Cytotoxicity and cell cycle analysis of Asparagus laricinus Burch. and Senecio asperulus DC. on breast and prostate cancer cell lines

Diminazene aceturate-induced cytotoxicity is associated with the deregulation of cell cycle signaling and downregulation of oncogenes Furin, c-MYC, and FOXM1 in human cervical carcinoma Hela cells

Diminazene aceturate (DIZE) is an FDA-listed small molecule known for the treatment of African sleeping sickness. In vivo studies showed that DIZE may be beneficial for a range of human ailments. However, there is very limited information on the effects of DIZE on human cancer cells. The current study aimed to investigate the cytotoxic responses of DIZE, using the human carcinoma Hela cell line. WST-1 cell proliferation assay showed that DIZE inhibited the viability of Hela cells in a dose-dependent manner and the observed response was associated with the downregulation of Ki67 and PCNA cell proliferation markers. DIZE-treated cells stained with acridine orange-ethidium and JC-10 dye revealed cell death and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (Ψm), compared with DMSO (vehicle) control, respectively. Cellular immunofluorescence staining of DIZE-treated cells showed upregulation of caspase 3 activities. DIZE-treated cells showed downregulation of mRNA for G1/S genes CCNA2 and CDC25A, S-phase genes MCM3 and PLK4, and G2/S phase transition/mitosis genes Aurka and PLK1. These effects were associated with decreased mRNA expression of Furin, c-Myc, and FOXM1 oncogenes. These results suggested that DIZE may be considered for its effects on other cancer types. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the effect of DIZE on human cervical cancer cells.

Suppression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and SIRT1/AKT signaling pathway in breast cancer by montelukast

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is usually associated with metastatic features, poor prognosis, and high mortality. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process has been implicated in the initiation and metastasis of breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE

The study aimed to investigate the possible role of montelukast (Mont), the cysteinyl leukotriene receptor (CystLT1R) antagonist, in mitigating EMT in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) (in vitro study) and solid Ehrlich carcinoma (SEC) bearing mice (in vivo study) as well as to clarify the underlying molecular mechanisms in the presence and absence of sirtuin-1 inhibitor (sirtinol; Sirt).

METHODS

TNBC MDA-MB-231 cells were treated with either 5 μM Mont or 25 μM Sirt or both for 48 h. Alternatively, SEC cells were inoculated in mice to induce breast cancer. After 12 days, the mice were divided into four groups: Untreated SEC group (vehicle), Sirt group (1 mg/kg), Mont group (10 mg/kg), and cotreatment Sirt/Mont group. The mice groups received the assigned treatment for the consequent 16 days.

RESULTS

Mont and/or Sirt decreased cell proliferation, migration and suppressed EMT in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. All treatments downregulated sirtuin-1 and vimentin expression but upregulated E-cadherin expression. Furthermore, all treatments retarded angiogenesis as evidenced by decreased VEGF expression. These findings were associated with suppressing active protein kinase B (p-AKT).

CONCLUSION

Cotreatment with Sirt and Mont proved more effective anti-tumor activity in TNBC cell line and in SEC bearing mice than either treatment alone, which could be attributed to the inhibition of sirtuin-1 and AKT- activated pathways, with the subsequent inhibition of EMT.

Mutagenic and antimutagenic evaluation of Asparagus laricinus Burch., Senecio asperulus DC., and Gunnera perpensa L. to hepatic cells

Introduction. The use of traditional medicinal plant concoctions to cure or treat different diseases daily in African folk medicine. However, the effects of most medicinal plants on human health or genetic material remain unknown. This study thus aimed to evaluate the mutagenic and antimutagenic potentials of Asparagus laricinus Burch. cladodes, Senecio asperulus DC., and Gunnera perpensa L. roots extract in vitro. Methods. Neutral red uptake assay, alkaline comet assay, and the VITOTOX test was used with plant extract dilutions of 4, 20, 50, and 100 µg/ml, respectively, on hepatic (C3A) cells and Salmonella Typhimurium TA104 strains. Ethyl methane-sulfonate and 4-nitroquinoline oxide were used as positive controls for the comet and VITOTOX assays, respectively. Results.  In vitro cytotoxicity and genotoxicity were not observed from all tested extracts, except for the two dichloromethane (DCM) extracts of S. asperulus and G. perpensa, which appeared to be cytotoxic with S9 metabolic activation, but not genotoxic or mutagenic. From the VITOTOX test results, none of the extracts appeared to have antimutagenic properties after treating S. Typhimurium strains with a known mutagen. Conclusions. These results confirm that previously reported anticarcinogenic properties of A. laricinus, S. asperulus, and G. perpensa did not result from the protective mechanism against genotoxicity but from other ones. Moreover, the negative mutagenic and cytotoxic activities of the tested plants highlighted the safe use of these medicinal plants in vitro. Therefore, S. asperulus and G. perpensa DCM extracts require further investigation for their possible in vivo cytotoxic effects on humans.

