer cells. Furthermore, HA-ADT exhibited more powerful inhibitory effects on the growth of human breast cancer xenograft tumors in nude mice. In conclusion, HA-ADT could suppress the growth of human breast cancer cells through the inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR and RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK signaling pathways. HA-ADT and its derivatives might be of great potential in the treatment of different types of cancer.