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Posadino AM, Giordo R, Pintus G, Mohammed SA, Orhan IE, Fokou PVT, Sharopov F, Adetunji CO, Gulsunoglu-Konuskan Z, Ydyrys A, Armstrong L, Sytar O, Martorell M, Razis AFA, Modu B, Calina D, Habtemariam S, Sharifi-Rad J, Cho WC. Medicinal and mechanistic overview of artemisinin in the treatment of human diseases. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 163:114866. [PMID: 37182516 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Artemisinin (ART) is a bioactive compound isolated from the plant Artemisia annua and has been traditionally used to treat conditions such as malaria, cancer, viral infections, bacterial infections, and some cardiovascular diseases, especially in Asia, North America, Europe and other parts of the world. This comprehensive review aims to update the biomedical potential of ART and its derivatives for treating human diseases highlighting its pharmacokinetic and pharmacological properties based on the results of experimental pharmacological studies in vitro and in vivo. Cellular and molecular mechanisms of action, tested doses and toxic effects of artemisinin were also described. The analysis of data based on an up-to-date literature search showed that ART and its derivatives display anticancer effects along with a wide range of pharmacological activities such as antibacterial, antiviral, antimalarial, antioxidant and cardioprotective effects. These compounds have great potential for discovering new drugs used as adjunctive therapies in cancer and various other diseases. Detailed translational and experimental studies are however needed to fully understand the pharmacological effects of these compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Maria Posadino
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Roberta Giordo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Gianfranco Pintus
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro, 07100 Sassari, Italy; Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health Sciences, and Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, University City Rd, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Soheb Anwar Mohammed
- Center for Ultrasound Molecular Imaging and Therapeutics, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Ilkay Erdogan Orhan
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Gazi University, 06330 Ankara, Turkey; Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA), Vedat Dalokay Cad., No. 112, 06670 Ankara, Turkey
| | | | - Farukh Sharopov
- V.I. Nikitin Chemistry Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, Ayni 299/2, 734063 Dushanbe, Tajikistan
| | - Charles Oluwaseun Adetunji
- Applied Microbiology, Biotechnology and Nanotechnology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Edo State University Uzairue, Iyamho, PMB 04 Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria
| | - Zehra Gulsunoglu-Konuskan
- Faculty of Health Science, Nutrition and Dietetics Department, Istanbul Aydin University, Istanbul 34295, Turkey
| | - Alibek Ydyrys
- Biomedical Research Centre, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Al-Farabi ave. 71, 050040 Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Lorene Armstrong
- State University of Ponta Grossa, Departament of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 84030900 Ponta Grossa, Paraná, Brazil; Federal University of Paraná, Department of Pharmacy, 80210170 Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Oksana Sytar
- Institute of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Slovak Agricultural University in Nitra, 94976 Nitra, Slovakia
| | - Miquel Martorell
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Pharmacy, and Centre for Healthy Living, University of Concepción, 4070386 Concepción, Chile; Universidad de Concepción, Unidad de Desarrollo Tecnológico, UDT, 4070386 Concepción, Chile.
| | - Ahmad Faizal Abdull Razis
- Department of Food Science, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Natural Medicines and Products Research Laboratory, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Babagana Modu
- Natural Medicines and Products Research Laboratory, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Maiduguri, 1069 Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria
| | - Daniela Calina
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania.
| | - Solomon Habtemariam
- Pharmacognosy Research & Herbal Analysis Services UK, University of Greenwich, Central Avenue, Chatham-Maritime, Kent ME4 4TB, UK
| | | | - William C Cho
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
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Niederreiter M, Klein J, Arndt K, Werner J, Mayer B. Anti-Cancer Effects of Artesunate in Human 3D Tumor Models of Different Complexity. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24097844. [PMID: 37175551 PMCID: PMC10178545 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24097844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The anti-malaria drug Artesunate (ART) shows strong anti-cancer effects in vitro; however, it shows only marginal treatment results in clinical cancer studies. In this study, ART was tested in preclinical 3D cancer models of increasing complexity using clinically relevant peak plasma concentrations to obtain further information for translation into clinical use. ART reduced cell viability in HCT-116 and HT-29 derived cancer spheroids (p < 0.001). HCT-116 spheroids responded dose-dependently, while HT-29 spheroids were affected more strongly by ART than by cytostatics (p < 0.001). HCT-116 spheroids were chemo-sensitized by ART (p < 0.001). In patient-derived cancer spheroids (PDCS), ART led to inhibition of cell viability in 84.62% of the 39 samples tested, with a mean inhibitory effect of 13.87%. Viability reduction of ART was 2-fold weaker than cytostatic monotherapies (p = 0.028). Meanwhile, tumor-stimulation of up to 16.30% was observed in six (15.38%) PDCS-models. In 15 PDCS samples, ART modulated chemotherapies in combined testing, eight of which showed chemo-stimulation (maximum of 36.90%) and seven chemo-inhibition (up to 16.95%). These results demonstrate that ART's anti-cancer efficacy depends on the complexity of the tumor model used. This emphasizes that cancer treatment with ART should be evaluated before treatment of the individual patient to ensure its benefits and prevent unwanted effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlene Niederreiter
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Marchioninistraße 15, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Julia Klein
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Marchioninistraße 15, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Kerstin Arndt
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Marchioninistraße 15, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Jens Werner
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Marchioninistraße 15, 81377 Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Pettenkoferstraße 8a, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Barbara Mayer
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Marchioninistraße 15, 81377 Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Pettenkoferstraße 8a, 80336 Munich, Germany
- SpheroTec GmbH, Am Klopferspitz 19, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
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Bao Y, Zhang HQ, Chen L, Cai HH, Liu ZL, Peng Y, Li Z, Dai FY. Artemisinin-Loaded Silk Fibroin/Gelatin Composite Hydrogel for Wound Healing and Tumor Therapy. ARAB J CHEM 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.arabjc.2023.104782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
