DNA damage and NF-κB inactivation implicate glycyrrhizic acid-induced G1 phase arrest in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequently occurring liver malignancy in Asia. Glycyrrhizic acid is known to reduce the risk of HCC formation in patients with chronic hepatitis C. To identify whether glycyrrhizic acid may play a role in anti-HCC therapy as an adjuvant is important. However, the inhibitory effect of glycyrrhizic acid on cell cycle progression in HCC cells and the mechanism of such have not been fully elucidated. This study used the comet assay, cell cycle analysis, immunofluorescence staining, the TUNEL assay, and Western blotting to identify the anti-HCC role of glycyrrhizic acid. Glycyrrhizic acid may induce DNA damage, apoptosis, activation of ATM, and expression of p21, and p27 in HCC cells. In addition, glycyrrhizic acid may also induce G1 phase arrest and suppress NF-κB-mediated Cyclin D1 expression. DNA damage and NF-κB inactivation may be associated with glycyrrhizic acid-induced G1 phase arrest in HCC cells.

Combination Treatment of Sorafenib and Bufalin Induces Apoptosis in NCI-H292 Human Lung Cancer Cells In Vitro.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Lung cancer notably contributes to tumor-associated mortality worldwide, and standard chemotherapy is used for lung cancer patients. However, its therapeutic efficacy remains unsatisfactory. This study aimed to evaluate the effects and molecular mechanisms of sorafenib and bufalin combination therapy on lung cancer cells in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS: NCI-H292 cells were treated with sorafenib, bufalin, and sorafenib in combination with bufalin. Cell viability, ROS production, Ca2+ release, and mitochondrial membrane potential were examined by flow cytometric assay. Annexin V/PI staining and chromatin condensation were examined by the apoptosis assays. Finally the molecular mechanism of apoptosis-associated protein expression was investigated by western blotting. RESULTS: NCI-H292 cells treated with sorafenib in combination with bufalin showed significantly decreased viability, enhanced cellular apoptosis, and DNA condensation when compared to that with sorafenib or bufalin alone. Moreover, the combination treatment exhibited higher reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and lower mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm). The combined treatment resulted in higher expression of SOD but lower catalase compared to sorafenib treatment alone. Compared to sorafenib or bufalin treatment alone, the combination treatment resulted in lower Bcl-2 expression but higher Bax, Bad, APAF-1, caspase-3, and caspase-9. CONCLUSION: Sorafenib in combination with bufalin shows more potent cytotoxic effects and cell apoptosis than sorafenib or bufalin treatment alone in NCI-H292 cells. The combined treatment significantly enhanced apoptotic cell death in NCI-H292 lung cancer cells by activating ROS-, mitochondria-, and caspase-signaling pathways in vitro.

The inhibitory effect and mechanism of quetiapine on tumor progression in hepatocellular carcinoma in vivo.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the primary tumor of the liver and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death. Recently, several studies indicated the anti-tumor potential of antipsychotic medicine. Quetiapine, an atypical antipsychotic, is used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder since 1997. However, whether quetiapine may show potential to suppress HCC progression and its underlying mechanism is persisting unclear. Quetiapine has been shown to induce apoptosis and inhibit invasion ability in HCC in vitro. Here, we established two different HCC (Hep3B, SK-Hep1) bearing animals to identify the treatment efficacy of quetiapine. Tumor growth, signaling transduction, and normal tissue pathology after quetiapine treatment were validated by caliper, bioluminescence image, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and hematoxylin and eosin staining, respectively. Quetiapine suppressed HCC progression in a dose-dependent manner. Extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) and Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) mediated downstream proteins, such as myeloid leukemia cell differentiation protein (MCL-1), cellular FLICE-inhibitory protein (C-FLIP), X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), Cyclin-D1, matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP-9), vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) which involved in proliferation, survival, angiogenesis, invasion and anti-tumor immunity were all decreased by quetiapine. In addition, extrinsic/intrinsic caspase-dependent and caspase-independent pathways, including cleaved caspase-3, -8, and - 9 were increased by quetiapine. In sum, the tumor inhibition that results from quetiapine may associate with ERK and NF-κB inactivation.

