Indole-3-carbinol as a chemopreventive and anti-cancer agent

Evolution of important glucosinolates in three common Brassica vegetables during their processing into vegetable powder and in vitro gastric digestion

Evolution of important glucosinolates (GLSs), namely, sinigrin, glucoraphanin, glucoerucin and glucobrassicin, in three commonly consumed Brassica vegetables viz. white cabbage, Chinese cabbage and bok choy during their processing into vegetable powder was investigated. Drying was noted to be a major processing step causing significant losses of GLSs. Interestingly, different GLSs and even the same GLSs in different vegetables showed different thermal stabilities during drying. The stability of GLSs in vegetable powder during in vitro gastric digestion was also studied. Glucoraphanin exhibited the highest stability while glucobrassicin was the most vulnerable GLS under in vitro gastric conditions. White cabbage is found to be a promising material for the production of vegetable powder as it contains high contents of GLSs, especially glucoraphanin and glucoerucin, which are important precursors of anticarcinogenic compounds, namely sulforaphane and erucin. These two GLSs were also noted to be stable during in vitro gastric digestion.

Regulation of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Signaling Pathway and Dioxin Toxicity by Novel Agonists and Antagonists

Dioxins, mostly through activation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), are potent toxic substances widely distributed in the environment, while moderated suppression of AhR also exhibits anti-tumor effects. Therefore, the proper modulation of AhR activity may counteract AhR-mediated toxicities and certain diseases. In this investigation, we identified several novel AhR moderate agonists and antagonists using chemical biology approaches. The mechanisms and mode of interactions with AhR by these hits were also revealed using both experimental and computational studies. The newly identified AhR moderate agonists and antagonists were predicted to bind to AhR and modulate AhR signaling. The structure-activity relationships of moderate agonists and antagonists and their unique binding features with AhR have created a solid framework for further optimization of the next generation of AhR modulators.

An Experimental Study of the Effect of Diindolylmethane on Alveolocyte and Hepatocyte Adhesion Strength in Mice

We studied the effect of diindolylmethane in a dose of 600 mg/kg on the change in adhesion strength of alveolocytes and hepatocytes in CBA mice. Diindolylmethane was administered intragastrically to experimental animals for 10 days, controls intragastrically received an equivalent volume of saline. At the end of the therapeutic period, mice treated with diindolylmethane showed a significant increase in the adhesion strength of alveolocytes by 16% (p=0.003) and hepatocytes by 61% (p=0.0001) in comparison with the control group, which indicates the antipromotor activity of diindolylmethane.

Targeting Aryl hydrocarbon receptor for next-generation immunotherapies: Selective modulators (SAhRMs) versus rapidly metabolized ligands (RMAhRLs)

Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) constitutes a major network hub of genomic and non-genomic signaling pathways, connecting host's immune cells to environmental factors. It shapes innate and adaptive immune processes to environmental stimuli with species-, cell- and tissue-type dependent specificity. Although an ever increasing number of studies has thrust AhR into the limelight as attractive target for the development of next-generation immunotherapies, concerns exist on potential safety issues associated with small molecule modulation of the receptor. Selective AhR modulators (SAhRMs) and rapidly metabolized AhR ligands (RMAhRLs) are two classes of receptor agonists that are emerging as interesting lead compounds to bypass AhR-related toxicity in favor of therapeutic effects. In this article, we discuss SAhRMs and RMAhRLs reported in literature, covering concepts underlying their definitions, specific binding modes, structure-activity relationships and AhR-mediated functions.

Profiling glucosinolate metabolites in human urine and plasma after broccoli consumption using non-targeted and targeted metabolomic analyses

Broccoli is a popular brassica vegetable and its consumption may decrease the occurrence of cancer in certain populations. To gain insight into the metabolites that may induce physiological responses to broccoli intake, a non-targeted metabolomic approach and a targeted approach for analysis of glucosinolate metabolites were developed using high resolution accurate mass spectrometry. A human study was conducted in which 6 subjects consumed a single meal of 200 g of uncooked broccoli florets. The metabolomic analysis revealed changes in endogenous metabolites and a decrease in hippuric acid after broccoli consumption. Targeted analysis using high-resolution, accurate mass-mass spectrometry (HRAM-MS) enabled detection of low concentrations (nM) of glucosinolate metabolites in human urine and plasma. Glucosinolate metabolites were found in human urine (13) and plasma (8), respectively. Metabolites from methoxyl-indole glucosinolates, arising from broccoli consumption, are reported for the first time. Most glucosinolate metabolites reached their peak concentration in urine 2-4 h after consumption while, in plasma, peak maxima were achieved 2 h after intake. The results suggest that glucoraphanin metabolites (sulforaphane, sulforaphane cysteine, sulforaphane N-acetyl cysteine) and indole metabolites (ascorbigen and methoxyl ascorbigen from indole glucosinolates) may serve as marker compounds for the intake of broccoli.