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Huang X, Zhang S, Wang W. Artesunate restrains the malignant progression of human cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma cells via the suppression of the PI3K/AKT pathway. Tissue Cell 2022; 76:101789. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2022.101789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Dong Y, Liu L, Han J, Zhang L, Wang Y, Li J, Li Y, Liu H, Zhou K, Li L, Wang X, Shen X, Zhang M, Zhang B, Hu X. Worldwide Research Trends on Artemisinin: A Bibliometric Analysis From 2000 to 2021. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:868087. [PMID: 35602470 PMCID: PMC9121127 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.868087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
ObjectiveArtemisinin is an organic compound that comes from Artemisia annua. Artemisinin treatment is the most important and effective method for treating malaria. Bibliometric analysis was carried out to identify the global research trends, hot spots, scientific frontiers, and output characteristics of artemisinin from 2000 to 2021.MethodsPublications and their recorded information from 2000 to 2021 were retrieved through the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). Using VOSviewer and Citespace, the hotspots and trends of studies on artemisinin were visualized.ResultsA total of 8,466 publications were retrieved, and for the past 22 years, the annual number of publications associated with artemisinin kept increasing. The United States published most papers. The H-index and number of citations of the United States ranked first. The University of Oxford and MALARIA JOURNAL were the most productive affiliation and journal, respectively. A paper written by E.A. Ashley in 2011 achieved the highest global citation score. Keywords, such as “malaria,” “artesunate,” “plasmodium-falciparum,” “in-vitro,” “artemisinin resistance,” “plasmodium falciparum,” “resistance,” and “artemether-lumefantrine,” appeared most frequently. The research on artemisinin includes clinical research and animal and cell experiments.ConclusionThe biosynthesis, drug resistance mechanism, and combination of artemisinin have become more popular than before. Studies on artemisinin treating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been carried out, and good research results have been obtained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yankai Dong
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Lina Liu
- General Medical Department, Nankai Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Jie Han
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Lianqing Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yi Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Juan Li
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yuexiang Li
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - He Liu
- Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Kun Zhou
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Luyao Li
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xin Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xue Shen
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Meiling Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Clinical Laboratory, Ankang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ankang, China
- *Correspondence: Bo Zhang
| | - Xiaofei Hu
- Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China
- Xiaofei Hu
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Farmanpour-Kalalagh K, Beyraghdar Kashkooli A, Babaei A, Rezaei A, van der Krol AR. Artemisinins in Combating Viral Infections Like SARS-CoV-2, Inflammation and Cancers and Options to Meet Increased Global Demand. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:780257. [PMID: 35197994 PMCID: PMC8859114 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.780257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Artemisinin is a natural bioactive sesquiterpene lactone containing an unusual endoperoxide 1, 2, 4-trioxane ring. It is derived from the herbal medicinal plant Artemisia annua and is best known for its use in treatment of malaria. However, recent studies also indicate the potential for artemisinin and related compounds, commonly referred to as artemisinins, in combating viral infections, inflammation and certain cancers. Moreover, the different potential modes of action of artemisinins make these compounds also potentially relevant to the challenges the world faces in the COVID-19 pandemic. Initial studies indicate positive effects of artemisinin or Artemisia spp. extracts to combat SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19 related symptoms and WHO-supervised clinical studies on the potential of artemisinins to combat COVID-19 are now in progress. However, implementing multiple potential new uses of artemisinins will require effective solutions to boost production, either by enhancing synthesis in A. annua itself or through biotechnological engineering in alternative biosynthesis platforms. Because of this renewed interest in artemisinin and its derivatives, here we review its modes of action, its potential application in different diseases including COVID-19, its biosynthesis and future options to boost production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karim Farmanpour-Kalalagh
- Department of Horticultural Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Arman Beyraghdar Kashkooli
- Department of Horticultural Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
- *Correspondence: Arman Beyraghdar Kashkooli,
| | - Alireza Babaei
- Department of Horticultural Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Rezaei
- Department of Horticultural Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
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Elexpe A, Nieto N, Fernández-Cuétara C, Domínguez-Fernández C, Morera-Herreras T, Torrecilla M, Miguélez C, Laso A, Ochoa E, Bailen M, González-Coloma A, Angulo-Barturen I, Astigarraga E, Barreda-Gómez G. Study of Tissue-Specific Reactive Oxygen Species Formation by Cell Membrane Microarrays for the Characterization of Bioactive Compounds. MEMBRANES 2021; 11:membranes11120943. [PMID: 34940444 PMCID: PMC8705675 DOI: 10.3390/membranes11120943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) increases considerably in situations of cellular stress, inducing lipid peroxidation and multiple alterations in proteins and nucleic acids. However, sensitivity to oxidative damage varies between organs and tissues depending on the triggering process. Certain drugs used in the treatment of diverse diseases such as malaria have side effects similar to those produced by oxidative damage, although no specific study has been conducted. For this purpose, cell membrane microarrays were developed and the superoxide production evoked by the mitochondrial activity was assayed in the presence of specific inhibitors: rotenone, antimycin A and azide. Once the protocol was set up on cell membrane isolated from rat brain areas, the effect of six antimalarial drugs (atovaquone, quinidine, doxycycline, mefloquine, artemisinin, and tafenoquine) and two essential oils (Rosmarinus officinalis and Origanum majoricum) were evaluated in multiple human samples. The basal activity was different depending on the type of tissue, the liver, jejunum and adrenal gland being the ones with the highest amount of superoxide. The antimalarial drugs studied showed specific behavior according to the type of human tissue analyzed, with atovaquone and quinidine producing the highest percentage of superoxide formation, and doxycycline the lowest. In conclusion, the analysis of superoxide production evaluated in cell membranes of a collection of human tissues allowed for the characterization of the safety profile of these antimalarial drugs against toxicity mediated by oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ane Elexpe
- Research and Development Division, IMG Pharma Biotech, 48160 Derio, Spain; (A.E.); (N.N.); (C.D.-F.); (E.A.)
