Chemical composition of total flavonoids from Salvia chinensia Benth and their pro-apoptotic effect on hepatocellular carcinoma cells: potential roles of suppressing cellular NF-κB signaling

Antitumor immunostimulatory activity of the traditional Chinese medicine polysaccharide on hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a prevalent malignancy, often associated with compromised immune function in affected patients. This can be attributed to the secretion of specific factors by liver cancer cells, which hinder the immune response and lead to a state of immune suppression. Polysaccharides derived from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are valuable constituents known for their immunomodulatory properties. This review aims to look into the immunomodulatory effects of TCM polysaccharides on HCC. The immunomodulatory effects of TCM polysaccharides are primarily manifested through the activation of effector T lymphocytes, dendritic cells, NK cells, and macrophages against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) both in vivo and in vitro settings. Furthermore, TCM polysaccharides have demonstrated remarkable adjuvant antitumor immunomodulatory effects on HCC in clinical settings. Therefore, the utilization of TCM polysaccharides holds promising potential for the development of novel therapeutic agents or adjuvants with advantageous immunomodulatory properties for HCC.

Chemical Constituents and α-Glucosidase Inhibitory, Antioxidant and Hepatoprotective Activities of Ampelopsis grossedentata

Ampelopsis grossedentata is a valuable medicinal and edible plant, which is often used as a traditional tea by the Tujia people in China. A. grossedentata has numerous biological activities and is now widely used in the pharmaceutical and food industries. In this study, two new flavonoids (1-2) and seventeen known compounds (3-19) were isolated and identified from the dried stems and leaves of A. grossedentata. These isolated compounds were characterized by various spectroscopic data including mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. All isolates were assessed for their α-glucosidase inhibitory, antioxidant, and hepatoprotective activities, and their structure-activity relationships were further discussed. The results indicated that compound 1 exhibited effective inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase, with an IC50 value of 0.21 μM. In addition, compounds 1-2 demonstrated not only potent antioxidant activities but also superior hepatoprotective properties. The findings of this study could serve as a reference for the development of A. grossedentata-derived products or drugs aimed at realizing their antidiabetic, antioxidant, and hepatoprotective functions.

Salvia chinensis Benth Inhibits Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Progression by Inducing the DNA Damage Pathway

Objective

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is distinguished by early recurrence and metastases, a high proclivity for treatment resistance, and a lack of targeted medicines, highlighting the importance of developing innovative therapeutic techniques. Salvia chinensis Benth (SCH) has been widely studied for its anticancer properties in a variety of cancers. However, its significance in TNBC treatment is rarely discussed. Our study investigated the anticancer effect of SCH on TNBC and the underlying mechanisms.

Methods

First, we used clonogenic, cell viability, flow cytometry, and Transwell assays to assess the effect of SCH on TNBC. Bioinformatic studies, especially network pharmacology-based analysis and RNA sequencing analysis, were performed to investigate the constituents of SCH and its molecular mechanisms in the suppression of TNBC. High-performance liquid chromatography and thin-layer chromatography were used to identify two major components, quercetin and β-sitosterol. Then, we discovered the synergistic cytotoxicity of quercetin and β-sitosterol and assessed their synergistic prevention of cell migration and invasion. Breast cancer xenografts were also created using MDA-MB-231 cells to test the synergistic therapeutic impact of quercetin and β-sitosterol on TNBC in vivo. The impact on the DNA damage and repair pathways was investigated using the comet assay and Western blot analysis.

Results

Our findings showed that SCH decreased TNBC cell growth, migration, and invasion while also inducing cell death. We identified quercetin and β-sitosterol as the core active components of SCH based on a network pharmacology study. According to RNA sequencing research, the p53 signaling pathway is also regarded as a critical biological mechanism of SCH treatment. The comet assay consistently showed that SCH significantly increased DNA damage in TNBC cells. Our in vivo and in vitro data revealed that the combination of quercetin and β-sitosterol induced synergistic cytotoxicity and DNA damage in TNBC cells. In particular, SCH particularly blocked the inter-strand cross-link repair mechanism and the double-strand breach repair caused by the homologous recombination pathway, in addition to inducing DNA damage. Treatment with quercetin and β-sitosterol produced similar outcomes.