An insight into the medicinal perspective of synthetic analogs of indole: A review

Heterocycles occupy a salient place in chemistry due to their wide range of activity in the fields of drug design, photochemistry, agrochemicals, dyes, and so on. Amongst all, indole scaffold is considered as one of the most promising heterocycles found in natural and synthetic sources and has been shown to possess various biological activity, including anti-inflammatory, anti-HIV, antitubercular, antimalarial, anticonvulsant, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, analgesics, antidepressant, anticancer, antioxidant, antifungal, and antimicrobial, etc. All the reported indole molecules bind to multiple receptors with high affinity, thus expedite the research on the development of novel biologically active compounds through the various approach. In this review, we aimed to highlight synthetic and medicinal perspective on the development of indole-based analogs. In addition, structural activity relationship (SAR) study to correlate for their biological activity also discussed.

Medicinal chemistry of indole derivatives: Current to future therapeutic prospectives

Indole is a versatile pharmacophore, a privileged scaffold and an outstanding heterocyclic compound with wide ranges of pharmacological activities due to different mechanisms of action. It is an superlative moiety in drug discovery with the sole property of resembling different structures of the protein. Plenty of research has been taking place in recent years to synthesize and explore the various therapeutic prospectives of this moiety. This review summarizes some of the recent effective chemical synthesis (2014-2018) for indole ring. This review also emphasized on the structure-activity relationship (SAR) to reveal the active pharmacophores of various indole analogues accountable for anticancer, anticonvulsant, antimicrobial, antitubercular, antimalarial, antiviral, antidiabetic and other miscellaneous activities which have been investigated in the last five years. The precise features with motives and framework of each research topic is introduced for helping the medicinal chemists to understand the perspective of the context in a better way. This review will definitely offer the platform for researchers to strategically design diverse novel indole derivatives having different promising pharmacological activities with reduced toxicity and side effects.

Inhibition of Tumor Growth by Dietary Indole-3-Carbinol in a Prostate Cancer Xenograft Model May Be Associated with Disrupted Gut Microbial Interactions

Accumulated evidence suggests that the cruciferous vegetables-derived compound indole-3-carbinol (I3C) may protect against prostate cancer, but the precise mechanisms underlying its action remain unclear. This study aimed to verify the hypothesis that the beneficial effect of dietary I3C may be due to its modulatory effect on the gut microbiome of mice. Athymic nude mice (5–7 weeks old, male, Balb c/c nu/nu) with established tumor xenografts were fed a basal diet (AIN-93) with or without 1 µmoles I3C/g for 9 weeks. The effects of dietary I3C on gut microbial composition and microbial species interactions were then examined by 16s rRNA gene-based sequencing and co-occurrence network analysis. I3C supplementation significantly inhibited tumor growth (p < 0.0001) and altered the structure of gut microbiome. The abundance of the phylum Deferribacteres, more specifically, Mucispirillum schaedleri, was significantly increased by dietary I3C. Additionally, I3C consumption also changed gut microbial co-occurrence patterns. One of the network modules in the control group, consisting of seven bacteria in family S-27, was positively correlated with tumor size (p < 0.009). Moreover, dietary I3C disrupted microbial interactions and altered this association between specific microbial network and tumor development. Our results unraveled complex relationships among I3C ingestion, gut microbiota, and prostate tumor development and may provide a novel insight into the mechanism for the chemopreventive effect of dietary I3C on prostate cancer.

in vitro Cytotoxic Evaluation of Some New Synthesized Pyridazine Derivatives

A series of novel pyridazine, pyrazoles, pyrimidines derivatives have been synthesized through the reaction of chloropyridazine (1) with p-phenylenediamine to give compound 2. Diazotization of compound 2 followed by coupling with active methylene compounds namely acetylacetone, ethylcyanoacetate and/or ethylacetoacetate afforded novel hydrazons derivatives (4-6). The resulting hydrazons can have been cyclized using hydrazine hydrate and guanidine gave the corresponding pyrazoles (7-9) and pyimidine (10) derivatives. Reaction of compound 2 with acrylonitrile, aromatic aldehyde, p-chloroacetophenone and phenyl isothiocyanate gave compounds 11, 12a, 12b, 13 and 17, respectively. The latter compounds have been used in synthesis of some heterocyclic compounds. The cytotoxic activity of the most active compounds was assessed in vitro against breast carcinoma cell line (MCF-7), human liver cancer cell line (HEPG2), human colon cancer cell line (HCT). Compounds 4, 8 showed best activity against MCF-7 cell line, compounds 5, 13a showed best activity against HePG2 cell line and compound 10 showed best activity against HCT cell line.

