1
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Yu G, Peng J, Li L, Yu W, He B, Xie B. The role and mechanisms of cordycepin in inhibiting cancer cells. Braz J Med Biol Res 2024; 57:e13889. [PMID: 39194034 DOI: 10.1590/1414-431x2024e13889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Abstract
With the escalating incidence and mortality rates of cancer, there is an ever-growing emphasis on the research of anticancer drugs. Cordycepin, the primary nucleoside antibiotic isolated from Cordyceps militaris, has emerged as a remarkable agent for cancer prevention and treatment. Functioning as a natural targeted antitumor drug, cordycepin assumes an increasingly pivotal role in cancer therapy. This review elucidates the mechanisms of cordycepin in inhibiting tumor cell proliferation, inducing apoptosis, as well as its capabilities in suppressing angiogenesis and metastasis. Moreover, the immunomodulatory effects of cordycepin in cancer treatment are explored. Additionally, the current status, challenges, and future prospects of cordycepin application in clinical trials are briefly discussed. The objective is to provide a valuable reference for the utilization of cordycepin in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gong Yu
- School of Chinese Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Jiahua Peng
- School of Chinese Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Lu Li
- School of Chinese Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Wenbin Yu
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Bioprocess Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Science & Technology Normal University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Bin He
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Bioprocess Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Science & Technology Normal University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Bin Xie
- School of Chinese Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
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2
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Zhong X, Gong S, Meng L, Yao W, Du K, Jiao L, Ma G, Liang J, Wei B, Jin X, Tong J, Dong J, Liu M, Gao M, Jia H, Jiang W, Yu Z, Wang Y, Sun X, Wei M, Liu M. Cordycepin Modulates Microglial M2 Polarization Coupled with Mitochondrial Metabolic Reprogramming by Targeting HKII and PDK2. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2304687. [PMID: 38889331 PMCID: PMC11336950 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202304687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
The microenvironment mediated by the microglia (MG) M1/M2 phenotypic switch plays a decisive role in the neuronal fate and cognitive function of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the impact of metabolic reprogramming on microglial polarization and its underlying mechanism remains elusive. This study reveals that cordycepin improved cognitive function and memory in APP/PS1 mice, as well as attenuated neuronal damage by triggering MG-M2 polarization and metabolic reprogramming characterized by increased OXPHOS and glycolysis, rather than directly protecting neurons. Simultaneously, cordycepin partially alleviates mitochondrial damage in microglia induced by inhibitors of OXPHOS and glycolysis, further promoting MG-M2 transformation and increasing neuronal survival. Through confirmation of cordycepin distribution in the microglial mitochondria via mitochondrial isolation followed by HPLC-MS/MS techniques, HKII and PDK2 are further identified as potential targets of cordycepin. By investigating the effects of HKII and PDK2 inhibitors, the mechanism through which cordycepin targeted HKII to elevate ECAR levels in the glycolysis pathway while targeting PDK2 to enhance OCR levels in PDH-mediated OXPHOS pathway, thereby inducing MG-M2 polarization, promoting neuronal survival and exerting an anti-AD role is elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Zhong
- School of PharmacyChina Medical UniversityShenyangLiaoning110122China
| | - Shiqiang Gong
- School of PharmacyChina Medical UniversityShenyangLiaoning110122China
- Liaoning Medical Diagnosis and Treatment CenterShenyangLiaoning11067China
| | | | - Weifan Yao
- School of PharmacyChina Medical UniversityShenyangLiaoning110122China
- Liaoning Medical Diagnosis and Treatment CenterShenyangLiaoning11067China
| | - Ke Du
- School of PharmacyChina Medical UniversityShenyangLiaoning110122China
| | - Linchi Jiao
- School of PharmacyChina Medical UniversityShenyangLiaoning110122China
| | - Guowei Ma
- School of PharmacyChina Medical UniversityShenyangLiaoning110122China
| | - Jingwei Liang
- School of PharmacyChina Medical UniversityShenyangLiaoning110122China
| | - Binbin Wei
- School of PharmacyChina Medical UniversityShenyangLiaoning110122China
| | - Xin Jin
- School of PharmacyChina Medical UniversityShenyangLiaoning110122China
| | - Junhui Tong
- School of PharmacyChina Medical UniversityShenyangLiaoning110122China
| | - Jianru Dong
- School of PharmacyChina Medical UniversityShenyangLiaoning110122China
| | - Mengyu Liu
- School of PharmacyChina Medical UniversityShenyangLiaoning110122China
| | - Menglin Gao
- School of PharmacyChina Medical UniversityShenyangLiaoning110122China
| | - Huachao Jia
- School of PharmacyChina Medical UniversityShenyangLiaoning110122China
| | - Wenjuan Jiang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical UniversityShenyangLiaoning110002China
| | - Zhihua Yu
- The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical UniversityShenyangLiaoning110165China
| | - Yanzhe Wang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical UniversityShenyangLiaoning110002China
| | - Xiaohong Sun
- Science Experiment CenterChina Medical UniversityShenyangLiaoning110122China
| | - Minjie Wei
- School of PharmacyChina Medical UniversityShenyangLiaoning110122China
- Liaoning Medical Diagnosis and Treatment CenterShenyangLiaoning11067China
| | - Mingyan Liu
- School of PharmacyChina Medical UniversityShenyangLiaoning110122China
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3
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Zhang J, Yang Z, Zhao Z, Zhang N. Structural and pharmacological insights into cordycepin for neoplasms and metabolic disorders. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1367820. [PMID: 38953102 PMCID: PMC11215060 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1367820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Cytotoxic adenosine analogues were among the earliest chemotherapeutic agents utilised in cancer treatment. Cordycepin, a natural derivative of adenosine discovered in the fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis, directly inhibits tumours not only by impeding biosynthesis, inducing apoptosis or autophagy, regulating the cell cycle, and curtailing tumour invasion and metastasis but also modulates the immune response within the tumour microenvironment. Furthermore, extensive research highlights cordycepin's significant therapeutic potential in alleviating hyperlipidaemia and regulating glucose metabolism. This review comprehensively analyses the structure-activity relationship of cordycepin and its analogues, outlines its pharmacokinetic properties, and strategies to enhance its bioavailability. Delving into the molecular biology, it explores the pharmacological mechanisms of cordycepin in tumour suppression and metabolic disorder treatment, thereby underscoring its immense potential in drug development within these domains and laying the groundwork for innovative treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinming Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ziling Yang
- Second Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Zhuo Zhao
- Department of Gastroenterology, First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Nan Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China
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Vu TX, Tran TB, Vu HH, Le YTH, Nguyen PH, Do TT, Nguyen TH, Tran VT. Ethanolic extract from fruiting bodies of Cordyceps militaris HL8 exhibits cytotoxic activities against cancer cells, skin pathogenic yeasts, and postharvest pathogen Penicillium digitatum. Arch Microbiol 2024; 206:97. [PMID: 38349544 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-024-03833-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Cordyceps militaris is a well-known medicinal mushroom in Asian countries. This edible fungus has been widely exploited for traditional medicine and functional food production. C. militaris is a heterothallic fungus that requires both the mating-type loci, MAT1-1 and MAT1-2, for fruiting body formation. However, recent studies also indicated two groups of C. militaris, including monokaryotic strains carrying only MAT1-1 in their genomes and heterokaryotic strains harboring both MAT1-1 and MAT1-2. These strain groups are able to produce fruiting bodies under suitable cultivating conditions. In previous work, we showed that monokaryotic strains are more stable than heterokaryotic strains in fruiting body formation through successive culturing generations. In this study, we report a high cordycepin-producing monokaryotic C. militaris strain (HL8) collected in Vietnam. This strain could form normal fruiting bodies with high biological efficiency and contain a cordycepin content of 14.43 mg/g lyophilized fruiting body biomass. The ethanol extraction of the HL8 fruiting bodies resulted in a crude extract with a cordycepin content of 69.15 mg/g. Assays of cytotoxic activity on six human cancer cell lines showed that the extract inhibited the growth of all these cell lines with the IC50 values of 6.41-11.51 µg/mL. Notably, the extract significantly reduced cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis of breast cancer cells. Furthermore, the extract also exhibited strong antifungal activity against Malassezia skin yeasts and the citrus postharvest pathogen Penicillium digitatum. Our work provides a promising monokaryotic C. militaris strain as a bioresource for medicine, cosmetics, and fruit preservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Xuan Vu
- Center for Experimental Biology, National Center for Technological Progress, Ministry of Science and Technology, C6 Thanh Xuan Bac, Thanh Xuan, Hanoi, Viet Nam.
| | - Tram Bao Tran
- Center for Experimental Biology, National Center for Technological Progress, Ministry of Science and Technology, C6 Thanh Xuan Bac, Thanh Xuan, Hanoi, Viet Nam
| | - Hong-Ha Vu
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Yen Thi Hoang Le
- Center for Experimental Biology, National Center for Technological Progress, Ministry of Science and Technology, C6 Thanh Xuan Bac, Thanh Xuan, Hanoi, Viet Nam
| | - Phu Hung Nguyen
- Center of Interdisciplinary Science and Education, Thai Nguyen University, Thai Nguyen, Viet Nam
| | - Thao Thi Do
- Institute of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Cau Giay, Hanoi, Viet Nam
| | - Thu-Huong Nguyen
- Faculty of Basic Medicine, Hanoi University of Public Health, 1A Duc Thang, North Tu Liem, Hanoi, Viet Nam
| | - Van-Tuan Tran
- National Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Protein Technology, University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU), 334 Nguyen Trai, Thanh Xuan, Hanoi, Viet Nam.
