Coptis japonica root extract induces apoptosis through caspase3 activation in SNU-668 human gastric cancer cells

Current Advances in Coptidis Rhizoma for Gastrointestinal and Other Cancers

Cancer is a serious disease with an increasing number of reported cases and high mortality worldwide. Gastrointestinal cancer defines a group of cancers in the digestive system, e.g., liver cancer, colorectal cancer, and gastric cancer. Coptidis Rhizoma (C. Rhizoma; Huanglian, in Chinese) is a classical Chinese medicinal botanical drug for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders and has been shown to have a wide variety of pharmacological activity, including antifungal, antivirus, anticancer, antidiabetic, hypoglycemic, and cardioprotective effects. Recent studies on C. Rhizoma present significant progress on its anticancer effects and the corresponding mechanisms as well as its clinical applications. Herein, keywords related to C. Rhizoma, cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, and omics were searched in PubMed and the Web of Science databases, and more than three hundred recent publications were reviewed and discussed. C. Rhizoma extract along with its main components, berberine, palmatine, coptisine, magnoflorine, jatrorrhizine, epiberberine, oxyepiberberine, oxyberberine, dihydroberberine, columbamine, limonin, and derivatives, are reviewed. We describe novel and classic anticancer mechanisms from various perspectives of pharmacology, pharmaceutical chemistry, and pharmaceutics. Researchers have transformed the chemical structures and drug delivery systems of these components to obtain better efficacy and bioavailability of C. Rhizoma. Furthermore, C. Rhizoma in combination with other drugs and their clinical application are also summarized. Taken together, C. Rhizoma has broad prospects as a potential adjuvant candidate against cancers, making it reasonable to conduct additional preclinical studies and clinical trials in gastrointestinal cancer in the future.

Phytoconstituents as apoptosis inducing agents: strategy to combat cancer

Advancement in the field of cancer molecular biology has aided researchers to develop various new chemopreventive agents which can target cancer cells exclusively. Cancer chemopreventive agents have proficiency to inhibit, reverse and delay process of carcinogenesis during its early and later course. Chemopreventive agents can act as antioxidative, antimutagenic/antigenotoxic, anti-inflammatory agents or via aiming various molecular targets in a cell to induce cell death. Apoptosis is a kind of cell death which shows various cellular morphological alterations such as cell shrinkage, blebbing of membrane, chromatin condensation, DNA fragmentation, formation of apoptotic bodies etc. Nowadays, apoptosis is being one of the new approaches for the identification and development of novel anticancer therapies. For centuries, plants are known to play part in daily routine from providing food to management of human health. In the last two decades, diverse phytochemicals and various botanical formulations have been characterized as agents that possess potential to execute cancer cells via inducing apoptosis. Data obtained from the research carried out globally pointed out that natural products are the potential candidates which have capability to combat cancer. In the present review, we surveyed literature on natural products which throws light on the mechanism through which these phytochemicals induce apoptosis in cancer cells.

CdSe/ZnS quantum dots induce photodynamic effects and cytotoxicity in pancreatic cancer cells

AIM: To investigate the photodynamic effect of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) on pancreatic cancer cells and elucidate the probable mechanisms.

METHODS: The pancreatic cancer cell line SW1990 was treated with different concentrations of CdSe/ZnS QDs (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 μmol/L), with or without illumination. The viability of SW1990 cells was tested using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. The ultrastructural changes of SW1990 cells were observed by transmission electron microscopy. Apoptosis was detected by nuclear staining and flow cytometry (FCM). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured by dichlorofluorescein diacetate via fluorescence microscopy. Expression of Bax, Bcl-2 and caspase-3 was measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and protein immunoblotting 24 h after SW1990 cells were treated with CdSe/ZnS QDs and illuminated.

RESULTS: The CCK-8 assay results showed that both CdSe/ZnS QDs with and without illumination suppressed SW1990 cell proliferation. Cell viability was significantly lower when illuminated or with a longer incubation time and a higher light dose. CdSe/ZnS QDs with illumination caused ultrastructural changes in SW1990 cells, such as organelle degeneration and chromatin condensation and aggregation at the periphery of the nucleus. Fluorescence microscopy and FCM showed that CdSe/ZnS QDs (1.5 μmol/L) with illumination increased SW1990 cell apoptosis (53.2%) and ROS generation compared with no illumination. Real-time PCR showed that expression of Bax and caspase-3 was upregulated and Bcl-2 was downregulated. Immunoblotting results were consistent with real-time PCR results. Inhibition of ROS and apoptosis both attenuated QD-photodynamic-therapy-induced cell death.