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48940 Leioa, Spain; (T.M.-H.); (M.T.); (C.M.)
| | - Nerea Nieto
- Research and Development Division, IMG Pharma Biotech, 48160 Derio, Spain; (A.E.); (N.N.); (C.D.-F.); (E.A.)
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48940 Leioa, Spain; (T.M.-H.); (M.T.); (C.M.)
| | - Claudia Fernández-Cuétara
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Autonomus University of Madrid UAM, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (C.F.-C.); (M.B.)
| | - Celtia Domínguez-Fernández
- Research and Development Division, IMG Pharma Biotech, 48160 Derio, Spain; (A.E.); (N.N.); (C.D.-F.); (E.A.)
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48940 Leioa, Spain; (T.M.-H.); (M.T.); (C.M.)
| | - Teresa Morera-Herreras
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48940 Leioa, Spain; (T.M.-H.); (M.T.); (C.M.)
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Group, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Instiute, 48903 Barakaldo, Spain
| | - María Torrecilla
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48940 Leioa, Spain; (T.M.-H.); (M.T.); (C.M.)
| | - Cristina Miguélez
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48940 Leioa, Spain; (T.M.-H.); (M.T.); (C.M.)
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Group, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Instiute, 48903 Barakaldo, Spain
| | - Antonio Laso
- Research and Development Division, AleoVitro, 48160 Derio, Spain; (A.L.); (E.O.)
| | - Eneko Ochoa
- Research and Development Division, AleoVitro, 48160 Derio, Spain; (A.L.); (E.O.)
| | - María Bailen
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Autonomus University of Madrid UAM, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (C.F.-C.); (M.B.)
| | - Azucena González-Coloma
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences (ICA), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), 28006 Madrid, Spain;
| | | | - Egoitz Astigarraga
- Research and Development Division, IMG Pharma Biotech, 48160 Derio, Spain; (A.E.); (N.N.); (C.D.-F.); (E.A.)
| | - Gabriel Barreda-Gómez
- Research and Development Division, IMG Pharma Biotech, 48160 Derio, Spain; (A.E.); (N.N.); (C.D.-F.); (E.A.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-94-4316-577; Fax: +34-94-6013-455
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Meng Y, Ma N, Lyu H, Wong YK, Zhang X, Zhu Y, Gao P, Sun P, Song Y, Lin L, Wang J. Recent pharmacological advances in the repurposing of artemisinin drugs. Med Res Rev 2021; 41:3156-3181. [PMID: 34148245 DOI: 10.1002/med.21837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 02/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Artemisinins are a family of sesquiterpene lactones originally derived from the sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua). Beyond their well-characterized role as frontline antimalarial drugs, artemisinins have also received increased attention for other potential pharmaceutical effects, which include antiviral, antiparsitic, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. With concerted efforts in further preclinical and clinical studies, artemisinin-based drugs have the potential to be viable treatments for a great variety of human diseases. Here, we provide a comprehensive update on recent reports of pharmacological actions and applications of artemisinins outside of their better-known antimalarial role and highlight their potential therapeutic viability for various diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqing Meng
- Artemisinin Research Center and the Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Nan Ma
- Artemisinin Research Center and the Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Haining Lyu
- Artemisinin Research Center and the Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yin Kwan Wong
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xing Zhang
- Artemisinin Research Center and the Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yongping Zhu
- Artemisinin Research Center and the Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Gao
- Artemisinin Research Center and the Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Sun
- Artemisinin Research Center and the Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yali Song
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Dongguan Maternal And Child Health Care Hospital, Southern Medical University, Dongguan, China
| | - Lizhu Lin
- Oncology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jigang Wang
- Artemisinin Research Center and the Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.,Oncology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Central People's Hospital of Zhanjiang, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases, Ministry of Education, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, China
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Li YQ, Zheng Z, Liu QX, Lu X, Zhou D, Zhang J, Zheng H, Dai JG. Repositioning of Antiparasitic Drugs for Tumor Treatment. Front Oncol 2021; 11:670804. [PMID: 33996598 PMCID: PMC8117216 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.670804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug repositioning is a strategy for identifying new antitumor drugs; this strategy allows existing and approved clinical drugs to be innovatively repurposed to treat tumors. Based on the similarities between parasitic diseases and cancer, recent studies aimed to investigate the efficacy of existing antiparasitic drugs in cancer. In this review, we selected two antihelminthic drugs (macrolides and benzimidazoles) and two antiprotozoal drugs (artemisinin and its derivatives, and quinolines) and summarized the research progresses made to date on the role of these drugs in cancer. Overall, these drugs regulate tumor growth via multiple targets, pathways, and modes of action. These antiparasitic drugs are good candidates for comprehensive, in-depth analyses of tumor occurrence and development. In-depth studies may improve the current tumor diagnoses and treatment regimens. However, for clinical application, current investigations are still insufficient, warranting more comprehensive analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Qi Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Zhi Zheng
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Quan-Xing Liu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Xiao Lu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Dong Zhou