- Faculty of Biology, University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU), 334 Nguyen Trai, Thanh Xuan, Hanoi, Viet Nam.
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5
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Cui L, Zhao L, Shen G, Yu D, Yuan T, Zhang Y, Yang B. Antitumor Mechanism and Therapeutic Potential of Cordycepin Derivatives. Molecules 2024; 29:483. [PMID: 38257396 PMCID: PMC10819979 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29020483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Cordycepin has good antitumor activity, but its clinical application is limited due to the easy deamination of N6 in structure. In this study, a large lipolysis group was introduced at the cordycepin N6 to improve the problem, cordycepin derivatives (3a-4c) were synthesized, and biological evaluation of compounds was studied. In this study, the vitro antitumor activity of the compounds against MCF7 cells, HepG2 cells and SGC-7901 cells was evaluated by MTT assay. In the results, compound 4a showed the most obvious inhibitory effect on MCF7 cells with an IC50 value of 27.57 ± 0.52 μM, which was much lower than cordycepin. Compound 4a showed high selectivity between MCF7 and normal MCF-10A cells. Further biological evaluation showed that compound 4a promoted apoptosis and blocked the cell cycle in the G0/G1 phase. Then, Western Blot was used to detect related apoptotic proteins. It was found that Compound 4a could down-regulate the expression of Bcl-2 protein and up-regulate the expression of p53, Bax, Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 proteins. The mitochondrial membrane potential decreased continuously and the positive expression rate decreased. It was speculated that compound 4a induced the apoptosis of MCF7 cells through the mitochondrial pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Cui
- College of Pharmacy, Harbin University of Commerce, Harbin 150076, China; (L.C.); (L.Z.); (G.S.); (D.Y.); (T.Y.); (Y.Z.)
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Drug Prevention and Treatment for Senile Diseases, Harbin 150076, China
| | - Li Zhao
- College of Pharmacy, Harbin University of Commerce, Harbin 150076, China; (L.C.); (L.Z.); (G.S.); (D.Y.); (T.Y.); (Y.Z.)
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Drug Prevention and Treatment for Senile Diseases, Harbin 150076, China
| | - Guanghuan Shen
- College of Pharmacy, Harbin University of Commerce, Harbin 150076, China; (L.C.); (L.Z.); (G.S.); (D.Y.); (T.Y.); (Y.Z.)
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Drug Prevention and Treatment for Senile Diseases, Harbin 150076, China
| | - Dahai Yu
- College of Pharmacy, Harbin University of Commerce, Harbin 150076, China; (L.C.); (L.Z.); (G.S.); (D.Y.); (T.Y.); (Y.Z.)
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Drug Prevention and Treatment for Senile Diseases, Harbin 150076, China
| | - Tian Yuan
- College of Pharmacy, Harbin University of Commerce, Harbin 150076, China; (L.C.); (L.Z.); (G.S.); (D.Y.); (T.Y.); (Y.Z.)
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Drug Prevention and Treatment for Senile Diseases, Harbin 150076, China
| | - Yingyu Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Harbin University of Commerce, Harbin 150076, China; (L.C.); (L.Z.); (G.S.); (D.Y.); (T.Y.); (Y.Z.)
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Drug Prevention and Treatment for Senile Diseases, Harbin 150076, China
| | - Bo Yang
- College of Pharmacy, Harbin University of Commerce, Harbin 150076, China; (L.C.); (L.Z.); (G.S.); (D.Y.); (T.Y.); (Y.Z.)
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Drug Prevention and Treatment for Senile Diseases, Harbin 150076, China
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6
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Feng C, Chen R, Fang W, Gao X, Ying H, Zheng X, Chen L, Jiang J. Synergistic effect of CD47 blockade in combination with cordycepin treatment against cancer. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1144330. [PMID: 37138855 PMCID: PMC10149837 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1144330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Cordycepin is widely considered a direct tumor-suppressive agent. However, few studies have investigated as the effect of cordycepin therapy on the tumor microenvironment (TME). In our present study, we demonstrated that cordycepin could weaken the function of M1-like macrophages in the TME and also contribute to macrophage polarization toward the M2 phenotype. Herein, we established a combined therapeutic strategy combining cordycepin and an anti-CD47 antibody. By using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), we showed that the combination treatment could significantly enhance the effect of cordycepin, which would reactivate macrophages and reverse macrophage polarization. In addition, the combination treatment could regulate the proportion of CD8+ T cells to prolong the progression-free survival (PFS) of patients with digestive tract malignancies. Finally, flow cytometry validated the changes in the proportions of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Collectively, our findings suggested that the combination treatment of cordycepin and the anti-CD47 antibody could significantly enhance tumor suppression, increase the proportion of M1 macrophages, and decrease the proportion of M2 macrophages. In addition, the PFS in patients with digestive tract malignancies would be prolonged by regulating CD8 + T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Feng
- Department of Tumor Biological Treatment, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Chang Zhou, Jiang Su, China
- Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for Tumor Immunotherapy, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Chang Zhou, Jiang Su, China
- Institute of Cell Therapy, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Chang Zhou, Jiang Su, China
| | - Rongzhang Chen
- Department of Tumor Biological Treatment, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Chang Zhou, Jiang Su, China
- Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for Tumor Immunotherapy, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Chang Zhou, Jiang Su, China
- Institute of Cell Therapy, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Chang Zhou, Jiang Su, China
| | - Weiwei Fang
- Department of Tumor Biological Treatment, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Chang Zhou, Jiang Su, China
- Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for Tumor Immunotherapy, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Chang Zhou, Jiang Su, China
- Institute of Cell Therapy, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Chang Zhou, Jiang Su, China
| | - Xinran Gao
- Department of Tumor Biological Treatment, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Chang Zhou, Jiang Su, China
- Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for Tumor Immunotherapy, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Chang Zhou, Jiang Su, China
- Institute of Cell Therapy, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Chang Zhou, Jiang Su, China
| | - Hanjie Ying
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, Jiang Su, China
| | - Xiao Zheng
- Department of Tumor Biological Treatment, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Chang Zhou, Jiang Su, China
- Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for Tumor Immunotherapy, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Chang Zhou, Jiang Su, China
- Institute of Cell Therapy, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Chang Zhou, Jiang Su, China
| | - Lujun Chen
- Department of Tumor Biological Treatment, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Chang Zhou, Jiang Su, China
- Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for Tumor Immunotherapy, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Chang Zhou, Jiang Su, China
- Institute of Cell Therapy, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Chang Zhou, Jiang Su, China
- *Correspondence: Jingting Jiang, ; Lujun Chen,
| | - Jingting Jiang
- Department of Tumor Biological Treatment, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Chang Zhou, Jiang Su, China
- Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for Tumor Immunotherapy, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Chang Zhou, Jiang Su, China
- Institute of Cell Therapy, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Chang Zhou, Jiang Su, China
- *Correspondence: Jingting Jiang, ; Lujun Chen,
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Liu Y, Guo ZJ, Zhou XW. Chinese Cordyceps: Bioactive Components, Antitumor Effects and Underlying Mechanism-A Review. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27196576. [PMID: 36235111 PMCID: PMC9572669 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27196576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Chinese Cordyceps is a valuable source of natural products with various therapeutic effects. It is rich in various active components, of which adenosine, cordycepin and polysaccharides have been confirmed with significant immunomodulatory and antitumor functions. However, the underlying antitumor mechanism remains poorly understood. In this review, we summarized and analyzed the chemical characteristics of the main components and their pharmacological effects and mechanism on immunomodulatory and antitumor functions. The analysis revealed that Chinese Cordyceps promotes immune cells' antitumor function by via upregulating immune responses and downregulating immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment and resetting the immune cells' phenotype. Moreover, Chinese Cordyceps can inhibit the growth and metastasis of tumor cells by death (including apoptosis and autophagy) induction, cell-cycle arrest, and angiogenesis inhibition. Recent evidence has revealed that the signal pathways of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), nuclear factor kappaB (NF-κB), cysteine-aspartic proteases (caspases) and serine/threonine kinase Akt were involved in the antitumor mechanisms. In conclusion, Chinese Cordyceps, one type of magic mushroom, can be potentially developed as immunomodulator and anticancer therapeutic agents.