In Vitro Cytotoxic Activity of African Plants: A Review

In African countries, cancer not only is a growing problem, but also a challenge because available funding and resources are limited. Therefore, African medicinal plants play a significant role in folk medicine and some of them are traditionally used for the treatment of cancer. The high mortality rate and adverse effects associated with cancer treatments have encouraged the search for novel plant-based drugs, thus, some African plants have been studied in recent years as a source of molecules with proven cytotoxicity. This review aims to discuss the cytotoxic activity, in vitro, of African plant crude extracts against cancer cell lines. For the period covered by this review (2017−2021) twenty-three articles were found and analyzed, which included a total of 105 plants, where the main cell lines used were those of breast cancer (MCF-7 and MDA-MBA-231) and colorectal cancer (HCT-116 and Caco-2), which are among the most prevalent cancers in Africa. In these studies, the plant crude extracts were obtained using different solvents, such as ethanol, methanol, or water, with variable results and IC50 values ranging from <20 µg/mL to >200 µg/mL. Water is the preferred solvent for most healers in African countries, however, in some studies, the aqueous extracts were the least potent. Apoptosis and the induction of cell cycle arrest may explain the cytotoxic activity seen in many of the plant extracts studied. Considering that the criteria of cytotoxicity activity for the crude extracts, as established by the American National Cancer Institute (NCI), is an IC50 < 30 μg/mL, we conclude that many extracts from the African flora could be a promising source of cytotoxic agents.

Combining Network Pharmacology and Experimental Validation to Study the Action and Mechanism of Water extract of Asparagus Against Colorectal Cancer

Asparagus (ASP) is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine with nourishing, moistening, fire-clearing, cough-suppressing, and intestinal effects. In addition, it exerts anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-aging, immunity-enhancing, and anti-tumor pharmacological effect. The anti-tumor effect of ASP has been studied in hepatocellular carcinoma. However, its action and pharmacological mechanism in colorectal cancer (CRC) are unclear. The present study aimed to identify the potential targets of ASP for CRC treatment using network pharmacology and explore its possible therapeutic mechanisms using in vitro and in vivo experiments. The active compounds and potential targets of ASP were obtained from the TCMSP database, followed by CRC-related target genes identification using GeneCards and OMIM databases, which were matched with the potential targets of ASP. Based on the matching results, potential targets and signaling pathways were identified by protein-protein interaction (PPI), gene ontology (GO) functions, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses. Finally, in vitro and in vivo experiments were performed to further validate the anti-cancer effects of ASP on CRC. Network pharmacology analysis identified nine active components from ASP from the database based on oral bioavailability and drug similarity index, and 157 potential targets related to ASP were predicted. The PPI network identified tumor protein 53 (TP53), Fos proto-oncogene, AP-1 transcription factor subunit (FOS), and AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT1) as key targets. GO analysis showed that ASP might act through response to wounding, membrane raft, and transcription factor binding. KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that ASP may affect CRC through the phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase PI3K/AKT/mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase (mTOR) signaling pathway. In vitro, ASP inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCT116 and LOVO cells, and caused G0/G1 phase arrest and apoptosis in CRC cells. In vivo, ASP significantly inhibited the growth of CRC transplanted tumors in nude mice. Furthermore, pathway analysis confirmed that ASP could exert its therapeutic effects on CRC by regulating cell proliferation and survival through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. This study is the first to report the potential role of ASP in the treatment of colorectal cancer.

Ethanolic extracts of Pakistani euphorbiaceous plants induce apoptosis in breast cancer cells through induction of DNA damage and caspase-dependent pathway

BACKGROUND

Numerous plants of Euphorbiaceae, thespurgefamily are traditionally used for the treatment of different diseases and recent studies also reported anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor activities of these plants. However, the medicinal potential of several indigenous euphorbiaceous plants of Pakistan is not described yet. Therefore, we intended to evaluate the in vitro anti-breast cancer potential of 10 euphorbiaceous plants of Pakistan.

METHODS

Cytotoxic screening of ethanolic extracts of selected plants was performed by MTT assay. The qualitative phytochemical analysis was performed to find the major groups of chemicals responsible for cytotoxic activity. To determine the genotoxic effect of plant extracts, microscopic analysis was carried out. Flow cytometry and fluorescent microscopic analysis were done to detect apoptosis. To find out the expression analysis of cell cycle and cell death regulatory genes, quantitative real-time polymerase reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed.