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Jiao Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Hong Zheng
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Ji-Gang Dai
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
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Wen T, Song L, Hua S. Perspectives and controversies regarding the use of natural products for the treatment of lung cancer. Cancer Med 2021; 10:2396-2422. [PMID: 33650320 PMCID: PMC7982634 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.3660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer‐related mortality both in men and women and accounts for 18.4% of all cancer‐related deaths. Although advanced therapy methods have been developed, the prognosis of lung cancer patients remains extremely poor. Over the past few decades, clinicians and researchers have found that chemical compounds extracted from natural products may be useful for treating lung cancer. Drug formulations derived from natural compounds, such as paclitaxel, doxorubicin, and camptothecin, have been successfully used as chemotherapeutics for lung cancer. In recent years, hundreds of new natural compounds that can be used to treat lung cancer have been found through basic and sub‐clinical research. However, there has not been a corresponding increase in the number of drugs that have been used in a clinical setting. The probable reasons may include low solubility, limited absorption, unfavorable metabolism, and severe side effects. In this review, we present a summary of the natural compounds that have been proven to be effective for the treatment of lung cancer, as well as an understanding of the mechanisms underlying their pharmacological effects. We have also highlighted current controversies and have attempted to provide solutions for the clinical translation of these compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Wen
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration & Transplantation of the Ministry of Education, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, P.R. China
| | - Lei Song
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration & Transplantation of the Ministry of Education, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, P.R. China
| | - Shucheng Hua
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration & Transplantation of the Ministry of Education, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, P.R. China
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Bai G, Gao Y, Liu S, Shui S, Liu G. pH-dependent rearrangement determines the iron-activation and antitumor activity of artemisinins. Free Radic Biol Med 2021; 163:234-242. [PMID: 33359684 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2020.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The action mechanisms of artemisinins remains elusive for decades, and one long-standing question is whether the indispensable peroxide group is activated by iron or heme. Although heme usually reacts faster with artemisinins than iron does, we have found that rearrangement of dihydroartemisinin (DHA) into monoketo-aldehyde-peroxyhemiacetal (MKA) under physiological conditions can significantly enhance its reaction towards iron. The rearrangement is pH-dependent and the derived MKA is identified by LC-MS in the cellular metabolites of DHA in cancer cells. MKA reacts quickly with ferrous irons to afford reactive carbon-centered radicals and can inhibit enzyme activities in vitro. Moreover, MKA oxidizes ferrous irons to ferric irons, which may explain the effect of DHA on decreasing cellular labile iron pool (LIP). Both addition of exogenous iron and increase in LIP via triggering ferroptosis can enhance the cytotoxicity of DHA against cancer cells. While artesunate (ATS) can also decompose to MKA after hydrolyzing into DHA, the other artemisinins of lower antitumor activity, e.g. artemisinin (ART), artemether (ATM) and arteether (ATE), exhibit negligible hydrolysis and rearrangement under the same conditions. Our study reveals the vital role of molecular rearrangement to the activation and activity of artemisinins and provides a new strategy for designing antitumor molecules containing endoperoxide group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangcan Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Yibo Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Sijin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Sufang Shui
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Guoquan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
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12
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Natural Products as Inducers of Non-Canonical Cell Death: A Weapon against Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13020304. [PMID: 33467668 PMCID: PMC7830727 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13020304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 01/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Anticancer therapeutic approaches based solely on apoptosis induction are often unsuccessful due to the activation of resistance mechanisms. The identification and characterization of compounds capable of triggering non-apoptotic, also called non-canonical cell death pathways, could represent an important strategy that may integrate or offer alternative approaches to the current anticancer therapies. In this review, we critically discuss the promotion of ferroptosis, necroptosis, and pyroptosis by natural compounds as a new anticancer strategy. Abstract Apoptosis has been considered the main mechanism induced by cancer chemotherapeutic drugs for a long time. This paradigm is currently evolving and changing, as increasing evidence pointed out that antitumor agents could trigger various non-canonical or non-apoptotic cell death types. A considerable number of antitumor drugs derive from natural sources, both in their naturally occurring form or as synthetic derivatives. Therefore, it is not surprising that several natural compounds have been explored for their ability to induce non-canonical cell death. The aim of this review is to highlight the potential antitumor effects of natural products as ferroptosis, necroptosis, or pyroptosis inducers. Natural products have proven to be promising non-canonical cell death inducers, capable of overcoming cancer cells resistance to apoptosis. However, as discussed in this review, they often lack a full characterization of their antitumor activity together with an in-depth investigation of their toxicological profile.