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Yu C, Li Y, Chen G, Wu C, Wang X, Zhang Y. Bioactive constituents of animal-derived traditional Chinese medicinal materials for breast cancer: opportunities and challenges. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B 2022; 23:547-563. [PMID: 35794685 PMCID: PMC9264107 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.b2101019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer is globally the most common invasive cancer in women and remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths. Surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and endocrine therapy are currently the main treatments for this cancer type. However, some breast cancer patients are prone to drug resistance related to chemotherapy or immunotherapy, resulting in limited treatment efficacy. Consequently, traditional Chinese medicinal materials (TCMMs) as natural products have become an attractive source of novel drugs. In this review, we summarized the current knowledge on the active components of animal-derived TCMMs, including Ophiocordycepssinensis-derived cordycepin, the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of O.sinensis, norcantharidin (NCTD), Chansu, bee venom, deer antlers, Ostreagigas, and scorpion venom, with reference to marked anti-breast cancer effects due to regulating cell cycle arrest, proliferation, apoptosis, metastasis, and drug resistance. In future studies, the underlying mechanisms for the antitumor effects of these components need to be further investigated by utilizing multi-omics technologies. Furthermore, large-scale clinical trials are necessary to validate the efficacy of bioactive constituents alone or in combination with chemotherapeutic drugs for breast cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaochao Yu
- Department of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Yi Li
- Department of Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Guopeng Chen
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Chaoyan Wu
- Department of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Xiuping Wang
- Department of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Yingwen Zhang
- Department of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China.
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9
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Binlateh T, Uppatcha N, Thepchai J, Pleungtuk Y, Noisa P, Hutamekalin P, Jitprasertwong P. Cordycepin attenuates migration and invasion of HSC-4 oral squamous carcinoma cells through autophagy-dependent FAK/Akt and MMP2/MMP9 suppression. J Dent Sci 2022; 17:1677-1688. [PMID: 36299321 PMCID: PMC9588793 DOI: 10.1016/j.jds.2022.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 10/29/2022] Open
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10
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Xu H, Cheng J, He F. Cordycepin alleviates myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury by enhancing autophagy via AMPK-mTOR pathway. J Physiol Biochem 2022; 78:401-413. [PMID: 35230668 DOI: 10.1007/s13105-021-00816-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
To estimate the cardioprotective mechanism of cordycepin on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. The left anterior descending artery of mice was ligated transiently to establish the myocardial I/R model. TTC/Evans Blue staining and TUNEL assay were performed to quantify the infarct size and apoptosis index. The cardiac function was evaluated by echocardiography. Neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes (NRVCs) underwent hypoxia and reoxygenation (H/R). MTS and LDH were detected to measured cell viability and necrosis respectively. The results suggested that cordycepin could markedly decrease apoptosis, reduce infarct size, and improve cardiac function in mice subjected to I/R injury, alongside with enhanced autophagy. In NRVCs, cordycepin treatment obviously reduced ROS production. In addition, cordycepin partly promoted autophagy in the context of H/R injury by regulating AMPK/mTOR pathway. Our data demonstrated that cordycepin exerts cardio-protective effect and promotes cardiac functional recovery following myocardial I/R by enhancing autophagy via AMPK-mTOR signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Xu
- Department of Cardiology, second affiliated hospital of Anhui medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.,Department of Geriatrics, Affiliated Huadong Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Cheng
- School of Nursing, Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No.103 of middle Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Fei He
- Department of Cardiology, second affiliated hospital of Anhui medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
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11
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Prospects of Cordycepin and Polysaccharides Produced by Cordyceps. Fungal Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/978-981-16-8877-5_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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12
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Yap KM, Sekar M, Fuloria S, Wu YS, Gan SH, Mat Rani NNI, Subramaniyan V, Kokare C, Lum PT, Begum MY, Mani S, Meenakshi DU, Sathasivam KV, Fuloria NK. Drug Delivery of Natural Products Through Nanocarriers for Effective Breast Cancer Therapy: A Comprehensive Review of Literature. Int J Nanomedicine 2021; 16:7891-7941. [PMID: 34880614 PMCID: PMC8648329 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s328135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer (BC), it remains a global health issue affecting millions of women annually. Poor prognosis in BC patients is often linked to drug resistance as well as the lack of effective therapeutic options for metastatic and triple-negative BC. In response to these unmet needs, extensive research efforts have been devoted to exploring the anti-BC potentials of natural products owing to their multi-target mechanisms of action and good safety profiles. Various medicinal plant extracts/essential oils and natural bioactive compounds have demonstrated anti-cancer activities in preclinical BC models. Despite the promising preclinical results, however, the clinical translation of natural products has often been hindered by their poor stability, aqueous solubility and bioavailability. There have been attempts to overcome these limitations, particularly via the use of nano-based drug delivery systems (NDDSs). This review highlights the tumour targeting mechanisms of NDDSs, the advantages and disadvantages of the major classes of NDDSs and their current clinical status in BC treatment. Besides, it also discusses the proposed anti-BC mechanisms and nanoformulations of nine medicinal plants' extracts/essential oils and nine natural bioactive compounds; selected via the screening of various scientific databases, including PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar, based on the following keywords: "Natural Product AND Nanoparticle AND Breast Cancer". Overall, these nanoformulations exhibit improved anti-cancer efficacy against preclinical BC models, with some demonstrating biocompatibility with normal cell lines and mouse models. Further clinical studies are, however, warranted to ascertain their efficacy and biocompatibility in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kah Min Yap
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Universiti Kuala Lumpur Royal College of Medicine Perak, Ipoh, Perak, 30450, Malaysia
| | - Mahendran Sekar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Universiti Kuala Lumpur Royal College of Medicine Perak, Ipoh, Perak, 30450, Malaysia
| | | | - Yuan Seng Wu
- Centre for Virus and Vaccine Research, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Selangor, 47500, Malaysia
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Selangor, 47500, Malaysia
| | - Siew Hua Gan
- School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Selangor Darul Ehsan, 47500, Malaysia
| | - Nur Najihah Izzati Mat Rani
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Universiti Kuala Lumpur Royal College of Medicine Perak, Ipoh, Perak, 30450, Malaysia
| | | | - Chandrakant Kokare
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Sinhgad Technical Education Society’s, Sinhgad Institute of Pharmacy, Narhe, Pune, 411041, India
| | - Pei Teng Lum
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Universiti Kuala Lumpur Royal College of Medicine Perak, Ipoh, Perak, 30450, Malaysia
| | - M Yasmin Begum
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University (KKU), Asir-Abha, 61421, Saudi Arabia
| | - Shankar Mani
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Sri Adichunchanagiri College of Pharmacy, Adichunchanagiri University, Mandya, Karnataka, 571418, India
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13
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Lee HS, Lee IH, Kang K, Park SI, Jung M, Yang SG, Kwon TW, Lee DY. Network Pharmacology-Based Dissection of the Comprehensive Molecular Mechanisms of the Herbal Prescription FDY003 Against Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer. Nat Prod Commun 2021. [DOI: 10.1177/1934578x211044377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer (ERPBC) is the commonest subtype of breast cancer, with a high prevalence, incidence, and mortality. Herbal drugs are increasingly being used to treat ERPBC, although their mechanisms of action are not fully understood. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to analyze the therapeutic properties of FDY003, a herbal anti-ERPBC prescription, using a network pharmacology approach. FDY003 decreased the viability of human ERPBC cells and sensitized them to tamoxifen, an endocrine drug that is widely used in the treatment of ERPBC. The network pharmacology analysis revealed 18 pharmacologically active components in FDY003 that may interact with and regulate 66 therapeutic targets. The enriched gene ontology terms for the FDY003 targets were associated with the modulation of cell survival and death, cell proliferation and growth arrest, and estrogen-associated cellular processes. Analysis of the pathway enrichment of the targets showed that FDY003 may target a variety of ERPBC-associated pathways, including the PIK3-Akt, focal adhesion, MAPK, and estrogen pathways. Overall, these data provide a comprehensive mechanistic insight into the anti-ERPBC activity of FDY003.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ho-Sung Lee
- The Fore, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Forest Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | | | | | | | - Minho Jung
- Forest Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | | | | | - Dae-Yeon Lee
- The Fore, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Forest Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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14
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Radhi M, Ashraf S, Lawrence S, Tranholm AA, Wellham PAD, Hafeez A, Khamis AS, Thomas R, McWilliams D, de Moor CH. A Systematic Review of the Biological Effects of Cordycepin. Molecules 2021; 26:5886. [PMID: 34641429 PMCID: PMC8510467 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26195886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
We conducted a systematic review of the literature on the effects of cordycepin on cell survival and proliferation, inflammation, signal transduction and animal models. A total of 1204 publications on cordycepin were found by the cut-off date of 1 February 2021. After application of the exclusion criteria, 791 papers remained. These were read and data on the chosen subjects were extracted. We found 192 papers on the effects of cordycepin on cell survival and proliferation and calculated a median inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 135 µM. Cordycepin consistently repressed cell migration (26 papers) and cellular inflammation (53 papers). Evaluation of 76 papers on signal transduction indicated consistently reduced PI3K/mTOR/AKT and ERK signalling and activation of AMPK. In contrast, the effects of cordycepin on the p38 and Jun kinases were variable, as were the effects on cell cycle arrest (53 papers), suggesting these are cell-specific responses. The examination of 150 animal studies indicated that purified cordycepin has many potential therapeutic effects, including the reduction of tumour growth (37 papers), repression of pain and inflammation (9 papers), protecting brain function (11 papers), improvement of respiratory and cardiac conditions (8 and 19 papers) and amelioration of metabolic disorders (8 papers). Nearly all these data are consistent with cordycepin mediating its therapeutic effects through activating AMPK, inhibiting PI3K/mTOR/AKT and repressing the inflammatory response. We conclude that cordycepin has excellent potential as a lead for drug development, especially for age-related diseases. In addition, we discuss the remaining issues around the mechanism of action, toxicity and biodistribution of cordycepin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masar Radhi
- Pain Centre Versus Arthritis, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK; (M.R.); (A.A.T.); (D.M.)