Conclusion

The current study provides novel insight into the previously unknown therapeutic potential of SCH as a DNA-damaging agent in TNBC.

Extraction of Amana edulis Induces Liver Cancer Apoptosis

HCC is one of the fastest-rising causes of cancer-related death. Novel therapeutic approaches for treatment are warranted. The goal of this study is to find effective components from Chinese herbal medicines, which is an important alternative source of anticancer medicine. To this end, six different herbs were selected from various traditional literatures. Soxhlet extractor was used to distill the strong polar and weak polar components of each herb. The inhibitive effect of each component was determined using liver cancer cells BEL7404. From total of 12 extractions, it was found that the combined crude lysate of Amana edulis from water and ethanol system had the best efficacy. At the concentration of 0.1 mg/mL, this component has the highest inhibition rate up to 70%. To investigate the underlying molecular reasons, we observed that the component can significantly induce the liver cancer cells apoptosis and retard the cell reproduction at G2/M stage. Verification experiments showed that this component also has apparent inhibitive effects on other liver cancer cells, such as HepG2 and Huh7. On the other hand, it has less effectiveness on another cell line HepaRG, which retains many characteristics of primary human hepatocytes. The results suggested that there might be highly efficient antihepatoma ingredient in the water and ethanol extraction of Amana edulis. The pure substances remain to be isolated and further research on their targets is required.

Flavonoids Effects on Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Murine Models: A Systematic Review

The hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide. It occurs primarily as manifestation of other pathological processes, such as viral hepatitis, cirrhosis, and toxin exposure that affect directly the cellular process. Studies were selected from PubMed and Scopus databases according to the PRISMA statement. The research filters were constructed using three parameters: flavonoids, hepatocellular carcinoma, and animal model. The bias analysis of the 34 selected works was done using the ARRIVE guidelines. The most widely used flavonoid in the studies was epigallocatechin gallate extracted from green tea. In general, the treatment with different flavonoids presented inhibition of tumor growth and antiangiogenic, antimetastatic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. The bias analysis evidenced the absence of methodological processes in all studies, such as the age or weight of the animals, the method of flavonoids' extraction, or the experimental designs, analytical methods, and outcome measures. It has been known that flavonoids have a protective effect against HCC. However, the absence or incomplete characterization of the animal models, treatment protocols, and phytochemical and toxicity analyses impaired the internal validity of the individual studies, making it difficult to determine the effectiveness of plant-derived products in the treatment of HCC.

Isoliensinine induces dephosphorylation of NF-kB p65 subunit at Ser536 via a PP2A-dependent mechanism in hepatocellular carcinoma cells: roles of impairing PP2A/I2PP2A interaction

Our previous study discovered that isoliensinine (isolie) triggers hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell apoptosis via inducing p65 dephosphorylation at Ser536 and inhibition of NF-κB. Here, we showed that isolie promoted p65/PP2A interaction in vitro and in vivo. Repression of PP2A activity or knockdown of the expression of PP2A-C (the catalytic subunit of PP2A) abrogated isolie-provoked p65 dephosphorylation. I2PP2A is an endogenous PP2A inhibitor. Isolie directly impaired PP2A/I2PP2A interaction. Knockdown of I2PP2A boosted p65/PP2A association and p65 dephosphorylation. Overexpression of I2PP2A restrained isolie-induced p65 dephosphorylation. Untransformed hepatocytes were insensitive to isolie-induced NF-κB inhibition and cell apoptosis. In these cells, basal levels of I2PP2A and p65 phosphorylation at Ser536 were lower than in HCC cells. These findings collectively indicated that isolie suppresses NF-κB in HCC cells through impairing PP2A/I2PP2A interaction and stimulating PP2A-dependent p65 dephosphorylation at Ser536.