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13
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Ivanova D, Yaneva Z, R. Bakalova RB, Semkova S, Zhelev Z. The antimalaria drug artemisinin displays strong cytotoxic effect on leukaemia lymphocytes in combination with vitamin C and pro-vitamin K3. BULGARIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE 2021. [DOI: 10.15547/bjvm.2019-0134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
This study investigated the anticancer effect of the anti-parasitic drug artemisinin in combination with two redox modulators: vitamin C and pro-vitamin K3 (C/K3) The experiments were conducted on leukaemia cells Jurkat. Cells were treated with either artemisinin or C/K3 alone and with all three compounds. Cell proliferation and viability were analysed using trypan blue stating and automated cell counting. The results showed that artemisinin (>10 mM) suppressed cell proliferation activity, but did not induce cell death up to 500 mM. The drug demonstrated a clear cytostatic effect at concentrations 250- 500 mM – Jurkat cells did not proliferate, but were alive. The combination C/K3 (200:2, 300:3 mM/mM) applied alone did not affect cell proliferation and viability. Vitamins C/K3 in concentration ratio 500:5 (μM/mM) decreased cell proliferation activity by ~10%. The triple combination artemisinin/C/K3 manifested synergistic anti-proliferative effects at all concentration ratios analysed. This synergistic effect increased with increasing C/K3 concentration. Based on literature data, it was assumed that the anti-proliferative effect of the triple combination was mediated by changes in the redox-homeostasis of cancer cells. The C/K3 redox system likely acted on cancer mitochondria and increased superoxide production and activation of pro-apoptotic signals, specific for cancer cells. On the other hand, artemisinin could generate hydroxyl radicals as a result of activation of Fenton reactions, depleting intracellular reducing equivalents. Both redox mechanisms lead to activation of signal pathways for induction of cancer cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. Ivanova
- Department of Pharmacology, Animal Physiology and Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Trakia University, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
| | - Z. Yaneva
- Department of Pharmacology, Animal Physiology and Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Trakia University, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
| | - R. Bakalova R. Bakalova
- Department of Molecular Imaging and Theranostics, National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS)
| | - S. Semkova
- Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Zh. Zhelev
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Trakia University, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
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14
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Shen S, Du M, Liu Q, Gao P, Wang J, Liu S, Gu L. Development of GLUT1-targeting alkyl glucoside-modified dihydroartemisinin liposomes for cancer therapy. NANOSCALE 2020; 12:21901-21912. [PMID: 33108431 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr05138a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The antitumor activity of artemisinin derivatives has attracted much attention. However, lack of tumor targeting limits the anti-tumor activity of artemisinin derivatives. It is reported that tumor cells acquire energy through the glycolysis pathway. To meet their elevated glucose requirements, high expressions of glucose transporters (GLUTs) are observed in many malignant cells. On this basis, novel alkyl glycoside-modified dihydroartemisinin liposomes were successfully prepared with GLUT1 as the target and the glucose segment of an alkyl glycoside as the targeting head on the surface of liposomes. The particle size of the liposomes was 100.67 ± 1.25 nm, zeta potential was -22.93 ± 0.92 mV and encapsulation efficiency was 75.28 ± 0.73%, meanwhile the liposomes had good stability. In vitro targeting of liposomes was evaluated by fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. Compared with human L02 hepatocyte cells, the liposomes showed better targeting ability to human liver carcinoma cells HepG2 with the help of the glucose segment modified on the liposomes. In vivo targeting evaluation also showed that the tumor targeting of alkyl glycoside-modified liposomes was significantly improved, as well as the anti-tumor activity. These findings provide a research and theoretical basis for the development of artemisinin derivatives and other drug targeted antitumor nano-agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Shen
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.
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15
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Li X, Zuo C, Sun D, Zhao T, Zhang Z. Arsenite Increases Linc-ROR in Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells that Can Be Inhibited by Antioxidant Factors. Biol Trace Elem Res 2020; 198:131-141. [PMID: 32030632 DOI: 10.1007/s12011-020-02065-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Oxidative stress is the main mechanism of arsenite toxicity. Long intergenic non-coding RNA regulator of reprogramming is a newly found stress-response long non-coding RNA that is activated in various stress conditions. However, whether long intergenic non-coding RNA, regulator of reprogramming (linc-ROR) is involved in arsenite-induced oxidative stress has not been explored. In this study, we found that arsenite dose responsively increased the expression of linc-ROR in human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells, along with elevated oxidative stress demonstrated by increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and DNA damage, as well as decreased antioxidant glutathione and superoxide dismutase. We further found that the pre-treatment with N-acetylcysteine, a widely used ROS scavenger, and the over-expression of antioxidant NRF2 protein, both significantly reduced arsenite-induced oxidative stress in arsenite-treated HBE cells, and the linc-ROR over-expression was also inhibited, suggesting that oxidative stress is a key factor for the increase of linc-ROR in arsenite-treated HBE cells. Moreover, our results of bio-informatic analysis showed that arsenite-induced oxidative stress might modulate linc-ROR expression via 3 genes and the up-regulated linc-ROR in arsenite-induced oxidative stress may get involved in cellular processes such as cellular stress response, RNA metabolism, and DNA repair. Collectively, our study demonstrates that oxidative stress plays the key role in arsenite-induced over-expression of linc-ROR, and linc-ROR may be a new clue for exploring the mechanism of arsenite toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyang Li
- West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 16, Section 3, Renmin Nanlu, 610041, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Chao Zuo
- West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 16, Section 3, Renmin Nanlu, 610041, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Donglei Sun
- West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 16, Section 3, Renmin Nanlu, 610041, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Tianhe Zhao
- West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 16, Section 3, Renmin Nanlu, 610041, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Zunzhen Zhang
- West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 16, Section 3, Renmin Nanlu, 610041, Chengdu, People's Republic of China.