Selected Office Based Anticancer Treatment Strategies

Over the years, the treatment of patients with cancer has varied widely as much because of recent advancements in science and medicine as the philosophies that belie their use. This paper briefly describes many of the prevailing approaches in use today with an attempt to offer some perspective of how to apply these disparate methodologies so that they may be more effectively integrated, resulting in consistently better clinical responses.

A new promising way of maintenance therapy in advanced ovarian cancer: a comparative clinical study

Background

There is an urgent need for more novel and efficacious therapeutic agents and strategies for the treatment of ovarian cancer - one of the most formidable female malignancies. These approaches should be based on comprehensive understanding of the pathobiology of this cancer and focused on decreasing its recurrence and metastasis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of five-year maintenance therapy with indole-3-carbinol (I3C) as well as I3C and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) conducted before, during, and after combined treatment compared with combined treatment alone in advanced ovarian cancer.

Methods

Patients with stage III-IV serous ovarian cancer were assigned to receive combined treatment plus I3C (arm 1), combined treatment plus I3C and EGCG (arm 2), combined treatment plus I3C and EGCG plus long-term platinum-taxane chemotherapy (arm 3), combined treatment alone without neoadjuvant platinum-taxane chemotherapy (control arm 4), and combined treatment alone (control arm 5). Combined treatment included neoadjuvant platinum-taxane chemotherapy, surgery, and adjuvant platinum-taxane chemotherapy. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) and rate of patients with recurrent ovarian cancer with ascites after combined treatment.

Results

After five years of follow-up, maintenance therapy dramatically prolonged PFS and OS compared to control. Median OS was 60.0 months (95% CI: 58.0–60.0 months) in arm 1, 60.0 months (95% CI: 60.0–60.0 months) in arms 2 and 3 while 46.0 months (95% СI: 28.0–60.0 months) in arm 4, and 44.0 months (95% СI: 33.0–58.0 months) in arm 5. Median PFS was 39.5 months (95% СI: 28.0–49.0 months) in arm 1, 42.5 months (95% СI: 38.0–49.0 months) in arm 2, 48.5 months (95% СI: 39.0–53.0 months) in arm 3, 24.5 months (95% СI: 14.0–34.0 months) in arm 4, 22.0 months (95% СI: 15.0–26.0 months) in arm 5. The rate of patients with recurrent ovarian cancer with ascites after combined treatment was significantly less in maintenance therapy arms compared to control.

Conclusions

Long-term usage of I3C and EGCG may represent a new promising way of maintenance therapy in advanced ovarian cancer patients, which achieved better treatment outcomes.

Trial registration

Retrospectively registered with ANZCTR number: ACTRN12616000394448. Date of registration: 24/03/2016.

The Environmental Sensor AHR Protects from Inflammatory Damage by Maintaining Intestinal Stem Cell Homeostasis and Barrier Integrity

The epithelium and immune compartment in the intestine are constantly exposed to a fluctuating external environment. Defective communication between these compartments at this barrier surface underlies susceptibility to infections and chronic inflammation. Environmental factors play a significant, but mechanistically poorly understood, role in intestinal homeostasis. We found that regeneration of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) upon injury through infection or chemical insults was profoundly influenced by the environmental sensor aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). IEC-specific deletion of Ahr resulted in failure to control C. rodentium infection due to unrestricted intestinal stem cell (ISC) proliferation and impaired differentiation, culminating in malignant transformation. AHR activation by dietary ligands restored barrier homeostasis, protected the stem cell niche, and prevented tumorigenesis via transcriptional regulation of of Rnf43 and Znrf3, E3 ubiquitin ligases that inhibit Wnt-β-catenin signaling and restrict ISC proliferation. Thus, activation of the AHR pathway in IECs guards the stem cell niche to maintain intestinal barrier integrity.