CONCLUSION: CdSe/ZnS QDs can be used as a photosensitizer to inhibit SW1990 cell proliferation through ROS generation and apoptotic protein expression regulation.

Evaluation of the toxic activity of anorectic diethylpropion in Chinese hamster ovary cells

Diethylpropion has been available in the market for treating obesity for over 50 years. Refined studies are lacking to fully elucidate its action spectrum. The aim of our study was to evaluate possible toxic effects of anorectic diethylpropion in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Comet assay (detects breaks in the DNA strand), micronucleus test (detects clastogenic/aneugenic damage), and cell survival test (detects cytotoxic damage) were used to evaluate the toxic effects. In comet assay, we found that the damage scores with diethylpropion treatments at the concentrations of 20 and 40 μg/mL were more significant ( p < 0.05) than that of the negative control. When assessing the possible aneugenic and/or clastogenic damage caused by the drug in CHO cells, we found no difference ( p > 0.05) in the values of micronucleated cells when comparing different diethylpropion treatments and the negative control. Regarding the cell viability, for all the diethylpropion concentrations tested, higher values ( p < 0.05) of apoptosis were found compared with those of the negative control. In relation to the number of necrotic cells, no difference ( p > 0.05) was noted between the means of the three concentrations of diethylpropion evaluated and the negative control. In the experimental conditions, we conclude that diethylpropion has weak genotoxic and cytotoxic activities.

Cancer Prevention and Therapy: Integrating Traditional Korean Medicine Into Modern Cancer Care

In spite of billions of dollars spent on cancer research each year, overall cancer incidence and cancer survival has not changed significantly in the last half century. Instead, the recent projection from the World Health Organization suggests that global cancer incidence and death is expected to double within the next decade. This requires an "out of the box" thinking approach. While traditional medicine used for thousands of years is safe and affordable, its efficacy and mechanism of action are not fully reported. Demonstrating that traditional medicine is efficacious and how it works can provide a "bed to bench" and "bench to bed" back approach toward prevention and treatment of cancer. This current review is an attempt to describe the contributions of traditional Korean medicine (TKM) to modern medicine and, in particular, cancer treatment. TKM suggests that cancer is an outcome of an imbalance of body, mind, and spirit; thus, it requires a multimodal treatment approach that involves lifestyle modification, herbal prescription, acupuncture, moxibustion, traditional exercise, and meditation to restore the balance. Old wisdoms in combination with modern science can find a new way to deal with the "emperor of all maladies."

A small molecule inhibitor of Mitf-E-box DNA binding and its depigmenting effect in melan-a cells

BACKGROUND

Microphthalmia associated transcription factor (Mitf) is a key regulatory transcriptional factor of pigmentation-related genes including tyrosinase. Inhibition of tyrosinase transcription by blocking the binding of Mitf with its promoter E-box DNA can control the pigmentation. However, no such chemicals were reported so far.

OBJECTIVE

To discover and evaluate the small molecule inhibitors of Mitf-E-box DNA.

METHODS

Candidate chemicals were screened by virtual screening from pharmacophore data followed by Mitf E-box DNA protein chip. After selecting the chemical, its inhibitory activity on binding interaction between Mitf and E-box DNA, electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) was performed. To evaluate the depigmenting activity of Compound #17, cellular melanin assa, and Western blot were performed in melan-a cells.

RESULTS

Among 27 chemicals selected from a pharmacophore data by virtual screening, Compound #17 was screened, which showed the most potent inhibitory activity against Mitf-E-box DNA binding in protein chip. EMSA results confirmed the specific inhibition of Compound #17 on Mitf-E-box DNA binding. In melan-a cells, Compound #17 reduced tyrosinase expression and melanin synthesis (62.5% at 25 μM).

CONCLUSIONS

  The results show that Compound #17 is the first small molecule inhibitor of Mitf-E-box DNA binding with depigmenting activity.