Ergosta-7,9(11),22-trien-3ß-ol Attenuates Inflammatory Responses via Inhibiting MAPK/AP-1 Induced IL-6/JAK/STAT Pathways and Activating Nrf2/HO-1 Signaling in LPS-Stimulated Macrophage-like Cells.

Chronic inflammation induces autoimmune disorders and chronic diseases. Several natural products activate nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling, attenuating inflammatory responses. Ergosta-7,9(11),22-trien-3ß-ol (EK100) isolated from Cordyceps militaris showed anti-inflammatory and antioxidative activity, but those mechanisms are still unclear. This study is the first to investigate EK100 on antioxidant Nrf2 relative genes expression in LPS-stimulated macrophage-like cell lines. The results showed that EK100 reduced IL-6 (interleukin-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α production. EK100 also attenuated a mitogen-activated protein kinase/activator protein-1 (MAPK/AP-1) pathway and interleukin-6/Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (IL-6/JAK/STAT) pathway in LPS-stimulated cells. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) inhibitor CLI-095 and MAPK inhibitors can synergize the anti-inflammatory response of EK100 in LPS-stimulated cells. Moreover, EK100 activated Nrf2/HO-1 (heme oxygenase-1) signaling in LPS-stimulated murine macrophage-like RAW 264.7 cells, murine microglial BV2 cells, and human monocytic leukemia THP-1 cells. However, Nrf2 small interfering RNA (Nrf2 siRNA) reversed EK100-induced antioxidative proteins expressions. In conclusion, EK100 showed anti-inflammatory responses via activating the antioxidative Nrf2/HO-1 signaling and inhibiting TLR4 related MAPK/AP-1 induced IL-6/JAK/STAT pathways in the LPS-stimulated cells in vitro. The results suggest EK100 acts as a novel antioxidant with multiple therapeutic targets that can potentially be developed to treat chronic inflammation-related diseases.

Melittin suppresses epithelial-mesenchymal transition and metastasis in human gastric cancer AGS cells via regulating Wnt/BMP associated pathway.

Gastric cancer has a poor prognosis; once cancer has metastasized, it can easily lead to patient death. Melittin is one of the major components extracted from the bee venom. It has been shown that melittin emerges antitumor activities against many human cancer cell lines. Our results indicated that melittin at 0.2-0.5 µm significantly reduced total cell viability in human gastric cancer AGS cells. At low concentrations (0.05-0.15 µm), melittin displayed antimetastasis effects and inhibited cell adhesion and colony formation. Besides, it inhibited cell motility and suppressed cell migration and invasion. Melittin inhibited the activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9 and the integrity of cell membrane in AGS cells. Furthermore, Western blotting results showed that melittin decreased the protein expressions of Wnt/BMP and MMP-2 signaling pathways. Based on these observations, melittin inhibited cell migration and invasion of AGS cells through multiple signaling pathways. It may be used to treat metastasized gastric cancers in the future.

Ergosta-7, 9 (11), 22-trien-3ß-ol Interferes with LPS Docking to LBP, CD14, and TLR4/MD-2 Co-Receptors to Attenuate the NF-κB Inflammatory Pathway In Vitro and Drosophila.