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16
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Yin S, Yang H, Zhao X, Wei S, Tao Y, Liu M, Bo R, Li J. Antimalarial agent artesunate induces G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis via increasing intracellular ROS levels in normal liver cells. Hum Exp Toxicol 2020; 39:1681-1689. [PMID: 32633561 DOI: 10.1177/0960327120937331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Artesunate (ARS) has been shown to be highly effective against chloroquine-resistant malaria. In vitro studies reported that ARS has anticancer effects; however, its detrimental action on cancer cells may also play a role in its toxicity toward normal cells and its potential toxicity has not been sufficiently researched. In this study, we investigated the possible cytotoxic effects using normal BRL-3A and AML12 liver cells. The results showed that ARS dose-dependently inhibited cell proliferation and arrested the G0/G1 phase cell cycle in both BRL-3A and AML12 liver cells. Western blotting demonstrated that ARS induced a significant downregulation of cyclin-dependent kinase-2 (CDK2), CDK4, cyclin D1, and cyclin E1 in various levels and then caused apoptosis when the Bcl-2/Bax ratio decreased. Conversely, the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were increased. The ROS scavenger N-acetylcysteine can significantly inhibit cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induced by ARS. Thus, the data confirmed that ARS exposure impairs normal liver cell proliferation by inducing G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, and this detrimental action may be associated with intracellular ROS accumulation. Collectively, the possible side effects of ARS on healthy normal cells cannot be neglected when developing therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Yin
- College of Veterinary Medicine, 38043Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - H Yang
- Jiangsu Agri-animal Husbandry Vocational College, Taizhou, People's Republic of China
| | - X Zhao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, 38043Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - S Wei
- College of Veterinary Medicine, 38043Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Y Tao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, 38043Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - M Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, 38043Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - R Bo
- College of Veterinary Medicine, 38043Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - J Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, 38043Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, People's Republic of China
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17
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Cheong DHJ, Tan DWS, Wong FWS, Tran T. Anti-malarial drug, artemisinin and its derivatives for the treatment of respiratory diseases. Pharmacol Res 2020; 158:104901. [PMID: 32405226 PMCID: PMC7217791 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2020.104901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Artemisinins are sesquiterpene lactones with a peroxide moiety that are isolated from the herb Artemisia annua. It has been used for centuries for the treatment of fever and chills, and has been recently approved for the treatment of malaria due to its endoperoxidase properties. Progressively, research has found that artemisinins displayed multiple pharmacological actions against inflammation, viral infections, and cell and tumour proliferation, making it effective against diseases. Moreover, it has displayed a relatively safe toxicity profile. The use of artemisinins against different respiratory diseases has been investigated in lung cancer models and inflammatory-driven respiratory disorders. These studies revealed the ability of artemisinins in attenuating proliferation, inflammation, invasion, and metastasis, and in inducing apoptosis. Artemisinins can regulate the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), promote cell cycle arrest, drive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and induce Bak or Bax-dependent or independent apoptosis. In this review, we aim to provide a comprehensive update of the current knowledge of the effects of artemisinins in relation to respiratory diseases to identify gaps that need to be filled in the course of repurposing artemisinins for the treatment of respiratory diseases. In addition, we postulate whether artemisinins can also be repurposed for the treatment of COVID-19 given its anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothy H J Cheong
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 117593, Singapore
| | - Daniel W S Tan
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 117600, Singapore
| | - Fred W S Wong
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 117600, Singapore; Immunology Program, Life Science Institute, National University of Singapore, 117456, Singapore; Singapore-HUJ Alliance for Research and Enterprise, National University of Singapore, 138602, Singapore
| | - Thai Tran
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 117593, Singapore.