- School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK; (S.L.); (P.A.D.W.); (A.H.); (A.S.K.)
| | - Sadaf Ashraf
- Aberdeen Centre for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Health, Institute of Medical Sciences, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK;
| | - Steven Lawrence
- School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK; (S.L.); (P.A.D.W.); (A.H.); (A.S.K.)
| | - Asta Arendt Tranholm
- Pain Centre Versus Arthritis, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK; (M.R.); (A.A.T.); (D.M.)
- School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK; (S.L.); (P.A.D.W.); (A.H.); (A.S.K.)
| | - Peter Arthur David Wellham
- School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK; (S.L.); (P.A.D.W.); (A.H.); (A.S.K.)
| | - Abdul Hafeez
- School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK; (S.L.); (P.A.D.W.); (A.H.); (A.S.K.)
| | - Ammar Sabah Khamis
- School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK; (S.L.); (P.A.D.W.); (A.H.); (A.S.K.)
| | - Robert Thomas
- The Primrose Oncology Unit, Bedford Hospital NHS Trust, Bedford MK42 9DJ, UK;
- Department of Oncology, Addenbrooke’s Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Daniel McWilliams
- Pain Centre Versus Arthritis, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK; (M.R.); (A.A.T.); (D.M.)
- NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), Nottingham NG5 1PB, UK
| | - Cornelia Huiberdina de Moor
- Pain Centre Versus Arthritis, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK; (M.R.); (A.A.T.); (D.M.)
- School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK; (S.L.); (P.A.D.W.); (A.H.); (A.S.K.)
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15
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Ku CW, Ho TJ, Huang CY, Chu PM, Ou HC, Hsieh PL. Cordycepin Attenuates Palmitic Acid-Induced Inflammation and Apoptosis of Vascular Endothelial Cells through Mediating PI3K/Akt/eNOS Signaling Pathway. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CHINESE MEDICINE 2021; 49:1703-1722. [PMID: 34488549 DOI: 10.1142/s0192415x21500804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
A well-known medicinal mushroom in the field of traditional Chinese medicine, Cordyceps sinensis, is a rare natural-occurring entomopathogenic fungus, and it typically grows at high altitudes on the plateau of the Himalayan. Previous studies indicated that cordycepin, the main bioactive chemical of Cordyceps sinensis, has very potent anticancer, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. However, its protective effects against atherosclerotic changes in vascular endothelial cells have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we showed that pretreatment with cordycepin significantly attenuated palmitic acid (PA)-induced cytotoxicity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and inflammatory responses. We found that PA decreased phosphorylation of Akt, eNOS, and bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO), which in turn activated NF-[Formula: see text]B and the downstream inflammatory responses. All these detrimental events were markedly blocked by pretreatment with cordycepin. Moreover, cordycepin ameliorated destabilization of mitochondrial permeability, cytosolic calcium rises, and apoptotic features caused by PA. In addition, all these anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptosis effects of cordycepin were found to be inhibited by the PI3K and eNOS inhibitor, suggesting that its anti-atherosclerotic effects may partially be mediated by the PI3K/Akt/eNOS signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Wen Ku
- Department of Chinese Medicine, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan.,Integration Center of Traditional Chinese and Modern Medicine, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Tsung-Jung Ho
- Department of Chinese Medicine, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan.,Integration Center of Traditional Chinese and Modern Medicine, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan.,School of Post Baccalaureate Chinese Medicine, College of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Yang Huang
- Cardiovascular and Mitochondrial Related Disease Research Center, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan.,Department of Biotechnology, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Research, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Holistic Education Center, Tzu Chi University of Science and Technology, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Ming Chu
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Hsiu-Chung Ou
- Department of Physical Therapy, College of Medical and Health Science, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Ling Hsieh
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
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16
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The Role of Autophagy in Anti-Cancer and Health Promoting Effects of Cordycepin. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26164954. [PMID: 34443541 PMCID: PMC8400201 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26164954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cordycepin is an adenosine derivative isolated from Cordyceps sinensis, which has been used as an herbal complementary and alternative medicine with various biological activities. The general anti-cancer mechanisms of cordycepin are regulated by the adenosine A3 receptor, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), and glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β, leading to cell cycle arrest or apoptosis. Notably, cordycepin also induces autophagy to trigger cell death, inhibits tumor metastasis, and modulates the immune system. Since the dysregulation of autophagy is associated with cancers and neuron, immune, and kidney diseases, cordycepin is considered an alternative treatment because of the involvement of cordycepin in autophagic signaling. However, the profound mechanism of autophagy induction by cordycepin has never been reviewed in detail. Therefore, in this article, we reviewed the anti-cancer and health-promoting effects of cordycepin in the neurons, kidneys, and the immune system through diverse mechanisms, including autophagy induction. We also suggest that formulation changes for cordycepin could enhance its bioactivity and bioavailability and lower its toxicity for future applications. A comprehensive understanding of the autophagy mechanism would provide novel mechanistic insight into the anti-cancer and health-promoting effects of cordycepin.