Ergosta-7, 9 (11), 22-trien-3ß-ol (EK100) was isolated from Cordyceps militaris, which has been used as a traditional anti-inflammatory medicine. EK100 has been reported to attenuate inflammatory diseases, but its anti-inflammatory mechanism is still unclear. We were the first to investigate the effect of EK100 on the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor of the κ light chain enhancer of B cells (NF-κB) signaling in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells and the green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labeled NF-κB reporter gene of Drosophila. EK100 suppressed the release of the cytokine and attenuated the mRNA and protein expression of pro-inflammatory mediators. EK100 inhibited the inhibitor kappa B (IκB)/NF-κB signaling pathway. EK100 also inhibited phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/Protein kinase B (Akt) signal transduction. Moreover, EK100 interfered with LPS docking to the LPS-binding protein (LBP), transferred to the cluster of differentiation 14 (CD14), and bonded to TLR4/myeloid differentiation-2 (MD-2) co-receptors. Compared with the TLR4 antagonist, resatorvid (CLI-095), and dexamethasone (Dexa), EK100 suppressed the TLR4/AKT signaling pathway. In addition, we also confirmed that EK100 attenuated the GFP-labeled NF-κB reporter gene expression in Drosophila. In summary, EK100 might alter LPS docking to LBP, CD14, and TLR4/MD-2 co-receptors, and then it suppresses the TLR4/NF-κB inflammatory pathway in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells and Drosophila.

Lenvatinib Induces AKT/NF-κB Inactivation, Apoptosis Signal Transduction and Growth Inhibition of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer In Vivo.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer with poor prognosis. Lenvatinib is a multi-kinase inhibitor that has the potential to suppress tumor progression. Our previous study suggested that lenvatinib induces cytotoxicity and apoptosis in CL-1-5-F4 cells in vitro. However, whether lenvatinib suppresses NSCLC progression in vivo remains unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Tumor growth inhibition and normal tissue toxicity evaluation following lenvatinib treatment were performed on CL-1-5-F4-bearing mice. RESULTS: Tumor growth calculated by caliper and living cell intensity decreased by lenvatinib treatment as analysed by bioluminescence imaging. Phosphorylation of AKT, NF-κB, and NF-κB downstream proteins involved in tumor progression were reduced by lenvatinib in the tumor tissue. No pathological changes were found in the liver, kidney, and spleen after lenvatinib treatment. CONCLUSION: Induction of apoptosis and suppression of AKT/NF-κB were associated with lenvatinib-induced inhibition of the progression of NSCLC in vivo.

Demethoxycurcumin Suppresses Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion of Human Brain Glioblastoma Multiforme GBM 8401 Cells via PI3K/Akt Pathway.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Demethoxycurcumin (DMC), one of the derivatives of curcumin, has been shown to induce apoptotic cell death in many human cancer cell lines. However, there is no available information on whether DMC inhibits metastatic activity in human glioblastoma cancer cells in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS: DMC at 1.0-3.0 µM significantly decreased the proliferation of GBM 8401 cells; thus, we used 2.0 µM for further investigation regarding anti-metastatic activity in human glioblastoma GBM 8401 cells. RESULTS: The internalized amount of DMC has reached the highest level in GBM 8401 cells after 3 h treatment. Wound healing assay was used to determine cell mobility and results indicated that DMC suppressed cell movement of GBM 8401 cells. The transwell chamber assays were used for measuring cell migration and invasion and results indicated that DMC suppressed cell migration and invasion in GBM 8401 cells. Gelatin zymography assay was used to examine gelatinolytic activity (MMP-2) in conditioned media of GBM 8401 cells treated by DMC and results demonstrated that DMC significantly reduced MMP-2 activity. Western blotting showed that DMC reduced the levels of p-EGFR(Tyr1068), GRB2, Sos1, p-Raf, MEK, p-ERK1/2, PI3K, p-Akt/PKBα(Thr308), p-PDK1, NF-κB, TIMP-1, MMP-9, MMP-2, GSK3α/ß, ß-catenin, N-cadherin, and vimentin, but it elevated Ras and E-cadherin at 24 h treatment. CONCLUSION: DMC inhibited cancer cell migration and invasion through inhibition of PI3K/Akt and NF-κB signaling pathways in GBM 8401 cells. We suggest that DMC may be used as a novel anti-metastasis agent for the treatment of human glioblastoma cancer in the future.

Imperatorin Interferes with LPS Binding to the TLR4 Co-Receptor and Activates the Nrf2 Antioxidative Pathway in RAW264.7 Murine Macrophage Cells.

