Knockout of KLF10 Ameliorated Diabetic Renal Fibrosis via Downregulation of DKK-1.

Diabetes-induced chronic kidney disease leads to mortality and morbidity and thus poses a great health burden worldwide. Krüppel-like factor 10 (KLF10), a zinc finger-containing transcription factor, regulates numerous cellular functions, such as proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. In this study, we explored the effects of KLF10 on diabetes-induced renal disease by using a KLF10 knockout mice model. Knockout of KLF10 obviously diminished diabetes-induced tumor growth factor-ß (TGF-ß), fibronectin, and type IV collagen expression, as evidenced by immunohistochemical staining. KLF10 knockout also repressed the expression of Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) and phosphorylated ß-catenin in diabetic mice, as evidenced by immunohistochemical staining and Western blot analysis. Quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) revealed that significantly decreased type IV collagen, fibronectin, and DKK-1 existed in KLF10 knockout diabetic mice compared with control diabetic mice. Moreover, knockout of KLF10 reduced the renal fibrosis, as shown by Masson's Trichrome analysis. Overall, the results indicate that depletion of KLF10 ameliorated diabetic renal fibrosis via the downregulation of DKK-1 expression and inhibited TGF-ß1 and phosphorylated ß-catenin expression. Our findings suggest that KLF10 may be a promising therapeutic choice for the treatment of diabetes-induced renal fibrosis.

De-Glycyrrhizinated Licorice Extract Attenuates High Glucose-Stimulated Renal Tubular Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition via Suppressing the Notch2 Signaling Pathway.

Tubulointerstitial fibrosis is a major pathological hallmark of diabetic nephropathy. Increasing evidence has shown that epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of renal proximal tubular cells plays a crucial role in tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Herein, we aimed to elucidate the detailed mechanism of EMT in renal tubular cells under high glucose (HG) conditions, and to investigate the potential of licorice, a medicinal herb, to inhibit HG-induced EMT. Our results showed that renal tubular epithelial cells (normal rat kidney cell clone 52E; NRK-52E) exposed to HG resulted in EMT induction characterized by increased fibronectin and -SMA (alpha-smooth muscle actin) but decreased E-cadherin. Elevated levels of cleaved Notch2, MAML-1 (mastermind-like transcriptional coactivator 1), nicastrin, Jagged-1 and Delta-like 1 were also concomitantly detected in HG-cultured cells. Importantly, pharmacological inhibition, small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated depletion or overexpression of the key components of Notch2 signaling in NRK-52E cells supported that the activated Notch2 pathway is essential for tubular EMT. Moreover, we found that licorice extract (LE) with or without glycyrrhizin, one of bioactive components in licorice, effectively blocked HG-triggered EMT in NRK-52E cells, mainly through suppressing the Notch2 pathway. Our findings therefore suggest that Notch2-mediated renal tubular EMT could be a therapeutic target in diabetic nephropathy, and both LE and de-glycyrrhizinated LE could have therapeutic potential to attenuate renal tubular EMT and fibrosis.

Oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress signaling are involved in dehydrocostuslactone-mediated apoptosis in human non-small cell lung cancer cells.

This study investigates the anticancer effect of dehydrocostuslactone (DHE), a medicinal plant-derived sesquiterpene lactone, on human non-small cell lung cancer cell lines, A549, NCI-H460 and NCI-H520. Our results show that DHE inhibits the proliferation of A549, NCI-H460 and NCI-H520 cells. DHE-induced apoptosis in both A549 and NCI-H460 cells. DHE triggered endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, as indicated by changes in cytosol-calcium levels, PKR-like ER kinase (PERK) phosphorylation, inositol requiring protein 1 (IRE1) and CHOP/GADD153 upregulation, X-box transcription factor-1 (XBP-1) mRNA splicing, and caspase-4 activation. The release of calcium triggered the production of ROS, which further enhances calcium overloading and subsequently activates p38, JNK and ERK1/2. Both IRE1 miRNA transfection and BAPTA-AM pretreatment inhibit DHE-mediated apoptosis, supporting the hypothesis that DHE induces cell death through ER stress. Importantly, a novel anticancer agent for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, and is supported by animal studies which have shown a dramatic 50% reduction in tumor size after 28 days of treatment. This study demonstrates that DHE may be a novel anticancer agent for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.

6-Shogaol, an active constituent of dietary ginger, induces autophagy by inhibiting the AKT/mTOR pathway in human non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells.