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17
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Lee HS, Lee IH, Kang K, Park SI, Moon SJ, Lee CH, Lee DY. A Network Pharmacology Study on the Molecular Mechanisms of FDY003 for Breast Cancer Treatment. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE : ECAM 2021; 2021:3919143. [PMID: 33628298 PMCID: PMC7881938 DOI: 10.1155/2021/3919143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Herbal medicines have drawn considerable attention with regard to their potential applications in breast cancer (BC) treatment, a frequently diagnosed malignant disease, considering their anticancer efficacy with relatively less adverse effects. However, their mechanisms of systemic action have not been understood comprehensively. Based on network pharmacology approaches, we attempted to unveil the mechanisms of FDY003, an herbal drug comprised of Lonicera japonica Thunberg, Artemisia capillaris Thunberg, and Cordyceps militaris, against BC at a systemic level. We found that FDY003 exhibited pharmacological effects on human BC cells. Subsequently, detailed data regarding the biochemical components contained in FDY003 were obtained from comprehensive herbal medicine-related databases, including TCMSP and CancerHSP. By evaluating their pharmacokinetic properties, 18 chemical compounds in FDY003 were shown to be potentially active constituents interacting with 140 BC-associated therapeutic targets to produce the pharmacological activity. Gene ontology enrichment analysis using g:Profiler indicated that the FDY003 targets were involved in the modulation of cellular processes, involving the cell proliferation, cell cycle process, and cell apoptosis. Based on a KEGG pathway enrichment analysis, we further revealed that a variety of oncogenic pathways that play key roles in the pathology of BC were significantly enriched with the therapeutic targets of FDY003; these included PI3K-Akt, MAPK, focal adhesion, FoxO, TNF, and estrogen signaling pathways. Here, we present a network-perspective of the molecular mechanisms via which herbal drugs treat BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ho-Sung Lee
- The Fore, 87 Ogeum-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul 05542, Republic of Korea
- Forest Hospital, 129 Ogeum-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul 05549, Republic of Korea
| | - In-Hee Lee
- The Fore, 87 Ogeum-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul 05542, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyungrae Kang
- Forest Hospital, 129 Ogeum-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul 05549, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-In Park
- Forestheal Hospital, 173 Ogeum-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul 05641, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Joon Moon
- Forest Hospital, 129 Ogeum-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul 05549, Republic of Korea
| | - Chol Hee Lee
- Forest Hospital, 129 Ogeum-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul 05549, Republic of Korea
| | - Dae-Yeon Lee
- The Fore, 87 Ogeum-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul 05542, Republic of Korea
- Forest Hospital, 129 Ogeum-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul 05549, Republic of Korea
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18
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Liu C, Qi M, Li L, Yuan Y, Wu X, Fu J. Natural cordycepin induces apoptosis and suppresses metastasis in breast cancer cells by inhibiting the Hedgehog pathway. Food Funct 2020; 11:2107-2116. [PMID: 32163051 DOI: 10.1039/c9fo02879j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In the study, we investigated the role of the hedgehog (Hh) pathway in cordycepin's effects on human breast cancer cells, with respect to cell growth, apoptosis and metastasis. We found cordycepin to have low toxicity but significant anticancer effects. Cordycepin-induced apoptosis led to increased PUMA, CYTO-C, FAS, DR4/5, and cleaved caspase-3; and decreased BCL-2, XIAP and PDGFR-α. Cordycepin inhibited metastasis, which was associated with up-regulated E-cadherin, and down-regulated N-cadherin, SNAIL, SLUG and ZEB1. Cordycepin also inhibited expression of Hh pathway components and GLI transcriptional activity. Inversely, knockout of GLI blocked cordycepin-mediated effects on the apoptotic, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and Notch pathways, which indicates that GLI is crucial for cordycepin's effects against breast cancer. Inhibition of GLI enhanced cordycepin's effect on breast cancer cell growth. To our knowledge, this is the first study of cordycepin's effect on the Hh pathway in breast cancer, and provides preliminary data for the in vivo study, and possible therapeutic use, of cordycepin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengyi Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China. and Mycological Research Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
| | - Meng Qi
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China. and Mycological Research Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
| | - Lin Li
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China. and Mycological Research Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
| | - Yuan Yuan
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China. and Mycological Research Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
| | - Xiaoping Wu
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China. and Mycological Research Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
| | - Junsheng Fu
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China. and Mycological Research Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
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19
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Mushroom extracts and compounds with suppressive action on breast cancer: evidence from studies using cultured cancer cells, tumor-bearing animals, and clinical trials. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 104:4675-4703. [PMID: 32274562 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-020-10476-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
This article reviews mushrooms with anti-breast cancer activity. The mushrooms covered which are better known include the following: button mushroom Agaricus bisporus, Brazilian mushroom Agaricus blazei, Amauroderma rugosum, stout camphor fungus Antrodia camphorata, Jew's ear (black) fungus or black wood ear fungus Auricularia auricula-judae, reishi mushroom or Lingzhi Ganoderma lucidum, Ganoderma sinense, maitake mushroom or sheep's head mushroom Grifola frondosa, lion's mane mushroom or monkey head mushroom Hericium erinaceum, brown beech mushroom Hypsizigus marmoreus, sulfur polypore mushroom Laetiporus sulphureus, Lentinula edodes (shiitake mushroom), Phellinus linteus (Japanese "meshimakobu," Chinese "song gen," Korean "sanghwang," American "black hoof mushroom"), abalone mushroom Pleurotus abalonus, king oyster mushroom Pleurotus eryngii, oyster mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus, tuckahoe or Fu Ling Poria cocos, and split gill mushroom Schizophyllum commune. Antineoplastic effectiveness in human clinical trials and mechanism of anticancer action have been reported for Antrodia camphorata, Cordyceps sinensis, Coriolus versicolor, Ganoderma lucidum, Grifola frondosa, and Lentinula edodes.
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20
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Gao YL, Wang YJ, Chung HH, Chen KC, Shen TL, Hsu CC. Molecular networking as a dereplication strategy for monitoring metabolites of natural product treated cancer cells. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2020; 34 Suppl 1:e8549. [PMID: 31411772 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Revised: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Natural products have been great sources for drug discovery. However, the structures of natural products are diverse and difficult to elucidate. Cordyceps militaris is a parasitic fungus which usually grows on host insects. The metabolites of C. militaris have been reported to act as chemotherapeutic agents. In this study, we aimed for the structural elucidation of specialized metabolites derived from C. militaris, and the metabolic impact in leukemia cells. METHODS We describe a liquid chromatography data-dependent mass spectrometric platform combining tandem mass analysis and molecular networking. Leukemia cells treated with C. militaris extract and control groups were visualized in terms of their metabolic profiles using Global Natural Product Social (GNPS) molecular networking. By this method, we were able to elucidate the structures of metabolites from medicinal fungus extracts and cancer cells and then to recognize their changes in a semi-quantitative manner. RESULTS Using C. militaris and leukemia cells as examples, we found that approximately 100 new ion species were present in the treated leukemia cells, suggesting a highly altered metabolic profile. Specifically, based on the tandem mass spectral similarity, we proposed that cordycepin, a key fungus-derived therapeutic agent known for its antitumor activity, was transformed into its methylthio form in leukemia cells. CONCLUSIONS The platform described provides an ability to investigate complex molecular interactions of natural products in mammalian cells. By incorporating tandem mass spectrometry and molecular networking, we were able to reveal the chemical modification of crude bioactive compounds, for example potential bioactive compounds which might be modified from cordycepin. We envision that such a mass spectrometry (MS)-based workflow, combined with other metabolomics platforms, would enable much wider applicability to cell biology and be of great potential to pharmacological study as well as drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Ling Gao
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Ying-Jing Wang
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology and Center for Biotechnology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Hsiang Chung
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Ko-Chien Chen
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology and Center for Biotechnology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Tang-Long Shen
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology and Center for Biotechnology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Chih Hsu
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
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21
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Khan MA, Tania M. Cordycepin in Anticancer Research: Molecular Mechanism of Therapeutic Effects. Curr Med Chem 2020; 27:983-996. [PMID: 30277143 DOI: 10.2174/0929867325666181001105749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Revised: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Background:
Cordycepin is a nucleotide analogue from Cordyceps mushrooms,
which occupies a notable place in traditional medicine.
Objective:
In this review article, we have discussed the recent findings on the molecular aspects
of cordycepin interactions with its recognized cellular targets, and possible mechanisms
of its anticancer activity.
Methods:
We have explored databases like pubmed, google scholar, scopus and web of science
for the update information on cordycepin and mechanisms of its anticancer activity, and
reviewed in this study.
Results:
Cordycepin has been widely recognized for its therapeutic potential against many
types of cancers by various mechanisms. More specifically, cordycepin can induce apoptosis,
resist cell cycle and cause DNA damage in cancer cells, and thus kill or control cancer cell
growth. Also cordycepin can induce autophagy and modulate immune system. Furthermore,
cordycepin also inhibits tumor metastasis. Although many success stories of cordycepin in
anticancer research in vitro and in animal model, and there is no successful clinical trial yet.