Synthesis, Biological Evaluation and Molecular Docking of Novel Indole-Aminoquinazoline Hybrids for Anticancer Properties

A series of indole-aminoquinazolines was prepared via amination of the 2-aryl-4-chloroquinazolines with the 7-amino-2-aryl-5-bromoindoles. It was then evaluated for cytotoxicity in vitro against human lung cancer (A549), epithelial colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2), hepatocellular carcinoma (C3A), breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), and cervical cancer (HeLa) cells. A combination on the quinazoline and indole moieties of a 2-phenyl and 2-(4-fluorophenyl) rings in compound 4b; 2-(4-fluorophenyl) and 3-chlorophenyl rings in compound 4f; or the two 2-(4-fluorophenyl) rings in compound 4g, resulted in significant and moderate activity against the Caco-2 and C3A cell lines. The indole-aminoquinazoline hybrids compounds 4f and 4g induced apoptosis in Caco-2 and C3A cells, and were also found to exhibit moderate (IC₅₀ = 52.5 nM) and significant (IC₅₀ = 40.7 nM) inhibitory activity towards epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) against gefitinib (IC₅₀ = 38.9 nM). Molecular docking suggests that 4a–h could bind to the ATP region of EGFR like erlotinib.

3,3'-Diindolylmethane Enhances Glucose Uptake Through Activation of Insulin Signaling in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes

OBJECTIVE

Indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a naturally occurring compound found in cruciferous vegetables, and its metabolite 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) reduce body mass and serum glucose levels in high-fat-diet-induced obese mice. This study aimed to determine whether I3C or DIM could increase glucose uptake via enhanced insulin sensitivity in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, as well as the mechanism involved.

METHODS

3T3-L1 preadipocytes were differentiated by using a mixture of adipogenic inducers, including a suboptimal concentration of insulin.

RESULTS

DIM, but not I3C, increased adipocyte differentiation through upregulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α. DIM also enhanced glucose uptake by increasing expression of glucose transporter 4 in adipocytes. This was associated with DIM-enhanced phosphorylation of the signaling intermediates Akt, insulin receptor substrate-1, and insulin receptor early in differentiation.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that DIM may improve insulin sensitivity through the activation of the insulin signaling pathway, leading to enhanced glucose uptake.

Home food preparation techniques impacted the availability of natural antioxidants and bioactivities in kale and broccoli

This study evaluated the effects of grinding and chopping with/without microwaving on the health-beneficial components, and antioxidant, anti-inflammation and anti-proliferation capacities of commercial kale and broccoli samples. The availability of indole-3-carbinol (I3C) was evaluated using high-performance liquid chromatography. The total phenolic contents, the scavenging activities against DPPH, oxygen, hydroxyl and ABTS cation radicals, and cell-based antioxidant activities were determined for the antioxidant capacities. The results indicated that chopping released the least nutraceutical components and antioxidant compounds. Microwaving had no effect on the I3C release from kale, but resulted in an elevated (more than 2-fold) release of I3C from broccoli. In addition, the choice of a blender affected the availability of the anti-proliferative compounds from the vegetables, while it had no effect on the availability of their anti-inflammatory compounds. In summary, different food preparation methods could strongly impact the availability of bioactive factors in the selected vegetables. These findings suggest that choosing an appropriate food processing method for each vegetable might be critical to obtain desirable health-beneficial effects.

Effects of indole-3-carbinol on steroid hormone profile and tumor progression in a mice model of canine inflammatory mammarycancer

Background

Indole-3-carbinol, derived from Cruciferous vegetables is an estrogen receptor antagonist considered a preventive agent that is naturally present in diet. There are no previous studies on its effects in human inflammatory breast cancer or canine inflammatory mammary cancer that is the most aggressive type of breast cancer.

Methods

The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of indole-3-carbinol on a SCID mice xenograft model of canine inflammatory mammary cancer, using equivalent human oral dose as a preventive therapy in humans for 3 weeks.

Results

Indole-3-carbinol treatment decreased tumor proliferation and increased apoptosis, although tumor embolization and liver metastasis were observed in some animals. There was a characteristic subpopulation of lipid-rich cells and increased contents of select steroid hormones in tumor homogenates and serum.

Conclusions

Our data reveal for the first time that the ingestion of indole-3-carbinol, as administered, diminishes proliferation and increases apoptosis of tumor cells in an experimental model of inflammatory breast cancer, although this effect could not be enough to avoid the appearance of tumor embolization and metastasis. Future clinical trials will be needed to clarify the usefulness of indole-3-carbinol in this cancer and to understand the molecular mechanisms involved.