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18
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Sun D, Zhao T, Wang T, Wu M, Zhang Z. Genotoxicity assessment of triclocarban by comet and micronucleus assays and Ames test. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 27:7430-7438. [PMID: 31884548 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-07351-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The widespread usage and ubiquitous distribution of triclocarban (3,4,4'-trichlorocarbanilide, TCC) have raised public concerns about its health effects. At present, there is little information about the genotoxicity of TCC. In this study, we used a battery of genotoxicity testing methods including salmonella reverse mutation test (Ames test), comet assay and micronucleus assay to detect the effects of TCC on gene mutation, DNA breakage, and chromosome damage. The results of Ames test showed that TCC at 0.1-1000 μg/plate did not significantly increase the number of revertant colonies in the four standard Salmonella typhimurium strains, i.e., TA97, TA98, TA100, and TA102, when compared to the vehicle control. The results from comet assay demonstrated that exposure to 5, 10, or 15 μM TCC for 24 h did not significantly increase the percentage of comet cells, tail length (TL), DNA in tail (T DNA%), or olive tail moment (OTM) in keratinocyte HaCaT and hepatic L02 cells. Moreover, TCC did not markedly enhance the frequency of micronucleated cells or micronuclei in HaCaT and L02 cells in the micronucleus assay. Taken together, the results indicated that TCC did not exhibit any genotoxic effects. Our study provides additional information for the safety profile of TCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donglei Sun
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Tianhe Zhao
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Mei Wu
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Zunzhen Zhang
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
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19
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Li X, Sun D, Zhao T, Zhang Z. Long non-coding RNA ROR confers arsenic trioxide resistance to HepG2 cells by inhibiting p53 expression. Eur J Pharmacol 2020; 872:172982. [PMID: 32017938 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2020.172982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Arsenic trioxide is an effective drug in the treatment of hematologic malignancies, but it has no obvious therapeutic effect on liver cancer. Long non-coding RNA ROR is a newly found long-noncoding RNA that has been reported to get involved in the regulation of chemo-resistance in multiple cancers. However, whether and how long non-coding RNA ROR gets involved in the resistance to arsenic trioxide in liver cancer has not been explored. In this study, We found that cellular apoptosis was increased by arsenic trioxide in liver cancer HepG2 cells; P53 expression was also increased by arsenic trioxide at both mRNA level and protein level, indicating that P53-dependent apoptosis is the main mechanism for arsenic trioxide to induce cytotoxicity in liver cancer HepG2 cells. Meanwhile, we found an obvious increase in the level of long non-coding RNA ROR in arsenic trioxide-treated HepG2 cells. By measuring the level of reactive oxygen species, glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and malondialdehyde, the product of lipid peroxidation, we further demonstrated that oxidative stress was a potential factor for both the activation of P53 expression and the increase in long non-coding RNA ROR expression. Through the knock-down of long non-coding RNA ROR by siRNA, we revealed that the activated long non-coding RNA ROR ameliorated arsenic trioxide-induced apoptosis by inhibiting P53 expression. Together, our study reported that long non-coding RNA ROR conferred arsenic trioxide resistance to liver cancer cells through inhibiting P53 expression, and long non-coding RNA ROR might be a novel sensitizing target for liver cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyang Li
- West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Donglei Sun
- West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Tianhe Zhao
- West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Zunzhen Zhang
- West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People's Republic of China.
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20
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Luo H, Vong CT, Chen H, Gao Y, Lyu P, Qiu L, Zhao M, Liu Q, Cheng Z, Zou J, Yao P, Gao C, Wei J, Ung COL, Wang S, Zhong Z, Wang Y. Naturally occurring anti-cancer compounds: shining from Chinese herbal medicine. Chin Med 2019; 14:48. [PMID: 31719837 PMCID: PMC6836491 DOI: 10.1186/s13020-019-0270-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 263] [Impact Index Per Article: 52.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous natural products originated from Chinese herbal medicine exhibit anti-cancer activities, including anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic, anti-metastatic, anti-angiogenic effects, as well as regulate autophagy, reverse multidrug resistance, balance immunity, and enhance chemotherapy in vitro and in vivo. To provide new insights into the critical path ahead, we systemically reviewed the most recent advances (reported since 2011) on the key compounds with anti-cancer effects derived from Chinese herbal medicine (curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, berberine, artemisinin, ginsenoside Rg3, ursolic acid, silibinin, emodin, triptolide, cucurbitacin B, tanshinone I, oridonin, shikonin, gambogic acid, artesunate, wogonin, β-elemene, and cepharanthine) in scientific databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, Scopus, and Clinical Trials). With a broader perspective, we focused on their recently discovered and/or investigated pharmacological effects, novel mechanism of action, relevant clinical studies, and their innovative applications in combined therapy and immunomodulation. In addition, the present review has extended to describe other promising compounds including dihydroartemisinin, ginsenoside Rh2, compound K, cucurbitacins D, E, I, tanshinone IIA and cryptotanshinone in view of their potentials in cancer therapy. Up to now, the evidence about the immunomodulatory effects and clinical trials of natural anti-cancer compounds from Chinese herbal medicine is very limited, and further research is needed to monitor their immunoregulatory effects and explore their mechanisms of action as modulators of immune checkpoints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Luo
- Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Chi Teng Vong
- Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Hanbin Chen
- Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Yan Gao
- Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Peng Lyu
- Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Ling Qiu
- Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Mingming Zhao
- Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Qiao Liu
- Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Zehua Cheng
- Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Jian Zou
- Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Peifen Yao
- Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Caifang Gao
- Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Jinchao Wei
- Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Carolina Oi Lam Ung
- Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Shengpeng Wang
- Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Zhangfeng Zhong
- Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Yitao Wang
- Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macao, China