Conclusion:
Ongoing research studies have reported highly potential anticancer activities of
cordycepin with numerous molecular mechanisms. The in vitro and in vivo success of cordycepin
in anticancer research might influence the clinical trials of cordycepin, and this molecule
might be used for development of future cancer drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md. Asaduzzaman Khan
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Mousumi Tania
- Molecular Cancer Research Division, Red-Green Research Center, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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22
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Therapeutic Potential and Biological Applications of Cordycepin and Metabolic Mechanisms in Cordycepin-Producing Fungi. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24122231. [PMID: 31207985 PMCID: PMC6632035 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24122231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2019] [Revised: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cordycepin (3′-deoxyadenosine), a cytotoxic nucleoside analogue found in Cordyceps militaris, has attracted much attention due to its therapeutic potential and biological value. Cordycepin interacts with multiple medicinal targets associated with cancer, tumor, inflammation, oxidant, polyadenylation of mRNA, etc. The investigation of the medicinal drug actions supports the discovery of novel targets and the development of new drugs to enhance the therapeutic potency and reduce toxicity. Cordycepin may be of great value owing to its medicinal potential as an external drug, such as in cosmeceutical, traumatic, antalgic and muscle strain applications. In addition, the biological application of cordycepin, for example, as a ligand, has been used to uncover molecular structures. Notably, studies that investigated the metabolic mechanisms of cordycepin-producing fungi have yielded significant information related to the biosynthesis of high levels of cordycepin. Here, we summarized the medicinal targets, biological applications, cytotoxicity, delivery carriers, stability, and pros/cons of cordycepin in clinical applications, as well as described the metabolic mechanisms of cordycepin in cordycepin-producing fungi. We posit that new approaches, including single-cell analysis, have the potential to enhance medicinal potency and unravel all facets of metabolic mechanisms of cordycepin in Cordyceps militaris.
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23
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Wong JH, Sze SCW, Ng TB, Cheung RCF, Tam C, Zhang KY, Dan X, Chan YS, Shing Cho WC, Ng CCW, Waye MMY, Liang W, Zhang J, Yang J, Ye X, Lin J, Ye X, Wang H, Liu F, Chan DW, Ngan HYS, Sha O, Li G, Tse R, Tse TF, Chan H. Apoptosis and Anti-cancer Drug Discovery: The Power of Medicinal Fungi and Plants. Curr Med Chem 2019; 25:5613-5630. [DOI: 10.2174/0929867324666170720165005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Revised: 05/16/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this account is to review the compounds capable of eliciting
mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in cancer cells produced by medicinal fungi and plants.
The medicinal fungi discussed encompass Cordyceps, Ganoderma species, Coriolus versicolor
and Hypsizygus marmoreus. The medicinal plants discussed comprise Astragalus
complanatus, Dendrobium spp, Dioscorea spp, Glycyrrhiza spp, Panax notoginseng,
Panax ginseng, and Momordica charantia. These compounds have the potential of development
into anticancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Ho Wong
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Stephen Cho Wing Sze
- School of Chinese Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Sassoon Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Tzi Bun Ng
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Randy Chi Fai Cheung
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chit Tam
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Kalin Yanbo Zhang
- School of Chinese Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Sassoon Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiuli Dan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yau Sang Chan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - William Chi Shing Cho
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | | | - Mary Miu Yee Waye
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Weicheng Liang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jinfang Zhang
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jie Yang
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Enzyme Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350116, Fujian, China
| | - Xiuyun Ye
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Enzyme Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350116, Fujian, China
| | - Juan Lin
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Enzyme Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350116, Fujian, China
| | - Xiujuan Ye
- Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, and Key Laboratory of Plant Virology of Fujian Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
| | - Hexiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Agrobiotechnology and Department of Microbiology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Fang Liu
- Department of Microbiology, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - David Wai Chan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hextan Yuen Sheung Ngan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ou Sha
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Guohui Li
- Vita Green Pharmaceuticals (HK) Ltd, Vita Green Health Products (HK) Ltd Genning Partners Company Limited, and Hong Kong Institute of Medical Research, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ryan Tse
- Vita Green Pharmaceuticals (HK) Ltd, Vita Green Health Products (HK) Ltd Genning Partners Company Limited, and Hong Kong Institute of Medical Research, Hong Kong, China
| | - Tak Fu Tse
- Vita Green Pharmaceuticals (HK) Ltd, Vita Green Health Products (HK) Ltd Genning Partners Company Limited, and Hong Kong Institute of Medical Research, Hong Kong, China
| | - Helen Chan
- Vita Green Pharmaceuticals (HK) Ltd, Vita Green Health Products (HK) Ltd Genning Partners Company Limited, and Hong Kong Institute of Medical Research, Hong Kong, China
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Dong J, Li Y, Xiao H, Luo D, Zhang S, Zhu C, Jiang M, Cui M, Lu L, Fan S. Cordycepin sensitizes breast cancer cells toward irradiation through elevating ROS production involving Nrf2. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2018; 364:12-21. [PMID: 30529626 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2018.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Revised: 12/02/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Radiation therapy toward malignancies is often ineffective owing to radioresistance of cancer cells. On the basis of anti-tumor properties of cordycepin, we examined the effects of cordycepin on sensitizing breast cancer cells toward radiotherapy. Cordycepin administration promoted G2/M arrest and apoptosis of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells resulting in restraining the proliferation of the cells in vitro and in vivo following irradiation. Mechanistic investigations showed that the breast cancer cells cultured with cordycepin harbored higher levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and incremental numbers of γ-H2AX foci after irradiation exposure. Importantly, cordycepin treatment down-regulated the expression levels of Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2) and a series of downstream genes, such as heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), to enhance ROS in breast cancer cells exposed to irradiation. Together, our observations demonstrate that cordycepin treatment sensitizes breast carcinoma cells toward irradiation via Nrf2/HO-1/ROS axis. Thus, our findings provide novel insights into the function and the underlying mechanism of cordycepin in radiotherapy, and suggest that cordycepin might be employed as a radiosensitizer during radiotherapy toward breast cancer in a pre-clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiali Dong
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuan Li
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Huiwen Xiao
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Dan Luo
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Shuqin Zhang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Changchun Zhu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Mian Jiang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Ming Cui
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China.
| | - Lu Lu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China.
| | - Saijun Fan
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China.
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Bi Y, Li H, Yi D, Sun Y, Bai Y, Zhong S, Song Y, Zhao G, Chen Y. Cordycepin Augments the Chemosensitivity of Human Glioma Cells to Temozolomide by Activating AMPK and Inhibiting the AKT Signaling Pathway. Mol Pharm 2018; 15:4912-4925. [PMID: 30336060 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.8b00551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most commonly encountered subtype of deadly brain cancer in human adults. It has a high recurrence rate and shows aggressive proliferation. The novel cytotoxic agent temozolomide (TMZ) is now frequently applied as the first-line chemotherapeutic treatment for GBM; however, a considerable number of patients treated with TMZ turn out to be refractory to this drug. Hence, a more effective therapeutic approach is urgently required to overcome this critical issue. Accumulating evidence has shown that both AMPK and AKT are activated by TMZ, while only AMPK contributes to apoptosis via mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibition. Accordingly, AKT increases the tumorigenicity and chemoresistance of various tumor cells. In addition, AKT overexpression increases the resistance of glioma cells to TMZ. Cordycepin, a major bioactive component in Cordyceps militaris, exhibits immunomodulatory, anticancer, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities, among other therapeutic effects. To date, whether GBM sensitivity to TMZ can be enhanced by cordycepin largely remains unknown. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of the combined use of cordycepin and TMZ in the treatment of GBM and explored the molecular mechanisms. Notably, we found that treatment with cordycepin led to inhibition of cellular proliferation, migration, and invasion as well as cellular apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in glioma cell lines in vitro. Likewise, the combined treatment with both cordycepin and TMZ synergistically resulted in inhibition of cellular growth, migration, and tumor metastasis as well as induction of cellular apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Moreover, we also demonstrated that cordycepin effectively enhanced the activation of AMPK and suppressed the activity of AKT, whose activation was only induced by TMZ. Furthermore, there was an apparent reduction in the expression levels of p-mTOR, p-p70S6K, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, and MMP-9 in the group treated with both cordycepin and TMZ, in comparison with those in the groups treated with either cordycepin or TMZ alone. In vivo, the combination therapy also obviously reduced the tumor volume as well as prolonged the median survival time of xenograft models. In brief, our results suggested that cordycepin augments TMZ sensitivity in human glioma cells at least partially through activation of AMPK and suppression of the AKT signaling pathway. Overall, the combination therapy of cordycepin and TMZ potentially provides a novel option for a better prognosis of patients with GBM in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiming Bi
- Department of Neurosurgery , The First Hospital of Jilin University , 130000 Changchun , China
| | - Han Li
- Department of Respiratory Medicine , The Second Hospital of Jilin University , 130000 Changchun , China
| | - Dazhuang Yi
- Department of Neurosurgery , The First Hospital of Jilin University , 130000 Changchun , China
| | - Yuxue Sun
- Department of Neurosurgery , The First Hospital of Jilin University , 130000 Changchun , China
| | - Yang Bai
- Department of Neurosurgery , The First Hospital of Jilin University , 130000 Changchun , China
| | - Sheng Zhong
- Department of Neurosurgery , The First Hospital of Jilin University , 130000 Changchun , China
| | - Yang Song
- Department of Neurosurgery , The First Hospital of Jilin University , 130000 Changchun , China
| | - Gang Zhao
- Department of Neurosurgery , The First Hospital of Jilin University , 130000 Changchun , China
| | - Yong Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery , The First Hospital of Jilin University , 130000 Changchun , China
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The Anticancer Properties of Cordycepin and Their Underlying Mechanisms. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19103027. [PMID: 30287757 PMCID: PMC6212910 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19103027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Revised: 09/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cordyceps is a genus of ascomycete fungi that has been used for traditional herbal remedies. It contains various bioactive ingredients including cordycepin. Cordycepin, also known as 3-deoxyadenosine, is a major compound and has been suggested to have anticancer potential. The treatment of various cancer cells with cordycepin in effectively induces cell death and retards their cancerous properties. However, the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. Recent evidence has shed light on the molecular pathways involving cysteine-aspartic proteases (caspases), mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), and glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK-3β). Furthermore, the pathways are mediated by putative receptors, such as adenosine receptors (ADORAs), death receptors (DRs), and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). This review provides the molecular mechanisms by which cordycepin functions as a singular or combinational anticancer therapeutic agent.