Indole-3-carbinol: a plant hormone combatting cancer

A diet rich in cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage has long been considered healthy, and various epidemiological studies suggest that the consumption of cruciferous vegetables contributes to a cancer-protecting diet. While these vegetables contain a vast array of phytochemicals, the mechanism by which these vegetables counteract cancer is still largely unresolved. Numerous in situ studies have implicated indole-3-carbinol, a breakdown product of the glucosinolate indole-3-ylmethylglucosinolate, as one of the phytochemicals with anti-cancer properties. Indole-3-carbinol influences a range of cellular processes, but the mechanisms by which it acts on cancer cells are slowly being revealed. Recent studies on the role of indole-3-carbinol in Arabidopsis opens the door for cross-kingdom comparisons that can help in understanding the roles of this important phytohormone in both plant biology and combatting cancer.

Indole-3-Carbinol Promotes Goblet-Cell Differentiation Regulating Wnt and Notch Signaling Pathways AhR-Dependently

Using an in vitro model of intestinal organoids derived from intestinal crypts, we examined effects of indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a phytochemical that has anticancer and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-activating abilities and thus is sold as a dietary supplement, on the development of intestinal organoids and investigated the underlying mechanisms. I3C inhibited the in vitro development of mouse intestinal organoids. Addition of α-naphthoflavone, an AhR antagonist or AhR siRNA transfection, suppressed I3C function, suggesting that I3C-mediated interference with organoid development is AhR-dependent. I3C increased the expression of Muc2 and lysozyme, lineage-specific genes for goblet cells and Paneth cells, respectively, but inhibits the expression of IAP, a marker gene for enterocytes. In the intestines of mice treated with I3C, the number of goblet cells was reduced, but the number of Paneth cells and the depth and length of crypts and villi were not changed. I3C increased the level of active nonphosphorylated β-catenin, but suppressed the Notch signal. As a result, expression of Hes1, a Notch target gene and a transcriptional repressor that plays a key role in enterocyte differentiation, was reduced, whereas expression of Math1, involved in the differentiation of secretory lineages, was increased. These results provide direct evidence for the role of AhR in the regulation of the development of intestinal stem cells and indicate that such regulation is likely mediated by regulation of Wnt and Notch signals.

Kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) as a superfood: Review of the scientific evidence behind the statement

Kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) is a cruciferous vegetable, characterized by leaves along the stem, which, in recent years, have gained a great popularity as a ´superfood´. Consequently, in a popular culture it is listed in many ´lists of the healthiest vegetables´. Without the doubt, a scientific evidences support the fact that cruciferous vegetables included in human diet can positively affect health and well-being, but remains unclear why kale is declared superior in comparison with other cruciferous. It is questionable if this statement about kale is triggered by scientific evidence or by some other factors. Our review aims to bring an overview of kale's botanical characteristics, agronomic requirements, contemporary and traditional use, macronutrient and phytochemical content and biological activity, in order to point out the reasons for tremendous kale popularity.

OSU-A9 inhibits pancreatic cancer cell lines by modulating p38-JAK-STAT3 signaling

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive malignancy that is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. Since there is a dire need for novel and effective therapies to improve the poor survival rates of advanced pancreatic cancer patients, we analyzed the antitumor effects of OSU-A9, an indole-3-carbinol derivative, on pancreatic cancer cell lines in vitro and in vivo. OSU-A9 exhibited a stronger antitumor effect than gemcitabine on two pancreatic cancer cell lines, including gemcitabine-resistant PANC-1 cells. OSU-A9 treatment induced apoptosis, the down-regulation of Akt phosphorylation, up-regulation of p38 phosphorylation and decreased phosphorylation of JAK and STAT3. Cell migration and invasiveness assays showed that OSU-A9 reduced cancer cell aggressiveness and inhibited BxPC-3 xenograft growth in nude mice. These results suggest that OSU-A9 modulates the p38-JAK-STAT3 signaling module, thereby inducing cytotoxicity in pancreatic cancer cells. Continued evaluation of OSU-A9 as a potential therapeutic agent for pancreatic cancer thus appears warrented.

