Evodiamine Suppresses ABCG2 Mediated Drug Resistance by Inhibiting p50/p65 NF-κB Pathway in Colorectal Cancer.

Evodiamine (Evo), extracted from the Chinese herbal medicine Evodia rutaecarpa, has cytotoxic effects on different types of human cancer cells. However, its effects on drug resistance and their molecular mechanism and therapeutic target in colorectal cancer are not well understood. In the present study, we observed that Evo inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis in adose-and time-dependent manner in HCT-116/L-OHP cells. Moreover, Evo treatment reduced Rhodamine 123 accumulation and ATPase activity in HCT-116/L-OHP cells, indicating that Evo decreased the efflux function in HCT-116/L-OHP cells. Interestingly, phosphorylation of NF-κB pathway, particularly p50/p65, was also inhibited by Evo treatment. Furthermore the effect of Evo in reversing drug resistance and suppressing phosphorylation of NF-κB pathway were attenuated after treatment with the NF-κB activator (LPS). Additionally, Evo inhibited the tumor growth in a colorectal MDR cancer xenograft model and down regulated p-NF-κB level in vivo. Our study provided the first direct evidence that Evo can attenuate multidrug resistance by blocking p-NF-κB signaling pathway in human colorectal cancer. Evo could be a potential candidate for cancer chemotherapy.

Zuo Jin Wan reverses P-gp-mediated drug-resistance by inhibiting activation of the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB pathway.

BACKGROUND: Zuo-Jin-Wan (ZJW), a traditional Chinese medicine formula, has been identified to be effective against drug resistance in cancer. In the present study, we investigated the effect of ZJW on acquired oxaliplatin-resistant and the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB pathway in vitro. METHODS: We tested the dose-response relationship of ZJW on reversing drug-resistance by CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry analysis in vitro. The protein expression of P-gp, MRP-2, LRP, and ABCB1 mRNA expression level were evaluated by Western blot and quantitative RT-PCR. The activities of PI3K/Akt/NF-κB pathway were also examined with or without ZJW, including Akt, IκB, p65 and their phosphorylation expression. RESULTS: We found that ZJW significantly enhanced the sensitivity of chemotherapeutic drugs and increased oxaliplatin (L-OHP)-induced cell apoptosis in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Moreover, both ZJW and a PI3K specific inhibitor (LY294002) suppressed phosphorylation of Akt (Ser473) and NF-κB, which is necessary in the activation of the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB pathway. The effect of ZJW in reversing drug-resistance and suppressing phosphorylation of Akt (Ser473) and NF-κB were weakened after treatment with a PI3K/Akt activator in HCT116/L-OHP cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our study has provided the first direct evidence that ZJW reverses drug-resistance in human colorectal cancer by blocking the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway, and could be considered as a useful drug for cancer therapy.

[Changes of tongue and pulse parameters in 50 lung cancer patients treated with integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the changes of tongue and pulse parameters in lung cancer patients after combined treatment with integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine, and to probe into the application of the tongue and pulse parameters in evaluation of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine therapy on lung cancer patients. METHODS: Electropulsograms and tongue pictures of 50 lung cancer patients were examined by TP-I digital electropulsography. The tongue and pulse parameters of the patients, including the indexes of moistness and dryness, thinness and thickness, fissure, swollenness and emaciation, greasiness and likeness of curd, and power spectral ratios (PSRs) 1, 2, 3, 4 and cepstrum spectral ratios (CSRs) 1, 2, 3, 4, were observed after 1-month and 2-month treatment with Yifei Kangliu Oral Liquid (a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine) plus chemotherapy, respectively. The above parameters of the lung cancer patients were compared before and after the treatment. RESULTS: PSR1 increased, while PSR2 decreased significantly after 1-month and 2-month treatment as compared with before treatment (P < 0.05). PSR1 decreased, while PSR2 increased after 2-month treatment as compared with after 1-month treatment (P < 0.05). PSR4 after 1-month treatment was lower than before treatment (P < 0.05). The tongue parameters including the indexes of moistness and dryness, and greasiness and likeness of curd increased significantly after 1-month and 2-month treatment as compared with before treatment (P < 0.05). The index of thinness and thickness decreased, while the index of fissure increased significantly after 1-month treatment as compared with before treatment (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Tongue and pulse parameters can be regarded as one of reference indexes in evaluation of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine therapy on lung cancer patients.

miR200c attenuates P-gp-mediated MDR and metastasis by targeting JNK2/c-Jun signaling pathway in colorectal cancer.

MicroRNA-200c (miR200c) recently emerged as an important regulator of tumorigenicity and cancer metastasis; however, its role in regulating multidrug resistance (MDR) remains unknown. In the current study, we found that the expression levels of miR200c in recurrent and metastatic colorectal cancers were significantly lower, whereas the JNK2 expression was higher compared with primary tumors. We showed that in MDR colorectal cancer cells, miR200c targeted the 3' untranslated region of the JNK2 gene. Overexpression of miR200c attenuated the levels of p-JNK, p-c-Jun, P-gp, and MMP-2/-9, the downstream factors of the JNK signaling pathway, resulting in increased sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs, which was accompanied by heightened apoptosis and decreased cell invasion and migration. Moreover, in an orthotopic MDR colorectal cancer mouse model, we demonstrated that overexpression of miR200c effectively inhibited the tumor growth and metastasis. At last, in the tumor samples from patients with locally advanced colorectal cancer with routine postsurgical chemotherapy, we observed an inverse correlation between the levels of mRNA expression of miR200c and JNK2, ABCB1, and MMP-9, thus predicting patient therapeutic outcomes. In summary, we found that miR200c negatively regulated the expression of JNK2 gene and increased the sensitivity of MDR colorectal cancer cells to chemotherapeutic drugs, via inhibiting the JNK2/p-JNK/p-c-Jun/ABCB1 signaling. Restoration of miR200c expression in MDR colorectal cancer may serve as a promising therapeutic approach in MDR-induced metastasis.