RESULTS

Among the 10 tested plants, ethanolic extracts of Croton tiglium (CTL) and Euphorbia royleana (ERA) were found to possess the highest anti-proliferative activity against breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231, MCF-7), with IC₅₀ values 100 and 80 µg/mL respectively. The phytochemical analysis confirmed the presence of phenols, flavonoids, and steroids in both plant extracts, whereas, glycosides and saponins were found only in CTL and ERA, respectively. The cellular aberrations and nuclear morphologies with a distinct DNA laddering pattern substantiated the genotoxic effects. Furthermore, our data showed that CTL and ERA induce cell cycle arrest at the G1/S phase by down-regulating the CDK4 and Cyclin D1 expression followed by caspase-dependent induction of apoptosis in both MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. However, based on the activation of initiator and executioner caspases, two distinct types of apoptotic pathways are proposed for these plants. The CTL prompted extrinsic while ERA triggered the intrinsic pathways of apoptosis.

CONCLUSION

Our data demonstrate the strong anti-proliferative and caspase-dependent apoptotic potential of CTL and ERA against breast cancer cells. Further studies are suggested to find clinical implications of these plants in breast cancer therapeutic.

Anticancer Activity of Aqueous Extracts from Asparagus officinalis L. Byproduct on Breast Cancer Cells

Cultivation of asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.; Asp) for food and medicinal use has taken place since the early Roman Empire. Today, Asp represents a worldwide diffuse perennial crop. Lower portions of the spears represent a food industry waste product that can be used to extract bioactive molecules. In this study, aqueous extracts derived from the non-edible portion of the plant (hard stem) were prepared and characterized for chemical content. Furthermore, the biocompatibility and bioactivity of Asp aqueous extracts were assessed in vitro on normal fibroblasts and on breast cancer cell lines. Results showed no interference with fibroblast viability, while a remarkable cytostatic concentration-dependent activity, with significant G1/S cell cycle arrest, was specifically observed in breast cancer cells without apoptosis induction. Asp extracts were also shown to significantly inhibit cell migration. Further analyses showed that Asp extracts were characterized by specific pro-oxidant activity against tumoral cells, and, importantly, that their combination with menadione resulted in a significant enhancement of oxidants production with respect to menadione alone in breast cancer cells but not in normal cells. This selectivity of action on tumoral cells, together with the easiness of their preparation, makes the aqueous Asp extracts very attractive for further investigation in breast cancer research, particularly to investigate their role as possible co-adjuvant agents of clinical drug therapies.

Pharmacological properties of edible Asparagus acutifolius and Asparagus officinalis collected from North Iraq and Turkey (Hatay)

In this study, antioxidant, oxidant, antimicrobial, and antiproliferative activities of Asparagus acutifolius L. and Asparagus officinalis L., known for their nutritional properties, were determined. In this context, methanol (MeOH) and dichloromethane (DCM) extracts of plants were obtained. Total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) were determined using Rel Assay kits. Antimicrobial activities of plant extracts were determined against the test microorganisms using the agar dilution method. Antiproliferative activity was tested on the lung cancer cell line A549. As a result of the studies, it has been determined that the plant species have high antioxidant potential. In addition, it was observed that the antifungal potentials of plant extracts are high. Antiproliferative activity was determined to be at high level in both plant species. As a result, it has been determined that A. acutifolius and A. officinalis have medical potential and can be used as natural agents in pharmacological designs.

Enhanced anticancer activity of combined treatment of imatinib and dipyridamole in solid Ehrlich carcinoma-bearing mice

The current study was designed to evaluate potential enhancement of the anticancer activity of imatinib mesylate (IM) with dipyridamole (DIP) and to investigate the underlying mechanisms of the combined therapy (IM/DIP) to reduce hepatotoxicity of IM in solid Ehrlich carcinoma (SEC)-bearing mice. SEC was induced in female albino mice as a model for experimentally induced breast cancer. Mice were randomly divided into seven groups (n = 10): SEC vehicle, IM₅₀ (50 mg/kg), IM₁₀₀ (100 mg/kg), DIP (35 mg/kg), a combination of IM₅₀/DIP and IM₁₀₀/DIP. On day 28th, mice were sacrificed and blood samples were collected for hematological studies. Biochemical determination of liver markers was evaluated. Glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels were assessed. In addition, MDR-1 gene expression and immunohistochemical staining of BAX and BCL-2 was done. Also, in vitro experiment for determination of IC50 of different treatments and combination index (CI) were assessed in both MCF-7 and HCT-116 cell lines. IM- and/or DIP-treated groups showed a significant reduction in tumor volume, weight, and serum levels of SGOT, SGPT, and AIP compared to vehicle group. In addition, reduction of VEGF, Ki67, and adenosine contents was also reported by treated groups. Also, IM/DIP combination showed lower IC50 than monotherapy. Combination index is less than 1 for IM/DIP combination in both cell lines. DIP as an adjuvant therapy potentiated the cytotoxic effect of IM, ameliorated its hepatic toxicity, and showed synergistic effect with IM in vitro cell lines. Furthermore, the resistance against IM therapy may be overcome by the use of DIP independent on mdr-1 gene expression.