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21
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An W, Lai H, Zhang Y, Liu M, Lin X, Cao S. Apoptotic Pathway as the Therapeutic Target for Anticancer Traditional Chinese Medicines. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:758. [PMID: 31354479 PMCID: PMC6639427 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.00758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Apoptosis is a process of programmed cell death and it plays a vital role in human development and tissue homeostasis. Mounting evidence indicates that apoptosis is closely related to the survival of cancer and it has emerged as a key target for the discovery and development of novel anticancer drugs. Various studies indicate that targeting the apoptotic signaling pathway by anticancer drugs is an important mechanism in cancer therapy. Therefore, numerous novel anticancer agents have been discovered and developed from traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) by targeting the cellular apoptotic pathway of cancer cells and shown clinically beneficial effects in cancer therapy. This review aims to provide a comprehensive discussion for the role, pharmacology, related biology, and possible mechanism(s) of a number of important anticancer TCMs and their derivatives mainly targeting the cellular apoptotic pathway. It may have important clinical implications in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weixiao An
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.,Department of Pharmacy, Nanchong Central Hospital, Nanchong, China
| | - Honglin Lai
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.,Department of Pharmacy, Affliated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Yangyang Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Minghua Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Xiukun Lin
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Shousong Cao
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
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Sun D, Zhao T, Li X, Zhang Z. Evaluation of DNA and chromosomal damage in two human HaCaT and L02 cells treated with varying triclosan concentrations. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART A 2019; 82:473-482. [PMID: 31106712 DOI: 10.1080/15287394.2019.1618758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Triclosan has been used in a large number of consumer products and concerns have been raised over regarding potential genotoxicity. However, the genotoxicity of triclosan has not been assessed in normal human cells. The aim of this study was to examine the potential genotoxicity using the comet assay and micronucleus (MN) test to detect DNA damage and chromosomal breakage attributed to triclosan in human keratinocyte HaCaT and hepatic L02 cells. The concentrations of triclosan selected for the comet assay and MN test were based upon preliminary results from cytotoxicity testing in order to reduce cytotoxic effects. The mutagenicity of triclosan was assessed in Salmonella reverse mutation assay (Ames test). Results of comet assay showed that 5, 7.5 or 10 μM triclosan did not markedly affect olive tail moment (OTM) in HaCaT and L02 cells. In addition, no significant alterations in MN frequency were found in cells treated with triclosan. Further, treatment with 10 μg/plate triclosan produced inhibitory effects in bacterium using Ames test, while 1 and 0.1 μg/plate triclosan did not markedly affect the number of colonies or mutant frequencies of Salmonella strains. Taken together, triclosan did not cause DNA and chromosomal damage in HaCaT and L02 cells and did not induce gene mutations in Salmonella strains under our experimental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donglei Sun
- a Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital , Sichuan University , Chengdu , Sichuan , People's Republic of China
| | - Tianhe Zhao
- a Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital , Sichuan University , Chengdu , Sichuan , People's Republic of China
| | - Xinyang Li
- a Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital , Sichuan University , Chengdu , Sichuan , People's Republic of China
| | - Zunzhen Zhang
- a Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital , Sichuan University , Chengdu , Sichuan , People's Republic of China
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Liu X, Cao J, Huang G, Zhao Q, Shen J. Biological Activities of Artemisinin Derivatives Beyond Malaria. Curr Top Med Chem 2019; 19:205-222. [DOI: 10.2174/1568026619666190122144217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2018] [Revised: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 11/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Artemisinin is isolated from Artemisia annua L. with peroxide-containing sesquiterpene lactone structure. Because of its unique structural characteristics and promising anticancer, antivirus activities, it has recently received increasing attention. The aim of this review is to summarize recent discoveries of artemisinin's novel derivatives with new pharmaceutical effects beyond malaria with a focus on its antitumor and antivirus activity, as well as potential results of combination therapy with other clinical drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory for Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jianguo Cao
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, 201418, China
| | - Guozheng Huang
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, 201418, China
| | - Qingjie Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory for Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jingshan Shen
- CAS Key Laboratory for Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
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Zhang Y, Xu G, Zhang S, Wang D, Saravana Prabha P, Zuo Z. Antitumor Research on Artemisinin and Its Bioactive Derivatives. NATURAL PRODUCTS AND BIOPROSPECTING 2018; 8:303-319. [PMID: 29633188 PMCID: PMC6102173 DOI: 10.1007/s13659-018-0162-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Cancer is the leading cause of human death which seriously threatens human life. The antimalarial drug artemisinin and its derivatives have been discovered with considerable anticancer properties. Simultaneously, a variety of target-selective artemisinin-related compounds with high efficiency have been discovered. Many researches indicated that artemisinin-related compounds have cytotoxic effects against a variety of cancer cells through pleiotropic effects, including inhibiting the proliferation of tumor cells, promoting apoptosis, inducing cell cycle arrest, disrupting cancer invasion and metastasis, preventing angiogenesis, mediating the tumor-related signaling pathways, and regulating tumor microenvironment. More importantly, artemisinins demonstrated minor side effects to normal cells and manifested the ability to overcome multidrug-resistance which is widely observed in cancer patients. Therefore, we concentrated on the new advances and development of artemisinin and its derivatives as potential antitumor agents in recent 5 years. It is our hope that this review could be helpful for further exploration of novel artemisinin-related antitumor agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunqin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Guowei Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Shuqun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Dong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - P Saravana Prabha
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Zhili Zuo
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China.
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China.
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