Imperatorin (IMP) could downregulate several inflammatory transcription factor signaling pathways. Some studies have pointed out that IMP could interfere with toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling. This study evaluates how IMP interferes with the TLR4 co-receptors signaling through the protein-ligand docking model, Western blotting, immunofluorescence (IF), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) assays in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated macrophage-like RAW264.7 cells in vitro. The results of the protein-ligand docking demonstrate that IMP interferes with LPS binding to the LPS-binding protein (LBP), the cluster of differentiation 14 (CD14), and the toll-like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation factor 2 (TLR4/MD-2) co-receptors in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Compared with TLR4 antagonist CLI-095 or dexamethasone, IMP could suppress the protein expressions of LBP, CD14, and TLR4/MD-2 in LPS-stimulated cells. Furthermore, the three-dimensional (3D) image assay of the AFM showed IMP could prevent the LPS-induced morphological change in RAW264.7 cells. Additionally, IMP could activate the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway, and it increased the antioxidative protein expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), superoxidase dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT). Our results are the first to reveal that the anti-inflammatory effect of IMP interferes with LPS binding to TLR4 co-receptor signaling and activates the antioxidative Nrf2 signaling pathway.

Lenvatinib Inhibits AKT/NF-κB Signaling and Induces Apoptosis Through Extrinsic/Intrinsic Pathways in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a serious disease and the leading cause of death globally. Overexpression of protein kinase B/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling transduction of NSCLC cells was recognized as a potential therapeutic target. Lenvatinib is a multiple kinase inhibitor against vascular endothelial growth factor receptor family. However, whether lenvatinib may affect AKT/NF-κB in NSCLC remains unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MTT assay, NF-κB reporter gene assay, flow cytometry, tranwell migration/invasion analysis and western blotting were used to identify the alteration of cell viability, NF-κB activation, apoptosis effect, migration/invasion potential and AKT/NF-κB related protein expression, respectively, in CL-1-5-F4 cells after lenvatinib treatment. RESULTS: The cell viability and NF-κB activity were suppressed by lenvatinib. Extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis were activated by lenvatinib. Additionally, the metastatic potential of CL-1-5-F4 cells was also suppressed by lenvatinib. CONCLUSION: Altogether, lenvatinib induced extrinsic/intrinsic apoptosis and suppressed migration/invasion ability of NSCLC cells that was associated with AKT/NF-κB signaling inactivation.

Anti-metastatic Effects of Cationic KT2 Peptide (a Lysine/Tryptophan-rich Peptide) on Human Melanoma A375.S2 Cells.

BACKGROUND/AIM: KT2 is a lysine/tryptophan-rich peptide modified from Crocodylus siamensis Leucrocin I. In this study, we examined the cell toxicity, cellular uptake, anti-migration and anti-invasion activities of KT2 in A375.S2 human melanoma cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A375.S2 cells were treated with KT2 peptide and then we performed MTT assay, study of cellular uptake by a confocal microscope, wound healing assay, transwell migration/invasion assay, and evaluation of the expression of metastasis-associated proteins. RESULTS: KT2 can be internalized through the plasma membrane and can slightly alter cell morphology, decrease the percentage of viable cells and inhibit cell migration and invasion of A375.S2 cells in a dose-dependent manner. This peptide suppressed MMP-2 activity, as measured by gelatine zymography assay. The protein level of MMP-2 was decreased by KT2. KT2 also down-regulated metastasis pathway-related molecules, including FAK, RhoA, ROCK1, GRB2, SOS-1, p-JNK, p-c-Jun, PI3K, p-AKT (Thr308), p-AKT (Ser473), p-p38, MMP-9, NF-kB, and uPA. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that KT2 inhibits the migration and invasion of human melanoma cells by decreasing MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression through inhibition of FAK, uPA, MAPK, PI3K/AKT NF-kB, and RhoA-ROCK signalling pathways. These findings suggest that KT2 deserves further investigation as an anti-metastatic agent for human melanoma.

Genistein enhances the effects of L-asparaginase on inducing cell apoptosis in human leukemia cancer HL-60 cells.