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β-catenin contributes to cordycepin-induced MGMT inhibition and reduction of temozolomide resistance in glioma cells by increasing intracellular reactive oxygen species. Cancer Lett 2018; 435:66-79. [PMID: 30081068 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2018.07.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Revised: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most aggressive human tumors, and it has a poor prognosis. Temozolomide (TMZ) is the primary alkylating agent used to treat GBM. Nevertheless, a number of GBM patients are resistant to TMZ. Therefore, there is an urgent need for more effective therapeutic options. Cordycepin (COR) is a natural chemical with anti-tumor effects, although its mechanism of action is poorly understood. Several lines of evidence suggest that O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) repairs damaged DNA and contributes to drug resistance to TMZ in gliomas. The Wnt/β-catenin pathway regulates MGMT gene expression. However, whether cordycepin inhibits MGMT expression by downregulating the β catenin pathway and augmenting chemosensitivity to TMZ in glioma cells remains unclear. In the present study, we found that cordycepin inhibited the viability of glioma cells and induced apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reduction of glutathione (GSH) in vitro. Moreover, cordycepin significantly reduced tumor volume and prolonged median survival of tumor-bearing rats in vivo. We also found that cordycepin inhibited MGMT expression and augmented chemosensitivity to TMZ in glioma cells in vitro and in vivo, accompanied by downregulation of p-GSK-3β and β-catenin. Moreover, overexpression of MGMT reversed the synergistic effect of cordycepin and TMZ. Pharmacological inhibition of GSK-3β with CHIR-99021 or overexpression of β-catenin reversed cordycepin-induced reduction of cell viability, downregulation of β-catenin and MGMT, increase of apoptosis and reduction of TMZ resistance. Furthermore, we found that β-catenin regulated cordycepin-induced overproduction of ROS by decreasing GSH. Inhibition of ROS production with N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) not only rescued the reduction of cell viability but also eliminated β-catenin and MGMT inhibition, prevented glioma cells apoptosis and reversed the synergistic effect of cordycepin and TMZ. Taken together, we demonstrated that β-catenin contributed to cordycepin-induced MGMT inhibition and reduction of TMZ resistance in glioma cells via increasing intracellular ROS. These results indicate that cordycepin may be a novel agent to improve GBM treatment, especially in TMZ-resistant GBM with high MGMT expression.
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Cordycepin induces apoptosis of human ovarian cancer cells by inhibiting CCL5-mediated Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway. Cell Death Discov 2018; 4:62. [PMID: 29844932 PMCID: PMC5966410 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-018-0063-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Revised: 04/02/2018] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The chemokine, CCL5, is a key mediator for the recruitment of immune cells into tumors and tissues. Akt/NF-κB signaling is significantly activated by CCL5. However, the role of NF-κB inactivation in apoptosis induced by negative regulation of CCL5 remains unclear. Here, we analyzed the effect of cordycepin on NF-κB activity in SKOV-3 cells and found that cordycepin-mediated inhibition of NF-κB signaling induced apoptosis in SKOV-3 cells via the serial activation of caspases. In addition, immune-blotting analysis showed that CCL5 is highly expressed in SKOV-3 cells. In addition to activating caspases, we show that, cordycepin prevents TNF-α-induced increase in CCL5, Akt, NF-κB, and c-FLIPL activation and that CCL5 siRNA could inhibit Akt/NF-κB signaling. Moreover, cordycepin negatively regulated the TNF-α-mediated IκB/NF-κB pathway and c-FLIPL activation to promote JNK phosphorylation, resulting in caspase-3 activation and apoptosis. Also, we show that c-FLIPL is rapidly lost in NF-κB activation-deficient. siRNA mediated c-FLIP inhibition increased JNK. SP600125, a selective JNK inhibitor, downregulated p-JNK expression in cordycepin-treated SKOV-3 cells, leading to suppression of cordycepin-induced apoptosis. Thus, these results indicate that cordycepin inhibits CCL5-mediated Akt/NF-κB signaling, which upregulates caspase-3 activation in SKOV-3 cells, supporting the potential of cordycepin as a therapeutic agent for ovarian cancer.
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Moosavi MA, Haghi A, Rahmati M, Taniguchi H, Mocan A, Echeverría J, Gupta VK, Tzvetkov NT, Atanasov AG. Phytochemicals as potent modulators of autophagy for cancer therapy. Cancer Lett 2018; 424:46-69. [PMID: 29474859 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2018.02.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2017] [Revised: 02/18/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The dysregulation of autophagy is involved in the pathogenesis of a broad range of diseases, and accordingly universal research efforts have focused on exploring novel compounds with autophagy-modulating properties. While a number of synthetic autophagy modulators have been identified as promising cancer therapy candidates, autophagy-modulating phytochemicals have also attracted attention as potential treatments with minimal side effects. In this review, we firstly highlight the importance of autophagy and its relevance in the pathogenesis and treatment of cancer. Subsequently, we present the data on common phytochemicals and their mechanism of action as autophagy modulators. Finally, we discuss the challenges associated with harnessing the autophagic potential of phytochemicals for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Amin Moosavi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, P.O Box:14965/161, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Atousa Haghi
- Young Researchers & Elite Club, Pharmaceutical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Marveh Rahmati
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hiroaki Taniguchi
- Institute of Genetics and Animal Breeding of the Polish Academy of Sciences, 05-552 Jastrzebiec, Poland
| | - Andrei Mocan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, "Iuliu Haţieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Gheorghe Marinescu 23 Street, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Javier Echeverría
- Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Casilla 40, Correo 33, Santiago 9170022, Chile
| | - Vijai K Gupta
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, ERA Chair of Green Chemistry, Tallinn University of Technology, 12618 Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Nikolay T Tzvetkov
- Pharmaceutical Institute, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121 Bonn, Germany; NTZ Lab Ltd., Krasno Selo 198, Sofia 1618, Bulgaria
| | - Atanas G Atanasov
- Institute of Genetics and Animal Breeding of the Polish Academy of Sciences, 05-552 Jastrzebiec, Poland; Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
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Shen P, Chen M, He M, Chen L, Song Y, Xiao P, Wan X, Dai F, Pan T, Wang Q. Inhibition of ERα/ERK/P62 cascades induces "autophagic switch" in the estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cells exposed to gemcitabine. Oncotarget 2018; 7:48501-48516. [PMID: 27384485 PMCID: PMC5217034 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.10363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2015] [Accepted: 06/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Several clinical trials revealed that estrogen receptor (ER) status had relevance to the response of mammary malignancy to chemotherapy. Autophagy has emerged as an important cellular mechanism of tumor cells in response to anticancer therapy. The aim of this study is to investigate whether gemcitabine induces autophagy, and more importantly, whether such autophagy is functional relevant to the therapeutic effects of gemcitabine in breast cancer cells in relation to the ER status. In our study, autophagy was induced both in ER+ MCF-7 and ER− MDA-MB-231 cells by gemcitabine markedly, while the autophagy plays distinct roles – cytoprotective in ER− MDA-MB-231 and cytotoxic in ER+ MCF-7 cells. Gemcitabine treatment leads to the activation of ERα-ERK-P62 signal pathway in MCF-7 cells which may augment the autophagic degradation, thus results in the excessive activation of autophagy and irreversible autophagic cell death eventually. Inhibition of ERα-ERK-P62 cascades in MCF-7 cells by small interfering RNA or PD98059 impairs the autophagic degradation, and leads to “autophagic switch” – from cytotoxic autophagy to cytoprotection. Moreover, stable overexpression of ERα in the ER− BCap37 breast cancer cell line enhances the gemcitabine-induced autophagy flux and switches the autophagic cytoprotection in ER− BCap37 to cytotoxicity effect in ER+ BCap37 cells. Our study firstly demonstrated that ER status influences gemcitabine efficacy via modulating the autophagy in breast cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Shen
- Department of Medical Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, PR China
| | - Ming Chen
- Department of Medical Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, PR China
| | - Mengye He
- Institute of Immunology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
| | - Luoquan Chen
- Institute of Immunology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
| | - Yinjing Song
- Institute of Immunology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
| | - Peng Xiao