Effects of nicotine on apoptosis in human gingival fibroblasts

AIM

Cigarette smoke is a complex mixture of more than 4700 chemical compounds including free radicals and oxidants and it is a world widely known problem to health. Nicotine is the major compound of tobacco and known as the cause of gingivitis and periodontitis. It induces intracellular oxidative stress recognized as the important agent in the damage of biological molecules. The aim of this study is to clarify the cytotoxic pathway of nicotine in human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs).

METHODS

Human gingival fibroblasts stimulated by nicotine were used as an in vitro model. A 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to detect cell viability and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was assessed with 2,7-dichlorofluoroscein diacetate (DCF-DA). Morphological change was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate (dUTP) nick end labelling (TUNEL) assay, stained with 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI). To delineate the roles of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), P38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), Western blot and caspase-3 (CASP3) activity assay were performed.

RESULTS

Exposure of the human gingival fibroblasts to nicotine reduced cell viability by time and dose dependent and increased the generation of ROS. It also showed morphological evidence of increased apoptosis, resulted in transient activation of JNK and ERK concomitant with activation of P38, and stimulated apoptosis as evidenced by CASP3 activation and Poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that nicotine induces apoptosis through the ROS generation and CASP3 dependent pathways in HGFs.

Comparative analysis of the anti-inflammatory activity of Huang-lian extracts in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 murine macrophage-like cells using oligonucleotide microarrays

In this study, we attempted to determine the anti-inflammatory activity of a medicinal plant huang-lian using gene expression profiles as an index. Huang-line extracts (CEXs) were prepared from seven different plant origins and compared for their chemical composition and biological activity. In order to achieve this, RAW264.7 cells were treated with CEXs in the absence or presence of LPS for 6 h, and the differential gene expression profiles were analyzed using oligonucleotide microarrays. The alkaloid content of CEXs was determined by high performance liquid chromatography analysis. Evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity of CEXs was by measuring a decrease in cytokines and nitric oxide production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Hierarchical clustering analysis revealed that three CEXs from Coptis chinensis formed a cluster separate from the other four CEXs in LPS-stimulated cells, and were the most effective anti-inflammatoryagents. The extract prepared from Picrorrhiza kurrooa neither induced any changes in gene expression profiles nor possessed any anti-inflammatory activity. The extract from Jeffersonia dubia, which exhibited the highest cytotoxicity among the CEXs tested, was most effective in suppressing LPS-induced nitric oxide production but was not able to inhibit proinflammatory cytokine production. The results obtained in this study demonstrate that overall gene expression profiles of the extracts correlated well with their biological activity and that CEXs prepared from plants of diverse origins vary in their biological activity. These data also suggest that gene expression profiles may serve as a good indicator for the pharmacological activities of medicinal plants arising from diverse origins.

Clinicopathological significance of PTEN and Caspase-3 expressions in breast cancer

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the expressions of PTEN and Caspase-3 proteins in human breast carcinoma, and to evaluate their clinicopathological implications during the tumorigenesis and progression of breast cancer.

METHODS

The expressions of PTEN and Caspase-3 proteins in 95 cases of breast cancer and 15 cases of benign breast diseases were investigated immunohistochemically. Correlations between the expression of PTEN protein, Caspase-3 protein, and clinicopathological features of breast cancers were analyzed.

RESULTS

The loss expression rate of PTEN protein in tumor tissues was significantly higher than that in benign breast diseases (33.7% vs. 0, P < 0.01). Analysis of the clinicopathological features showed that PTEN expression level was negatively correlated with TNM stage, histological grade, axillary lymph node status, recurrence, and metastasis (P < 0.05). The positive expression level of Caspase-3 was negatively correlated with TNM stage (P < 0.01), but not related with histological grade, axillary lymph node status, recurrence, or metastasis (P > 0.05). In addition, the expression of PTEN protein had significantly positive correlation with the expression of Caspase-3 protein in breast cancer (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

The combination detection of PTEN and Caspase-3 may serve as an important index to estimate the pathobiological behavior and prognosis of breast cancer.