Genistein (GEN) has been shown to induce apoptotic cell death in various human cancer cells. L-asparaginase (Asp), a clinical drug for leukemia, has been shown to induce cell apoptosis in leukemia cells. No available information concerning GEN combined with Asp increased the cell apoptosis compared to GEN or Asp treatment alone. The objective of this study is to evaluate the anti-leukemia activity of GEN combined with Asp on human leukemia HL-60 cells in vitro. The cell viability, the distribution of cell cycle, apoptotic cell death, and the level of ΔΨm were examined by flow cytometric assay. The expressions of apoptosis-associated proteins were measured by western blotting. GEN combined with Asp revealed a more significant decrease in total viable cells and induced a higher percentage of G2/M phase arrest, DNA damage, and cell apoptosis than that of GEN or Asp treatment only in HL-60 cells. Furthermore, the combined treatments (GEN and Asp) showed a higher decrease in the level of ΔΨm than that of GEN or Asp treatment only. These results indicated that GEN combined with Asp induced mitochondria dysfunction by disrupting the mitochondrial membrane potential. The results from western blotting demonstrated that the treatment of GEN combined with Asp showed a higher increase in the levels of Bax and Bak (pro-apoptotic proteins) and an active form of caspase-3 and a higher decrease in Bcl-2 (anti-apoptotic protein) than that of GEN or Asp treatment alone. GEN significantly enhances the efficiency of Asp on cytotoxic effects (the induction of apoptosis) in HL-60 cells.

Therapeutic Efficacy and Inhibitory Mechanism of Regorafenib Combined With Radiation in Colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Although both chemotherapy and radiotherapy (RT) can sufficiently maintain tumor suppression of colorectal cancer (CRC), these treatments may trigger the expression of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and compromise patients' survival. Regorafenib suppresses NF-κB activity in various tumor types. However, whether regorafenib may act as a suitable radiosensitizer to enhance therapeutic efficacy of RT remains unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Here, we established a CRC-bearing animal model to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of regorafenib in combination with RT, through measurement of tumor growth, body weight, whole-body computed tomography (CT) scan and immunohisto-chemistry staining. RESULTS: Smallest tumor size and weight were found in the combination treatment group. In addition, RT-induced up-regulation of NF-κB and downstream proteins were diminished by regorafenib. Moreover, the body weight and liver pathology in the treated group were similar to those of the non-treated control group. CONCLUSION: Regorafenib may enhance the anti-CRC efficacy of RT.

ERK/AKT Inactivation and Apoptosis Induction Associate With Quetiapine-inhibited Cell Survival and Invasion in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Quetiapine, an atypical antipsychotic, has been encountered as a potential protective agent to suppress various types of tumor growth. However, the inhibitory mechanism of quetiapine in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) still remains unclear. The purpose of present study was to investigate the inhibitory mechanism of quetiapine on cell survival and invasion in HCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Changes of apoptotic signaling, migration/invasion ability, and signaling transduction involved in cell survival and invasion were evaluated with flow cytometry, migration/invasion, and western blot assays. RESULTS: Quetiapine inhibited cell proliferation and migration/invasion in SK-Hep1 and Hep3B cells. Quetiapine induced extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways. Activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK), protein kinase B (AKT), nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-ĸB), expression of anti-apoptotic, and metastasis-associated proteins were decreased by quetiapine. CONCLUSION: The apoptosis induction, the decreased expression of ERK/AKT-mediated anti-apoptotic and the metastasis-associated proteins were associated with quetiapine-inhibited cell survival and invasion in HCC in vitro.

Pipoxolan suppresses the inflammatory factors of NF-κB, AP-1, and STATs, but activates the antioxidative factor Nrf2 in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells.