Identification of WT1 as determinant of heptatocellular carcinoma and its inhibition by Chinese herbal medicine Salvia chinensis Benth and its active ingredient protocatechualdehyde

Candidates from Chinese herbal Medicine might be preferable in drug discovery as the abundant experiences of traditional use usually hint the clinical efficacy. In this study, we screened the anti-tumour effect of several commonly used Chinese herbal Medicines on human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HCC). We identified that Salvia chinensia Benth. (Shijianchuan in Chinese, SJC) exhibited prominent in vitro inhibition of HCC cells and suppressed the orthotopic growth of HCC in the liver of mice and repressed the lung metastasis of tumour cells. Using a pathway-specific PCR array and Gene Ontology analysis, we identified that Wnt/β-catenin pathway was associated with the suppressive effect of SJC on HCC cell proliferation and cell cycle progression. SJC repressed transcription activity of Wnt/β-catenin pathway and reduced expression of β-catenin in GSK-3β-independent but promoter-specific transcription inhibition mechanism. The suppressive effect of SJC on β-catenin expression and its transcription activity was associated with Wilms' tumor 1 (WT1) protein. WT1 was overexpressed in HCC tissues, and was negatively correlated to the overall survival of HCC patients. WT1 promoted proliferation and invasion of HCC cells, as well as β-catenin-dependent transcription activation of Wnt products, while knockdown of WT1 had the opposite effect. Docking experiment revealed that protocatechualdehyde (PCA) might be the active component of the herb. PCA suppressed transcription activity of Wnt/β-catenin pathway in WT1-dependent manner. Our study sheds light on the potential of PCA from commonly used anti-cancer Chinese herbal Medicine SJC as a lead compound targeting WT1 in the discovery of anti-HCC drugs.

Effects of Chinese Medicine as Adjunct Medication for Adjuvant Chemotherapy Treatments of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients

The aim was to evaluate the effects of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a combination medication with adjuvant chemotherapy on postoperative early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. The 314 patients with completely resected stage IB, II or IIIA cancers were assigned into vinorelbine plus cisplatin/carboplatin (NP/NC) (control, n = 158) and NP/NC with additional TCM (intervention, n = 156) groups. The primary endpoint was QOL scores; secondary endpoints were the toxicity and safety of the regimens. The NP/NC regimen caused mild (grade 1 or 2) non-hematologic toxic effects in the patients comprising vomiting (43.6%), fatigue (36.9%), pain (23%), dry mouth (27.6%) and diarrhea (7.9%). The incidence of adverse events was significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group (0.57% vs 4.02%, P = 0.037). Transient severe (grade 3 or 4) hematological toxic effects occurred less often (hemoglobin reduction (11.9 vs 22.5 percent) and total bilirubin increased (to 42.1 vs 46.2%) in the intervention compared to the control group during the 2nd chemotherapy cycle. When combined with adjuvant chemotherapy, TCM led to partial relief of symptoms in addition to a reduction of side-effects and adverse events caused by the NP/NC regimens.

Amplexicaule A exerts anti-tumor effects by inducing apoptosis in human breast cancer

Chemotherapy is the main treatment for patients with breast cancer metastases, but natural alternatives have been receiving attention for their potential as novel anti-tumor reagents. Amplexicaule A (APA) is a flavonoid glucoside isolated from rhizomes of Polygonum amplexicaule D. Don var. sinense Forb (PADF). We found that APA has anti-tumor effects in a breast cancer xenograft mouse model and induces apoptosis in breast cancer cell lines. APA increased levels of cleaved caspase-3,-8,-9 and PARP, which resulted from suppression of MCL-1 and BCL-2 expression in the cells. APA also inactivated the Akt/mTOR pathway in breast cancer cells. Thus, APA exerts a strong anti-tumor effect on breast cancer cells, most likely through induction of apoptosis. Our study is the first to identify this novel anti-tumor compound and provides a new strategy for isolation and separation of single compounds from herbs.