Natural polymer functionalized graphene oxide for co-delivery of anticancer drugs: In-vitro and in-vivo

The present study focuses on the development of a chitosan functionalized nanobiocomposite for the co-delivery of two anti-cancer drugs camptothecin (CPT) and 3,3'‑Diindolylmethane (DIM). The difference in the mechanism of action of the two drugs makes them a promising candidate to produce a synergistic effect against breast cancer. Herein a nanobiocomposite was developed by functionalizing a natural polymer chitosan to graphene oxide nanoparticles and decorated with folic acid. The nanobiocomposite thus synthesized was loaded with camptothecin and 3,3'‑Diindolylmethane and characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-visible spectroscopy (UV) and atomic force microscopy (AFM).Biocompatibility was assayed by hemolysis and anti-inflammatory assay. The cellular toxicity was measured by 3‑(4,5‑Dimethylthiazol‑2‑yl)‑2,5‑Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide (MTT), Sulforhodamine B (SRB) and cell death assay against MCF-7 cell lines. Further in vivo studies were carried out to analyze the biodistribution of the drug, blood biochemical analysis and bioavailability of the drug. The data revealed a significant increase in anticancer activity after co-loading of CPT and DIM to the nanocarrier. Also in-vivo studies revealed that DIM successfully masked the toxic effects produced by CPT.

Natural Products for the Management and Prevention of Breast Cancer

Among all types of cancer, breast cancer is one of the most challenging diseases, which is responsible for a large number of cancer related deaths. Hormonal therapy, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy have been used as treatment of breast cancer, for a very long time. Due to severe side effects and multidrug resistance, these treatment approaches become increasingly ineffective. However, adoption of complementary treatment approach can be a big solution for this situation, as it is evident that compounds derived from natural source have a great deal of anticancer activity. Natural compounds can fight against aggressiveness of breast cancer, inhibit cancerous cell proliferation, and modulate cancer related pathways. A large number of research works are now focusing on the natural and dietary compounds and trying to find out new and more effective treatment strategies for the breast cancer patients. In this review, we discussed some significant natural chemical compounds with their mechanisms of actions, which can be very effective against the breast cancer and can be more potent by their proper modifications and further clinical research. Future research focusing on the natural anti-breast-cancer agents can open a new horizon in breast cancer treatment, which will play a great role in enhancing the survival rate of breast cancer patients.

Mephebrindole, a synthetic indole analog coordinates the crosstalk between p38MAPK and eIF2α/ATF4/CHOP signalling pathways for induction of apoptosis in human breast carcinoma cells

The efficacy of cancer chemotherapeutics is limited by side effects resulting from narrow therapeutic windows between the anticancer activity of a drug and its cytotoxicity. Thus identification of small molecules that can selectively target cancer cells has gained major interest. Cancer cells under stress utilize the Unfolded protein response (UPR) as an effective cell adaptation mechanism. The purpose of the UPR is to balance the ER folding environment and calcium homeostasis under stress. If ER stress is prolonged, tumor cells undergo apoptosis. In the present study we demonstrated an 3,3'-(Arylmethylene)-bis-1H-indole (AMBI) derivative 3,3'-[(4-Methoxyphenyl) methylene]-bis-(5-bromo-1H-indole), named as Mephebrindole (MPB) as an effective anti-cancer agent in breast cancer cells. MPB disrupted calcium homeostasis in MCF7 cells which triggered ER stress development. Detailed evaluations revealed that mephebrindole by activating p38MAPK also regulated GRP78 and eIF2α/ATF4 downstream to promote apoptosis. Studies extended to in vivo allograft mice models revalidated its anti-carcinogenic property thus highlighting the role of MPB as an improved chemotherapeutic option.

Enhancement of colon carcinogenesis by the combination of indole-3 carbinol and synbiotics in hemin-fed rats

The risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC) could be associated with red and processed meat intake. Experimental data supports that hemin iron, found abundantly in red meat, promotes CRC in mice and rats, while indole-3 carbinol (I3C) and synbiotics (syn) exert anti-carcinogenic activities in most studies of colon carcinogenesis. This study aimed to investigate the modifying effects of I3C and syn (inulin + Bifidobacterium lactis), given separately or together, on dimethylhidrazine (DMH)-induced colon carcinogenesis in hemin-fed rats. All animals were given four subcutaneous DMH injections and then, two weeks after carcinogen exposure, they began a basal diet containing hemin, hemin + I3C, hemin + syn, or hemin + I3C + syn for 23 weeks. The combination of I3C + syn significantly increased fecal water genotoxicity, tumor volume and invasiveness when compared to the hemin-fed control group. The groups fed I3C or syn alone had a significant reduction in the number of preneoplastic aberrant crypt foci (ACF) lesions compared to the hemin-fed group. Dietary I3C also reduced fecal water genotoxicity. Gene expression analysis of colorectal tumors demonstrated that the combination of dietary I3C + syn increased transcript levels for Raf1 and decreased tumor progression and invasiveness related to the genes Cdh1 and Appl1. This analysis also revealed that the Tnf and Cdh1 genes were significantly up- and down-regulated, respectively, in tumors of rats that received I3C, in comparison with the hemin-fed group. These findings reveal that the joint administration of I3C and syn enhanced the development of colon tumors induced by DMH in hemin-fed rats, while they potentially reduced ACF development when given alone.