Although pipoxolan (PIPO) is a smooth muscle relaxant, its anti-inflammatory capability has not been studied. Therefore, we investigated the anti-inflammatory molecular mechanisms of PIPO in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages. In this study, we used the MTT assay to evaluate the cytotoxicity, applied the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to determine the inflammatory cytokines, and performed Western blotting to assess protein expression. The results showed that PIPO significantly inhibited cytokine production, including nitric oxide, prostaglandin E2 , tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-6. PIPO also suppressed the pro-inflammatory mediator expression with inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2. Moreover, PIPO prohibited the multiple inflammatory transcription factor pathways, including inhibitor kappa B/nuclear factor of the κ light chain enhancer of B cells (NF-κB), mitogen-activated protein kinase/activator protein-1 (AP-1), Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT), and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/serine/threonine kinase (AKT). Besides, PIPO effectively activated the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase-1 antioxidative pathway. Collectively, PIPO may attenuate the inflammatory effects via influencing the LPS/TLR4 receptor binding; suppress the expression of anti-inflammatory transcription factors NF-κB, AP-1, and STAT; and activating the antioxidative transcription factor Nrf2 in LPS-stimulated mouse RAW 264.7 cells.

The In Vivo Radiosensitizing Effect of Magnolol on Tumor Growth of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Radiation (RT) induced ERK/NF-κB in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been reported in our previous works; it weakens the toxicity of RT or triggers a radioresistance effect. Thus, combining RT with a suitable NF-κB inhibitor may sensitize HCC to RT. Magnolol, a bioactive compound, was known to have anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor functions. Here, we aimed to investigate whether magnolol may enhance anti-HCC efficacy of RT in vivo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We established a Hep3B bearing mouse to evaluate the efficacy of the combination treatment of magnolol and RT. RESULTS: Most significantly, tumor volume and tumor weight inhibition was found in the combination group. Tumor immunohistochemistry staining also illustrated the suppression of RT-induced ERK/NF-κB-related proteins expression by magnolol. In addition, intrinsic apoptosis-related proteins, such as caspase-3 and -9, were markedly increased in the combination group. CONCLUSION: Magnolol may effectively enhance anti-HCC ability of RT by downregulating the expression of ERK/NF-κB-related proteins and increasing the expression of apoptosis-related proteins.

Hyperforin induces apoptosis through extrinsic/intrinsic pathways and inhibits EGFR/ERK/NF-κB-mediated anti-apoptotic potential in glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma is the most common primary brain tumor with poor survival rate and without effective treatment strategy. Notably, amplification and active mutation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) occur frequently in glioblastoma patient that may be a potential treatment target. Several studies indicated that various type of herbal compounds not only regulate anti-depressant effect but also shown capacity to suppress glioblastoma growth via inducing apoptosis and inhibiting oncogene signaling transduction. Hyperforin, an herb compound derived from St. John's wort was used to treat depressive disorder by inhibiting neuronal reuptake of several neurotransmitters. Although hyperforin can reduce matrix metallopeptidases-2 (MMPs) and -9-mediated metastasis of glioblastoma, the detail mechanism of hyperforin on glioblastoma is remaining unclear. Here, we suggested that hyperforin may induce extrinsic/intrinsic apoptosis and suppress anti-apoptotic related proteins expression of glioblastoma. We also indicated that hyperforin-mediated anti-apoptotic potential of glioblastoma was correlated to inactivation of EGFR/extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK)/nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) signaling.

Partitioned Extracts of Bauhinia championii Induce G0/G1 Phase Arrest and Apoptosis in Human Colon Cancer Cells.