Neem leaf preparation induces apoptosis of tumor cells by releasing cytotoxic cytokines from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells

A neem leaf preparation (NLP) was investigated for its role in the induction of tumor cell apoptosis to elucidate the mechanism of NLP mediated immunoprophylaxis in tumor growth restriction. As NLP did not induce direct apoptosis of human tumor cell lines KB, MCF7 and K562, it was used instead to stimulate human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) for 72 h. The PBMC derived culture supernatant (NLP-CS) was observed to induce the restriction of tumor cell proliferation as well as apoptosis. An enzyme linked immunosorbant assay revealed the presence of cytotoxic cytokines, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha, in the NLP-CS. The inhibition of secretion of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha in NLP-CS caused a significant decrease in tumor cell apoptosis. Furthermore, stimulation of these tumor cells with NLP-CS resulted in upregulation of the caspase 3 and downregulation of the Bcl 2 and cyclin D1. These observations suggested that NLP could induce tumor cellular apoptosis by releasing cytotoxic cytokines from human PBMC.

Apoptotic induction with bifunctional E.coli cytosine deaminase-uracil phosphoribosyltransferase mediated suicide gene therapy is synergized by curcumin treatment in vitro

Development of novel suicide gene therapy vector with potential application in cancer treatment has a great impact on human health. Investigation to understand molecular mechanism of cell death is necessary to evaluate the therapeutic application of suicide vectors. For example, the bifunctional E.coli cytosine deaminase & uracil phosphoribosyltransferase fusion (CD-UPRT) gene expression is known to sensitize a wide range of cells toward nontoxic prodrug 5-flurocytosine (5-FC) by converting it to toxic compounds, but the exact pathway of cell death is yet to be defined. Herein, we investigated the mechanism of cell death by 5-FC/CD-UPRT suicide system in both cancer and non-cancer cells and found that the optimum 5-FC concentration led to programmed cell death in vitro. The CD-UPRT expression of transfected cells was measured by the RT-PCR analysis. Biochemical assays, such as mitochondrial activity (MTS) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) measurements exhibited cell death. Microscopic experiments showed characteristic onset of apoptosis which was further supported by internucleosomal DNA cleavage of BrdU labeled cellular DNA, appearance of characteristic laddering of chromosomal DNA and involvement of caspase pathway. Furthermore, the 5-FC/CD-UPRT-mediated apoptosis was potentiated with addition of a known anticancer agent curcumin. Our in vitro studies confirmed synergistic induction of apoptotic pathway in the combination treatment. Therefore, combination of 5-FC/CD-UPRT with curcumin could be a potential chemosensitization strategy for cancer treatment.

Arsenic trioxide induces gallbladder carcinoma cell apoptosis via downregulation of Bcl-2

Gallbladder carcinoma (GBC), an aggressive and mostly lethal malignancy, is known to be resistant to a number of apoptotic stimuli. Here, we report for the first time the pro-apoptosis role of arsenic trioxide (As2O3) in gallbladder carcinoma and identify the contribution of Bcl-2 in the As2O3-induced apoptosis. The treatment of As2O3 in gallbladder carcinoma cells could induce apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner and downregulate the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 at mRNA level. Moreover, Bcl-2 overexpression could protect gallbladder carcinoma cells from As2O3-induced apoptosis, indicating the contribution of Bcl-2 in As2O3-induced apoptosis. Taken together, these results suggest that arsenic trioxide induces gallbladder carcinoma cell apoptosis via downregulation of Bcl-2, which may have important therapeutic implications in gallbladder carcinoma patients.

Effects of ephedrae herba on melanogenesis and gene expression profiles using cDNA microarray in B16 melanocytes

Ephedrae Herba (EH) is obtained by drying the stems of Ephedra sinica Stapf (family Ephedraceae). EH has been used clinically to treat colds and to reduce edema in skin. The effects of EH on melanogenesis were studied in B16 murine melanocytes. The tyrosinase activity and melanin content were measured after incubation with EH. Both reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and cDNA microarray analysis were used to study the mechanism of EH action. EH decreased tyrosinase activity and melanin content in a dose-dependent manner. EH decreased microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) and tyrosinase gene expression. These effects were controlled by MITF-mediated regulation of tyrosinase gene expression. EH also altered the expression of about 100 other genes. These results suggest that EH may be used clinically to treat freckles and liver spots.