Solvent-Free Addition of Indole to Aldehydes: Unexpected Synthesis of Novel 1-[1-(1H-Indol-3-yl) Alkyl]-1H-Indoles and Preliminary Evaluation of Their Cytotoxicity in Hepatocarcinoma Cells

New 1-[1-(1H-indol-3-yl) alkyl]-1H-indoles, surprisingly, have been obtained from the addition of indole to a variety of aldehydes under neat conditions. CaO, present in excess, was fundamental for carrying out the reaction with paraformaldehyde. Under the same reaction conditions, aromatic and heteroaromatic aldehydes afforded only classical bis (indolyl) aryl indoles. In this paper, the role of CaO, together with the regiochemistry and the mechanism of the reaction, are discussed in detail. The effect of some selected 3,3′- and 1,3′-diindolyl methane derivatives on cell proliferation of the hepatoma cell line FaO was also evaluated.

Awareness and current knowledge of breast cancer

Breast cancer remains a worldwide public health dilemma and is currently the most common tumour in the globe. Awareness of breast cancer, public attentiveness, and advancement in breast imaging has made a positive impact on recognition and screening of breast cancer. Breast cancer is life-threatening disease in females and the leading cause of mortality among women population. For the previous two decades, studies related to the breast cancer has guided to astonishing advancement in our understanding of the breast cancer, resulting in further proficient treatments. Amongst all the malignant diseases, breast cancer is considered as one of the leading cause of death in post menopausal women accounting for 23% of all cancer deaths. It is a global issue now, but still it is diagnosed in their advanced stages due to the negligence of women regarding the self inspection and clinical examination of the breast. This review addresses anatomy of the breast, risk factors, epidemiology of breast cancer, pathogenesis of breast cancer, stages of breast cancer, diagnostic investigations and treatment including chemotherapy, surgery, targeted therapies, hormone replacement therapy, radiation therapy, complementary therapies, gene therapy and stem-cell therapy etc for breast cancer.

WITHDRAWN: The anti-cancer properties in parallel with toxic effects of indole-3-carbinol derivatives

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Indole-3-carbinol induces apoptosis of chronic myelogenous leukemia cells through suppression of STAT5 and Akt signaling pathways

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 and Akt pathways, implicated in signaling transduction downstream of BCR-ABL, play critical roles in the pathogenesis of chronic myeloid leukemia. Therefore, idenication of novel compounds that modulate the activity of such pathways could be a new approach in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia. Previous studies have demonstrated that indole-3-carbinol inhibits the proliferation and induces apoptosis of various tumor cells. However, its anticancer activity against chronic myeloid leukemia cells and the underlying mechanism remain unclear. Our data revealed that indole-3-carbinol promoted mitochondrial apoptosis of chronic myeloid leukemia-derived K562 cells, as evidenced by the activation of caspases and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage. Treatment with indole-3-carbinol was found to be associated with a decrease in the cellular levels of phospho-Akt and phospho-signal transducer and activator of transcription 5. In addition, real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that the downregulation of genes is regulated by Akt and signal transducer and activator of transcription 5. We also found that treatment with indole-3-carbinol resulted in the activation of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and reduced expression of human telomerase and c-Myc. Collectively, these results demonstrate that the oncogenic signal transducer and activator of transcription 5/Akt pathway is a cellular target for indole-3-carbinol in chronic myeloid leukemia cells. Thus, this clinically tested natural compound can be a potential candidate in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia following confirmation with clinical studies.