Bauhinia championii (Benth.) is one of the commonly used herbs in Taiwan. The stem of this plant has been used to treat epigastria pain and rheumatoid arthritis. However, the antitumor activities of this herb have never been reported. This study aims to investigate the mechanism of anticancer activity of the extracts from B. championii (BC). BC was fractionated with a series of organic solvents, including n-hexane (H), ethyl acetate (EA), 1-butanol (B), and water (W). We first investigated the effects of BC-H, BC-EA, BC-B and BC-W partitioned fraction on cell viability. In HCT 116 colon cancer cell lines, BC-EA showed the highest inhibition of cell viability and changed the morphology of cells. With dose- and time-dependent manners, BC-EA inhibited the proliferation of HCT 116 cells by inducing apoptosis and G0/G1 phase arrest of cell cycle. To determine the underlying mechanisms, down-regulated CDK2, Cyclin D, and Cyclin E and up-regulated p16, p21, and p53 may account for the cell cycle arrest, while the apoptotic effect of BC-EA may attribute to increased intracellular Ca2+, loss of mitochondria membrane potential (ΔΨm), increase of Bax, Bak, puma, and AIF, and decrease of Bcl-2. Furthermore, the inactivation of Ras signaling pathway by BC-EA also contributed to its apoptotic effect on HCT 116. Our study demonstrates that BC-EA not only inhibits cell growth but also induces apoptosis through inhibiting Ras signal pathway and increasing p53 expression levels. We suggest that BC-EA may be a new dietary supplement and a useful tool to search for therapeutic candidates against colon cancer.

Combinational treatment of 5-fluorouracil and casticin induces apoptosis in mouse leukemia WEHI-3 cells in vitro.

Leukemia is one of the major diseases causing cancer-related deaths in the young population, and its cure rate is unsatisfying with side effects on patients. Fluorouracil (5-FU) is currently used as an anticancer drug for leukemia patients. Casticin, a natural polymethoxyflavone, exerts anticancer activity against many human cancer cell lines in vitro, but no other reports show 5-FU combined with casticin increased the mouse leukemia cell apoptosis in vitro. Herein, the antileukemia activity of 5-FU combined with casticin in WEHI-3 mouse leukemia cells was investigated in vitro. Treatment of two-drug combination had a higher decrease in cell viability and a higher increase in apoptotic cell death, the level of DNA condensation, and the length of comet tail than that of 5-FU or casticin treatment alone in WEHI-3 cells. In addition, the two-drug combination has a greater production rate of reactive oxygen species but a lower level of Ca2+ release and mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm ) than that of 5-FU alone. Combined drugs also induced higher caspase-3 and caspase-8 activities than that of casticin alone and higher caspase-9 activity than that of 5-FU or casticin alone at 48 hours treatment. Furthermore, 5-FU combined with casticin has a higher expression of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD [Cu/Zn]) and lower catalase than that of 5-FU or casticin treatment alone. The combined treatment has higher levels of Bax, Endo G, and cytochrome C of proapoptotic proteins than that of casticin alone and induced lower levels of B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) and BCL-X of antiapoptotic proteins than that of 5-FU or casticin only. Furthermore, the combined treatment had a higher expression of cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) than that of casticin only. Based on these findings, we may suggest that 5-FU combined with casticin treatment increased apoptotic cell death in WEHI-3 mouse leukemia cells that may undergo mitochondria and caspases signaling pathways in vitro.

Astragaloside IV Induces Apoptosis, G1-Phase Arrest and Inhibits Anti-apoptotic Signaling in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary malignancy of the liver and the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Although multiple chemotherapies options are available for HCC, chemo-induced toxicity is inevitable during clinical treatment. Therefore, identifying possible adjuvant agents with both liver-protective and antitumor effects is critical. Herbal medicines have chemopreventive and anti-HCC effect, such as Juzen taiho-to and Sho-saiko-to. Astragaloside IV is a compound extracted from the Chinese medical herb Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge. with liver protection potential. However, whether astragaloside IV may also possess tumor-inhibitory capability and its underlying mechanism is remaining unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Viability analysis, cell-cycle analysis, apoptosis analysis, western blotting analysis and invasion trans-well assay were performed to identify tumor-inhibitory potential of astragaloside IV on HCC cells (SK-Hep1 and Hep3B cells). RESULTS: We found that astragaloside IV may induce cytotoxicity and extrinsic/intrinsic apoptosis effect, but also trigger G1 arrest in HCC cells. The expression of anti-apoptotic proteins of HCC were all reduced by astragaloside IV. Additionally, astragaloside IV also suppressed HCC cell invasion ability. CONCLUSION: Astragaloside IV effectively suppressed HCC cell proliferation, invasion and anti-apoptosis in vitro.