This study is the first study to investigate the anticancer effect of 6-shogaol in human non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells. 6-Shogaol inhibited cell proliferation by inducing autophagic cell death, but not, predominantly, apoptosis. Pretreatment of cells with 3-methyladenine (3-MA), an autophagy inhibitor, suppressed 6-shogaol mediated antiproliferation activity, suggesting that induction of autophagy by 6-shogaol is conducive to cell death. We also found that 6-shogaol inhibited survival signaling through the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway by blocking the activation of AKT and downstream targets, including the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), forkhead transcription factors (FKHR) and glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta). Phosphorylation of both of mTOR's downstream targets, p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70S6 kinase) and 4E-BP1, was also diminished. Overexpression of AKT by AKT cDNA transfection decreased 6-shogaol mediated autophagic cell death, supporting inhibition of AKT beneficial to autophagy. Moreover, reduction of AKT expression by siRNA potentiated 6-shogaol's effect, also supporting inhibition of AKT beneficial to autophagy. Taken together, these findings suggest that 6-shogaol may be a promising chemopreventive agent against human non-small cell lung cancer.

Dehydrocostuslactone disrupts signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 through up-regulation of suppressor of cytokine signaling in breast cancer cells.

This study investigates the anticancer effect of dehydrocostuslactone (DHE), a plant-derived sesquiterpene lactone, on human breast cancer cells. DHE inhibits cell proliferation by inducing cells to undergo cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. DHE suppresses the expression of cyclin D, cyclin A, cyclin-dependent kinase 2, and cdc25A and increases the amount of p53 and p21, resulting in G(0)/G(1)-S phase arrest in MCF-7 cells. In contrast, DHE caused S-G(2)/M arrest by increasing p21 expression and chk1 activation and inhibiting cyclin A, cyclin B, cdc25A, and cdc25C expression in MDA-MB-231 cells. DHE induces up-regulation of Bax and Bad, down-regulation of Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL, and nuclear relocation of the mitochondrial factors apoptosis-inducing factor and endonuclease G. We also found that DHE inhibits survival signaling through the Janus tyrosine kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 signaling by increasing the expression of suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS)-1 and SOCS-3. Reduction of SOCS-1 and SOCS-3 expression by small interfering RNA inhibits DHE-mediated signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 inhibition, p21 up-regulation, and cyclin-dependent kinase 2 blockade, supporting the hypothesis that DHE inhibits cell cycle progression and cell death through SOCS-1 and SOCS-3. Significantly, animal studies have revealed a 50% reduction in tumor volume after a 45-day treatment period. Taken together, this study provides new insights into the molecular mechanism of the DHE action that may contribute to the chemoprevention of breast cancer.

Induction of apoptosis in human breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7 cells by pterocarnin A from the bark of Pterocarya stenoptera via the Fas-mediated pathway.

Pterocarnin A, isolated from the bark of Pterocarya stenoptera (Juylandaceae), was investigated for its antiproliferative activity in human breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7 cells. To identify the anticancer mechanism of pterocarnin A, we assayed its effects on apoptosis, cell cycle distribution, and levels of p53, p21/WAF1, Fas/APO-1 receptor and Fas ligand. The results showed that pterocarnin A induced apoptosis of MCF-7 cells without mediation of p53 and p21/WAF1. We suggest that the Fas/Fas ligand apoptotic system is the main pathway of pterocarnin A-mediated apoptosis of MCF-7 cells. Our study reports here for the first time that the activity of the Fas/Fas ligand apoptotic system may participate in the antiproliferative activity of pterocarnin A in MCF-7 cells.

Antrodia cinnamomea fruiting bodies extract suppresses the invasive potential of human liver cancer cell line PLC/PRF/5 through inhibition of nuclear factor kappaB pathway.

In this study, we first report the anti-invasive effect of ethylacetate extract from Antrodia cinnamomea (EAC) fruiting bodies in the human liver cancer cell line PLC/PRF/5. Treatment with EAC decreased the cancer invasion of PLC/PRF/5 cells in a dose-dependent manner. This effect was strongly associated with a concomitant decrease in either the level or activity of VEGF, MMP-2, MMP-9 and MT1-MMP, and an increase in the expression of TIMP-1 and TIMP-2. EAC inhibited constitutively activated and inducible NF-kappaB in both its DNA-binding activity and transcriptional activity. Furthermore, EAC also inhibited the TNF-alpha-activated NF-kappaB-dependent reporter gene expression of MMP-9 and VEGF, and the invasion of cancer cells. EAC also exhibited an inhibitory effect on angiogenesis in a Matrigel Plug Angiogenesis Assay. Further investigation revealed that EAC's inhibition of cancer cell growth and invasion was also evident in a nude mice model. Our results indicate that EAC inhibits the activation of NF-kappaB, and may provide a molecular basis for drug development using EAC as an anti-invasive agent in the prevention and treatment of cancer.