E-Cadherin/β-Catenin Complex: A Target for Anticancer and Antimetastasis Plants/Plant-derived Compounds

Plants reputed to have cancer-inhibiting potential and putative active components derived from those plants have emerged as an exciting new field in cancer study. Some of these compounds have cancer-inhibiting potential in different clinical staging levels, especially metastasis. A few of them which stabilize cell-cell adhesions are controversial topics. This review article introduces some effective herbal compounds that target E-cadherin/β-catenin protein complex. In this article, at first, we briefly review the structure and function of E-cadherin and β-catenin proteins, Wnt signaling pathway, and its target genes. Then, effective compounds of the Teucrium persicum, Teucrium polium, Allium sativum (garlic), Glycine max (soy), and Brassica oleracea (broccoli) plants, which influence stability and cellular localization of E-cadherin/β-catenin complex, were studied. Based on literature review, there are some compounds in these plants, including genistein of soy, sulforaphane of broccoli, organosulfur compounds of garlic, and the total extract of Teucrium genus that change the expression of variety of Wnt target genes such as MMPs, E-cadherin, p21, p53, c-myc, and cyclin D1. So they may induce cell-cycle arrest, apoptosis and/or inhibition of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) and metastasis.

3,3'-diindolylmethane downregulates cyclin D1 through triggering endoplasmic reticulum stress in colorectal cancer cells

As a major in vivo condensation product of indole-3-carbinol, which is mostly present in cruciferous vegetables, 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) has been previously reported with anti-proliferative action in different types of cancer by our group and others. To further elucidate these underlying mechanisms, we examined the effect of DIM on cyclin D1, which was aberrantly overexpressed in various cancer cells and tumors. Herein, we found that DIM downregulated cyclin D1 expression in colorectal cancer cells (CRC), which was independent of PPARγ expression and protease activity. Furthermore, DIM did not affect cyclin D1 mRNA expression, suggesting DIM modulated cyclin D1 expression at the translational level. Subsequently, blocking eIF2α phosphorylation resulted from endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress restored cyclin D1 in the presence of DIM. Thus, the present study demonstrates that DIM downregulates cyclin D1 through triggering ER stress in human colorectal cancer cells.

Normal human immune cells are sensitive to telomerase inhibition by Brassica-derived 3,3-diindolylmethane,partly mediated via ERα/β-AP1 signaling

SCOPE

Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) from Brassica plants are regarded as promising anticancer phytochemicals. The enzyme telomerase is a very attractive target for cancer therapeutics; in normal cells such as lymphocytes, it plays a decisive role for cell maintenance. The effect of I3C and DIM on telomerase in normal human immune cells (PBMC) was studied compared to leukaemia cells (HL-60). Signalling of telomerase regulation via estrogen receptor (ER) was addressed.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Short-term treatment with I3C and DIM inhibited telomerase activity in leukaemia cells (>30 μM I3C; >3 μM DIM). In CD3/CD28 activated PBMC, inhibition was stronger, though (>3 μM I3C; >1 μM DIM). DIM long-term treatment resulted in DNA damage induction and proliferation inhibition in PBMC as determined by the comet assay and CFSE staining, respectively. A relevance of ERα/β-AP1 signaling for telomerase inhibition on enzyme activity, but not transcription level became evident indicating a nonclassical mode for ER regulation of telomerase by DIM.

CONCLUSION

Although desired in cancer cells, this study identified a potential adverse impact of I3C and DIM on telomerase action in normal human immune cells, partly mediated by an ER-dependent mechanism. These new findings should be considered for potential chronic high-dose chemoprevention strategies using these compounds.

Visible light-induced tandem oxidative cyclization of 2-alkynylanilines with disulfides (diselenides) to 3-sulfenyl- and 3-selenylindoles under transition metal-free and photocatalyst-free conditions

A simple and efficient synthesis of 3-sulfenyl (3-selenyl) indoles via visible light-induced cyclization of 2-alkynylanilines with disulfides(diselenides) was developed under transition metal-free and photocatalyst-free conditions.

Synthesis of N-alkyl-3-sulfonylindoles and N-alkyl-3-sulfanylindoles by cascade annulation of 2-alkynyl-N,N-dialkylanilines

Divergent synthesis of N-alkyl-3-sulfonylindoles and N-alkyl-3-sulfanylindoles from 2-alkynyl-N,N-dialkylanilines and sulfonyl hydrazides has been described.

Brønsted acidic ionic liquid-promoted direct C3-acylation of N-unsubstituted indoles with acid anhydrides under microwave irradiation

A green and efficient method for the synthesis of 3-acylindoles using a Brønsted acidic ionic liquid under microwave irradiation has been developed.