The effects of dissociated glucocorticoids RU24858 and RU24782 on TPA-induced skin tumor promotion biomarkers in SENCAR mice

Characterization of β-Sitosterol for Potential Selective GR Modulation

BACKGROUND

Although glucocorticoids (GCs) are characterized as powerful agents to treat inflammatory afflictions, they are accompanied by metabolic side effects which limit their usage. β-Sitosterol, as a minor component found in extraction of vegetable oil, was reported to have anti-inflammatory effects in RAW 264.7 cells.

OBJECTIVE

To test whether β-sitosterol has an effect to dissociate transrepression from transactivation as a selective novel GR binder, this work evaluated the dissociated characteristics of β-sitosterol.

METHODS

The probable binding interaction between β-sitosterol and GR was explored by molecular docking. The GR transcriptional activity of β-sitosterol was assessed in the reporter gene assay. The ability of β-sitosterol to modulate the transactivation and transrepression of GR was evaluated by real-time quantitative PCR analysis.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

In the present study, β-sitosterol treatment cannot induce GR-mediated transactivation. β-Sitosterol exerted a potential to inhibited the expression of GR target transrepressed gene without activating the expression of GR transactivation dependent gene. Molecular docking demonstrated that β-Sitosterol was able to bind the ligand binding domain of GR but unable to induce GR activation.

CONCLUSION

This work offers evidence that β-sitosterol may serve as a selective GR modulator.

α-Mangostin inhibits DMBA/TPA-induced skin cancer through inhibiting inflammation and promoting autophagy and apoptosis by regulating PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in mice

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality, the treatment progress of which remains slow though. Therefore, studies identifying anti-skin cancer agents that are innocuous are urgently needed. α-Mangostin, a natural product isolated from the pericarp of mangosteen fruit, has potent anti-cancer activity. However, its role in skin cancer remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the treatment effect of α-mangostin on skin tumorigenesis induced by 9,10-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)/TPA in mice and the potential mechanism. Treatment with α-mangostin significantly suppressed tumor formation and growth, and markedly reduced the incidence rate. α-Mangostin not only inhibited the expressions of pro-inflammatory factors, but also promoted the production of anti-inflammatory factors in tumor and blood. It induced autophagy of skin tumor and regulated the expressions of autophagy-related proteins. The protein expressions of LC3, LC3-II and Beclin1 increased whereas those of LC3-I and p62 decreased after treatment with α-mangostin. Moreover, α-mangostin promoted the apoptosis of skin tumor dose-dependently by up-regulating of Bax, cleaved caspase-3, cleaved PARP and Bad, and down-regulating of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl. Furthermore, showed α-mangostin inhibited the PI3K/AKT/mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) signaling pathway, as evidenced by decreased expressions of phospho-PI3K (p-PI3K), p-Akt and p-mTOR, but did not affect the expressions of t-PI3K, t-Akt or t-mTOR. Collectively, α-mangostin suppressed murine skin tumorigenesis induced by DMBA/TPA through inhibiting inflammation and promoting autophagy and apoptosis by regulating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, as a potential candidate for future clinical therapy.

Selective glucocorticoid receptor-activating adjuvant therapy in cancer treatments

Although adverse effects and glucocorticoid resistance cripple their chronic use, glucocorticoids form the mainstay therapy for acute and chronic inflammatory disorders, and play an important role in treatment protocols of both lymphoid malignancies and as adjuvant to stimulate therapy tolerability in various solid tumors. Glucocorticoid binding to their designate glucocorticoid receptor (GR), sets off a plethora of cell-specific events including therapeutically desirable effects, such as cell death, as well as undesirable effects, including chemotherapy resistance, systemic side effects and glucocorticoid resistance. In this context, selective GR agonists and modulators (SEGRAMs) with a more restricted GR activity profile have been developed, holding promise for further clinical development in anti-inflammatory and potentially in cancer therapies. Thus far, the research into the prospective benefits of selective GR modulators in cancer therapy limped behind. Our review discusses how selective GR agonists and modulators could improve the therapy regimens for lymphoid malignancies, prostate or breast cancer. We summarize our current knowledge and look forward to where the field should move to in the future. Altogether, our review clarifies novel therapeutic perspectives in cancer modulation via selective GR targeting.

Chemopreventive efficacy of menthol on carcinogen-induced cutaneous carcinoma through inhibition of inflammation and oxidative stress in mice

Inflammation and oxidative stress have been implicated in various pathological processes including skin tumorigenesis. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality, the treatment progress of which remains slow though. Therefore, chemoprevention and other strategies are being considered. Menthol has shown high anticancer activity against various human cancers, but its effect on skin cancer has never been evaluated. We herein investigated the chemopreventive potential of menthol against 9,10-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)/12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced inflammation, oxidative stress and skin carcinogenesis in female ICR mice. Pretreatment with menthol at various doses significantly suppressed tumor formation and growth, and markedly reduced tumor incidence and volume. Moreover, menthol inhibited TPA-induced skin hyperplasia and inflammation, and significantly suppressed the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Furthermore, pretreatment with menthol inhibited the formation of reactive oxygen species and affected the activities of a battery of antioxidant enzymes in the skin. The expressions of NF-κB, Erk and p38 were down-regulated by menthol administration. Thus, inflammation and oxidative stress collectively played a crucial role in the chemopreventive efficacy of menthol on the murine skin tumorigenesis.