Effects of Jianpi Jiedu Recipe on reversion of P-glycoprotein-mediated multidrug resistance through COX-2 pathway in colorectal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the underlying mechanism of Jianpi Jiedu Recipe (, JJR) in the reversion of multidrug resistance concerning colorectal cancer in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: Mice were treated orally with JJR at a daily 4.25 g/(kg·day) or injected with vinblastine (VCR) 2.5 mg/(kg·day) for 3 weeks after having been inoculated with HCT8/V cells; tumor tissues were assayed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Firstly, the effects of JJR on the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) were tested by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique and COX-2 gene silenced by siRNA. Secondly, the variation of intracellular concentration of oxaliplatin (L-OHP) was evaluated by the inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICPMS) in HCT8/V and its COX-2 siRNA cells; the concentration of JJR combined with chemotherapeutic drugs and the reverse effect of multidrug resistance (MDR) in HCT8/V cells was evaluated by the MTT assay. Thirdly, real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot analysis were used to detect the multidrug resistance gene 1 (MDR1) mRNA and P-gp expression. RESULTS: JJR had an inhibitory effect on the growth of tumors in vivo, and it, in combination with chemotherapeutic drugs, could reverse the drug-resistance of HCT8/V cells and increase the sensitivity of HCT8/V cells to VCR, DDP, 5-Fu, and THP. ICP-MS results showed that JJR could increase the concentration of drugs in HCT8/V cells (P<0.01). Furthermore, it was shown that JJR could reverse drug resistance of colorectal cancer cells by decreasing MDR1 expression and P-gp level via downregulation of COX-2, which has been represented as one of the major mechanisms that contributes to the MDR phenotype (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: JJR reversed multidrug resistance and enhanced the sensitivity to chemotherapy, which could be attributed to the down-regulation of COX-2 in MDR1/P-gp-mediated MDR colorectal cancer after chemotherapy.

Zuo Jin Wan, a Traditional Chinese Herbal Formula, Reverses P-gp-Mediated MDR In Vitro and In Vivo.

Zuo Jin Wan (ZJW), a typical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, has been identified to have anticancer activity in recent studies. In this study, we determined the underlying mechanism of ZJW in the reversal effect of multidrug resistance on colorectal cancer in vitro and in vivo. Our results showed that ZJW significantly enhanced the sensitivity of chemotherapeutic drugs in HCT116/L-OHP, SGC7901/DDP, and Bel/Fu MDR cells. Moreover, combination of chemotherapy with ZJW could reverse the drug resistance of HCT116/L-OHP cells, increase the sensitivity of HCT116/L-OHP cells to L-OHP, DDP, 5-Fu, and MMC in vitro, and inhibit the tumor growth in the colorectal MDR cancer xenograft model. ICP-MS results showed that ZJW could increase the concentration of chemotherapeutic drugs in HCT116/L-OHP cells in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, we showed that ZJW could reverse drug resistance of colorectal cancer cells by decreasing P-gp level in vitro and in vivo, which has been represented as one of the major mechanisms that contribute to the MDR phenotype. Our study has provided the first direct evidence that ZJW plays an important role in reversing multidrug resistance of human colorectal cancer and may be considered as a useful target for cancer therapy.

Anti-tumor activity and apoptosis-regulation mechanisms of bufalin in various cancers: new hope for cancer patients.

The induction of apoptosis in target cells is a key mechanism for most anti-tumor therapies. Bufalin is a cardiotonic steroid that has the potential to induce differentiation and apoptosis of tumor cells. Research on bufalin has so far mainly involved leukemia, prostate cancer, gastric cancer and liver cancer, and has been confined to in vitro studies. The bufadienolides bufalin and cinobufagin have been shown to induce apoptosis in a wide spectrum of cancer cell. The present article reviews the anticancer effects of bufalin. It induces apoptosis of lung cancer cells via the PI3K/Akt pathway and also suppressed the proliferation of human non-small cell lung cancer A549 cell line in a time and dose dependent manner. Bufalin, bufotalin and gamabufotalin, key bufadienolides, significantly sensitize human breast cancer cells with differing ER-alpha status to apoptosis induction by the TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). In addition, bufadienolides induce prostate cancer cell apoptosis more significantly than that in breast epithelial cell lines. Similar effects have been observed with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) but the detailed molecular mechanisms of inducing apoptosis in this case are still unclear. Bufalin exerts profound effects on leukemia therapy in vitro. Results of multiple studies indicate that bufalin has marked anti-tumor activities through its ability to induce apoptosis. Large-scale randomized, double-blind, placebo or positive drug parallel controlled studies are now required to confirm the efficacy and apoptosis-inducing potential of bufalin in various cancers in the cliniucal setting.