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Yu XQ, Shang XY, Huang XX, Yao GD, Song SJ. Brusatol: A potential anti-tumor quassinoid from Brucea javanica. CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINES 2020; 12:359-366. [PMID: 36120179 PMCID: PMC9476775 DOI: 10.1016/j.chmed.2020.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Brusatol, a triterpene lactone compound mainly from Brucea javanica, sensitizes a broad spectrum of cancer cells. It is known as a specific inhibitor of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview on the antitumor effect and molecular mechanisms of brusatol in vitro and in vivo. This review also covers pharmacokinetics studies, modification of dosages forms of brusatol. Increasing evidences have validated the value of brusatol as a chemotherapeutic agent in cancers, which may contribute to drug development and clinical application.
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Abstract
Covering: up to 2020The transcription factor NRF2 is one of the body's major defense mechanisms, driving transcription of >300 antioxidant response element (ARE)-regulated genes that are involved in many critical cellular processes including redox regulation, proteostasis, xenobiotic detoxification, and primary metabolism. The transcription factor NRF2 and natural products have an intimately entwined history, as the discovery of NRF2 and much of its rich biology were revealed using natural products both intentionally and unintentionally. In addition, in the last decade a more sinister aspect of NRF2 biology has been revealed. NRF2 is normally present at very low cellular levels and only activated when needed, however, it has been recently revealed that chronic, high levels of NRF2 can lead to diseases such as diabetes and cancer, and may play a role in other diseases. Again, this "dark side" of NRF2 was revealed and studied largely using a natural product, the quassinoid, brusatol. In the present review, we provide an overview of NRF2 structure and function to orient the general reader, we will discuss the history of NRF2 and NRF2-activating compounds and the biology these have revealed, and we will delve into the dark side of NRF2 and contemporary issues related to the dark side biology and the role of natural products in dissecting this biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donna D Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
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Dual effects of the Nrf2 inhibitor for inhibition of hepatitis C virus and hepatic cancer cells. BMC Cancer 2018; 18:680. [PMID: 29940898 PMCID: PMC6019801 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-018-4588-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We previously showed that knockdown of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) resulted in suppression of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. In this study, whether brusatol, an Nrf2 inhibitor, has dual anti-HCV and anticancer effects was explored. METHODS The anti-HCV effect of brusatol was investigated by analyzing HCV RNA and proteins in a hepatic cell line persistently-infected with HCV, HPI cells, and by analyzing HCV replication in a replicon-replicating hepatic cell line, OR6 cells. Then, dual anti-HCV and anticancer effects of brusatol and enhancement of the effects by the combination of brusatol with anticancer drugs including sorafenib, which has been reported to have the dual effects, were then investigated. RESULTS Brusatol suppressed the persistent HCV infection at both the RNA and protein levels in association with a reduction in Nrf2 protein in the HPI cells. Analysis of the OR6 cells treated with brusatol indicated that brusatol inhibited HCV persistence by inhibiting HCV replication. Combination of brusatol with an anticancer drug not only enhanced the anticancer effect but also, in the case of the combination with sorafenib, strongly suppressed HCV infection. CONCLUSIONS Brusatol has dual anti-HCV and anticancer effects and can enhance the comparable effects of sorafenib. There is therefore the potential for combination therapy of brusatol and sorafenib for HCV-related hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Olayanju A, Copple IM, Bryan HK, Edge GT, Sison RL, Wong MW, Lai ZQ, Lin ZX, Dunn K, Sanderson CM, Alghanem AF, Cross MJ, Ellis EC, Ingelman-Sundberg M, Malik HZ, Kitteringham NR, Goldring CE, Park BK. Brusatol provokes a rapid and transient inhibition of Nrf2 signaling and sensitizes mammalian cells to chemical toxicity-implications for therapeutic targeting of Nrf2. Free Radic Biol Med 2015; 78:202-12. [PMID: 25445704 PMCID: PMC4291150 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2014.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2014] [Revised: 11/03/2014] [Accepted: 11/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The transcription factor Nrf2 regulates the basal and inducible expression of a battery of cytoprotective genes. Whereas numerous Nrf2-inducing small molecules have been reported, very few chemical inhibitors of Nrf2 have been identified to date. The quassinoid brusatol has recently been shown to inhibit Nrf2 and ameliorate chemoresistance in vitro and in vivo. Here, we show that brusatol provokes a rapid and transient depletion of Nrf2 protein, through a posttranscriptional mechanism, in mouse Hepa-1c1c7 hepatoma cells. Importantly, brusatol also inhibits Nrf2 in freshly isolated primary human hepatocytes. In keeping with its ability to inhibit Nrf2 signaling, brusatol sensitizes Hepa-1c1c7 cells to chemical stress provoked by 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene, iodoacetamide, and N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine, the hepatotoxic metabolite of acetaminophen. The inhibitory effect of brusatol toward Nrf2 is shown to be independent of its repressor Keap1, the proteasomal and autophagic protein degradation systems, and protein kinase signaling pathways that are known to modulate Nrf2 activity, implying the involvement of a novel means of Nrf2 regulation. These findings substantiate brusatol as a useful experimental tool for the inhibition of Nrf2 signaling and highlight the potential for therapeutic inhibition of Nrf2 to alter the risk of adverse events by reducing the capacity of nontarget cells to buffer against chemical and oxidative insults. These data will inform a rational assessment of the risk:benefit ratio of inhibiting Nrf2 in relevant therapeutic contexts, which is essential if compounds such as brusatol are to be developed into efficacious and safe drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adedamola Olayanju