Isoliensinine, a Bioactive Alkaloid Derived from Embryos of Nelumbo nucifera, Induces Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Apoptosis through Suppression of NF-κB Signaling

Isoliensinine (isolie) is an alkaloid produced by the edible plant Nelumbo nucifera. Here, we unveiled that isolie was able to provoke HepG2, Huh-7, and H22 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell apoptosis. Isolie decreased NF-κB activity and constitutive phosphorylation of NF-κB p65 subunit at Ser536 in HCC cells. Overexpression of p65 Ser536 phosphorylation mimics abrogated isolie-mediated HCC cell apoptosis. Furthermore, intraperitoneal injection of isolie inhibited the growth of Huh-7 xenografts in nude mice. Additionally, isolie given by both intraperitoneal injection and gavage diminished the proliferation of transplanted H22 cells in Kunming mice. Reduced tumor growth in vivo was associated with inhibited p65 phosphorylation at Ser536 and declined NF-κB activity in tumor tissues. Finally, we revealed that isolie was bioavailable in the blood of mice and exhibited no detectable toxic effects on tumor-bearing mice. Our data provided strong evidence for the anti-HCC effect of isolie.

Antitumor immunostimulatory activity of polysaccharides from Salvia chinensis Benth

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Salvia chinensis Benth (S. chinensis) is a traditional herb applied in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Polysaccharides abundantly exist in this plant. However, it remains poorly understood if polysaccharides from S. chinensis (PSSC) contribute to its anti-HCC activity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The in vivo anti-HCC activity of PSSC was evaluated in Kunming mice bearing H22 ascitic hepatoma cells. An array of physiological indexes was measured to evaluate toxicological effects on host animals. Subgroups of immune cells were purified by a magnetic-activated cell sorting system and analyzed by flow cytometry. Reverse transcription real-time PCR and immunoblotting were recruited to determine the effects of PSSC on the cellular signaling of different subgroup of immune cells.

RESULTS

PSSC suppressed in vivo proliferation of H22 cells with undetectable toxic effects on tumor-bearing mice. PSSC alleviated tumor transplantation-induced CD4+ T cell apoptosis and dysregulation of serum cytokine profiles, which elevated cytotoxic activities of natural killer and CD8+ T cells. PSSC reduced serum levels of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Injection of exogenous PGE2 completely abrogated the antitumor immunostimulatory activity of PSSC. Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is the second messager of PGE2. In CD4+ T cells, PSSC substantially declined intracellular cAMP. This event elevated protein levels of JAK3, enhancing STAT5 phosphorylation and STAT5-dependent expression of anti-apoptotic genes. Cyclooxygenase-2 is the key enzyme mediating biosynthesis of PGE2. PSSC suppressed the transcription and translation of cyclooxygenase-2 in tumor associated macrophages.

CONCLUSION

Our data clearly showed antitumor immunostimulatory activity of PSSC against transplanted H22 HCC cells. Suppressing tumor transplantation-induced PGE2 production was implicated in the anti-tumor immunostimulatory activity of PSSC. These works provides novel insights into the traditional application of S. chinensis against HCC and supported considering PSSC as an adjuvant reagent in clinical HCC treatment.

Chemical composition of total flavonoids from Polygonum amplexicaule and their pro-apoptotic effect on hepatocellular carcinoma cells: Potential roles of suppressing STAT3 signaling

Polygonum amplexicaule D. Don var. sinense Forb (P. amplexicaule) is a medical plant traditionally used in the treatment of malignant diseases including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the scientific basis underlying its anti-HCC activity remains poorly understood. Here, we explored the chemical profile of total flavonoids from P. amplexicaule (TFPA). Nine compounds that constituted the major components of TFPA were separated and identified. Further investigations revealed that TFPA dose-dependently induced HepG2, Huh-7 and H22 HCC cell apoptosis. In HCC cells, TFPA dramatically inhibited the transcriptional activity of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). In addition, TFPA increased the expression of SHP-1, a protein tyrosine phosphatase catalyzing STAT3 dephosphorylation, in HCC cells. Animal studies showed that TFPA considerably provoked transplanted H22 cell apoptosis with undetectable toxicological effects on tumor-bearing mice. Consistently, TFPA dose-dependently inhibited transcriptional activity of STAT3 in transplanted tumor tissues. This study collectively demonstrated that TFPA has the capacity of inducing HCC cell apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo with low toxic effects on normal hepatocytes and vital organs of tumor-bearing mice. Suppressing STAT3 signaling is implicated in TFPA-mediated HCC cell apoptosis.