- MRC Centre for Drug Safety Science, Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Ian M Copple
- MRC Centre for Drug Safety Science, Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Holly K Bryan
- MRC Centre for Drug Safety Science, Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - George T Edge
- MRC Centre for Drug Safety Science, Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Rowena L Sison
- MRC Centre for Drug Safety Science, Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Min Wei Wong
- MRC Centre for Drug Safety Science, Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Zheng-Quan Lai
- School of Chinese Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People׳s Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Xiu Lin
- School of Chinese Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People׳s Republic of China
| | - Karen Dunn
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Christopher M Sanderson
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Ahmad F Alghanem
- MRC Centre for Drug Safety Science, Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Michael J Cross
- MRC Centre for Drug Safety Science, Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Ewa C Ellis
- Unit for Transplantation Surgery, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention, and Technology, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Magnus Ingelman-Sundberg
- Section of Pharmacogenetics, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hassan Z Malik
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK
| | - Neil R Kitteringham
- MRC Centre for Drug Safety Science, Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Christopher E Goldring
- MRC Centre for Drug Safety Science, Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
| | - B Kevin Park
- MRC Centre for Drug Safety Science, Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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Bertani S, Houël E, Jullian V, Bourdy G, Valentin A, Stien D, Deharo E. New findings on Simalikalactone D, an antimalarial compound from Quassia amara L. (Simaroubaceae). Exp Parasitol 2012; 130:341-7. [PMID: 22374406 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2012.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2010] [Revised: 02/10/2012] [Accepted: 02/13/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Quassia amara L. (Simaroubaceae) is a species widely used as tonic and is claimed to be an efficient antimalarial all over the Northern part of the Amazon basin. Quassinoid compound Simalikalactone D (SkD) has been shown to be one of the molecules responsible for the antiplasmodial activity of a watery preparation made out of juvenile fresh leaves of this plant. Because of its strong antimalarial activity, we decided to have a further insight of SkD pharmacological properties, alone or in association with classical antimalarials. At concentrations of up to 200μM, we showed herein that SkD did not exert any apoptotic or necrotic activities in vitro on lymphoblastic cells. However, an antiproliferative effect was evident at concentrations higher than 45nM. SkD was inefficient at inhibiting heme biomineralization and the new permeability pathways induced by the parasite in the host erythrocyte membrane. With respect to Plasmodium falciparum erythrocytic stages, SkD was almost inactive on earlier and later parasite stages, but potently active at the 30th h of parasite cycle when DNA replicates in mature trophozoites. In vitro combination studies with conventional antimalarial drugs showed that SkD synergizes with atovaquone (ATO). The activity of ATO on the Plasmodium mitochondrial membrane potential was enhanced by SkD, which on its own had a poor effect on this cellular parameter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane Bertani
- USM0307, Laboratoire de Parasitologie Comparée et Modèles Expérimentaux, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), Paris, France
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Muhammad I, Samoylenko V. Antimalarial quassinoids: past, present and future. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2007; 2:1065-84. [DOI: 10.1517/17460441.2.8.1065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ilias Muhammad
- The University of Mississippi, NCNPR, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Volodymyr Samoylenko
- The University of Mississippi, NCNPR, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University, MS 38677, USA
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Fukamiya N, Lee KH, Muhammad I, Murakami C, Okano M, Harvey I, Pelletier J. Structure–activity relationships of quassinoids for eukaryotic protein synthesis. Cancer Lett 2005; 220:37-48. [PMID: 15737686 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2004.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2004] [Accepted: 04/27/2004] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The effect of 63 quassinoids on eukaryotic protein synthesis has been investigated. Seventeen of the tested compounds showed potent in vitro activity, with IC50s below 2 microM for inhibition in Krebs ascites translation extracts. Sixteen of these quassinoids were also potent inhibitors of in vivo protein synthesis when exposed to Hela cells for 1 h. Our results led to the following structure-activity relationships for quassinoids regarding translation inhibition. Activity is influenced by (i) the nature of the C-15 side chain, (ii) the nature of A ring modifications, (iii) the presence or absence of a sugar moiety, and (iv) the presence of an epoxymethano bridge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narihiko Fukamiya
- Faculty of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University, Kagamiyama 1-7-1, Higashi, Hiroshima 739-8521, Japan
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