- Institute of Immunology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
| | - Xiaopeng Wan
- Institute of Immunology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
| | - Feng Dai
- Institute of Immunology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
| | - Ting Pan
- Institute of Immunology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
| | - Qingqing Wang
- Institute of Immunology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
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Abstract
Cordyceps is one of the most well-known mushroom with numerous bioactive compounds possess wide range of biotherapeutic activities. This mushroom has been used for many years as medicinal food particularly in China and in different regions of south East Asia. Cordycepin is a nucleoside compound extracted from different species of Cordyceps and considered as one of the most important bioactive metabolites of this fungus. This low molecular weight compound exhibit several medicinal functions as anticancer, antitumor, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, immunomodulatory agent. In this chapter we reviewed recent published research on the cordycepin chemistry, production, extraction, isolation, purification, biotherapeutic activities and applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhim Pratap Singh
- Molecular Microbiology and Systematics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Mizoram University, Aizawl, Mizoram India
| | - Ajit Kumar Passari
- Molecular Microbiology and Systematics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Mizoram University, Aizawl, Mizoram India
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Chaicharoenaudomrung N, Jaroonwitchawan T, Noisa P. Cordycepin induces apoptotic cell death of human brain cancer through the modulation of autophagy. Toxicol In Vitro 2017; 46:113-121. [PMID: 28987792 DOI: 10.1016/j.tiv.2017.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2016] [Revised: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 10/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Brain cancer, in particular neuroblastoma and glioblastoma, is a global challenge to human health. Cordycepin, extracted from Cordyceps ssp., has been revealed as a strong anticancer agent through several ways; however, the mechanism, by which cordycepin counteracts brain cancers, is still poorly understood. In this study, the underlying mechanisms of cordycepin against human brain cancer cells were explored. SH-SY5Y and U251 cells were being a model to represent human neuroblastoma and glioblastoma, respectively. Here, it was found that cordycepin inhibited cell growth, and induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner in both SH-SY5Y and U-251 cell lines. The expression of pro-apoptotic genes, including P53, BAX, Caspase-3, and Caspase-9, were upregulated, whereas the expression of anti-apoptotic gene, BCL-2, was suppressed. Besides, cordycepin induced the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) along with the suppression of antioxidant genes, including GPX, SOD, and Catalase. Importantly, cordycepin was shown to involve in the activation of autophagy, which was evidenced by the increment of LC3I/II. The combination of cordycepin with chloroquine, an autophagy inhibitor, further inhibited the growth, and enhanced the death of brain cancer cells. Altogether, this finding suggested that cordycepin induced apoptosis of human brain cancer cells through mitochondrial-mediated intrinsic pathway and the modulation of autophagy. Therefore, cordycepin could be a promising candidate for the development of anticancer drugs targeting human brain cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nipha Chaicharoenaudomrung
- Laboratory of Cell-Based Assays and Innovations, School of Biotechnology, Institute of Agricultural Technology, Suranaree University of Technology, 111 University Avenue, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand
| | - Thiranut Jaroonwitchawan
- Laboratory of Cell-Based Assays and Innovations, School of Biotechnology, Institute of Agricultural Technology, Suranaree University of Technology, 111 University Avenue, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand
| | - Parinya Noisa
- Laboratory of Cell-Based Assays and Innovations, School of Biotechnology, Institute of Agricultural Technology, Suranaree University of Technology, 111 University Avenue, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand.
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33
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Transcriptome analysis of Paecilomyces hepiali at different growth stages and culture additives to reveal putative genes in cordycepin biosynthesis. Genomics 2017; 110:162-170. [PMID: 28935392 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2017.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2017] [Revised: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Paecilomyces hepialid (PH) is an endoparasitic fungus of Cordyceps sinensis (CS) and has become a substitute for CS due to their similar pharmacological activities. Because the market demand for CS is difficult to satisfy, and cordycepin, the effective compound of CS, is difficult to industrially produce, we produced 5 samples of PH by culturing for different durations and adding different additives to the culture broth, and detected their cordycepin content with UPLC ESI MS/MS. Then we grouped these cultures into five transcriptome comparisons containing 3 time variable groups and 2 additive variable groups. We used next-generation (NG) sequencing methods to acquire transcriptomic information and investigated the response of gene expression to the additives and the influence of different growth stages. This work will contribute to a better understanding of purine metabolism in PH, and possibly in other Cordyceps species. It will provide a useful resource to further advance transcriptomics studies in Cordyceps species.
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34
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Guo W, Wang Y, Wang Z, Wang Y, Zheng H. Inhibiting autophagy increases epirubicin's cytotoxicity in breast cancer cells. Cancer Sci 2016; 107:1610-1621. [PMID: 27560771 PMCID: PMC5132286 DOI: 10.1111/cas.13059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2016] [Revised: 08/14/2016] [Accepted: 08/19/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and endocrinotherapy are documented to induce autophagy among breast cancer cells, but the role of autophagy in this disease has been attributed as cytoprotective as well as tumor-suppressing. Thus we studied MDA-MB-231 and SK-BR-3 breast cancer cell lines treated with epirubicin (EPI) to assess autophagy and apoptosis. We found out that EPI induced apoptosis and autophagy in both cell lines. The lysosomal inhibitor bafilomycin A1 inhibited cellular autophagy and enhanced EPI-triggered apoptosis, perhaps due to inhibition of autolysosome formation, which then inhibited autophagic effects of engulfing and clearing damaged mitochondria. This inhibition increased mitochondrial cytochrome C release which augmented epirubicin-induced caspase-dependent apoptosis and cytotoxicity. In addition, the lysosomal neutralizing agent ammonia chloride (AC), and Atg7 knockdown by siRNA, could inhibit epirubicin-triggered autophagy, enhance cytotoxicity, and increase caspase-9- and caspase-3-dependent apoptosis. Thus, autophagy plays a prosurvival role in EPI-treated MDA-MB-231 and SK-BR-3 cells, and autophagy inhibition can potentially reverse this effect and increase the cytotoxicity of EPI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Guo
- Laboratory of Molecular Diagnosis of CancerWest China HospitalWest China Medical SchoolSichuan UniversityChengduChina
- State Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalWest China Medical SchoolSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Yu Wang
- Laboratory of Molecular Diagnosis of CancerWest China HospitalWest China Medical SchoolSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Zhu Wang
- Laboratory of Molecular Diagnosis of CancerWest China HospitalWest China Medical SchoolSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Yan‐Ping Wang
- Laboratory of Molecular Diagnosis of CancerWest China HospitalWest China Medical SchoolSichuan UniversityChengduChina
- State Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalWest China Medical SchoolSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Hong Zheng
- Laboratory of Molecular Diagnosis of CancerWest China HospitalWest China Medical SchoolSichuan UniversityChengduChina
- State Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalWest China Medical SchoolSichuan UniversityChengduChina
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Qi P, He Z, Zhang L, Fan Y, Wang Z. Rottlerin-induced autophagy leads to apoptosis in bladder cancer cells. Oncol Lett 2016; 12:4577-4583. [PMID: 28101215 PMCID: PMC5228088 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2016.5255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2015] [Accepted: 09/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been well-established that apoptosis contributes to cancer cell death; however, the role of autophagy in cancer cell death remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of rottlerin, a traditional Indian medicine, on cell growth inhibition and autophagy in EJ human bladder carcinoma cells in vitro. Cell viability, measured by MTT assay, was found to be suppressed in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In addition, apoptosis was significantly increased in cells treated with rottlerin, as indicated by increased annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide staining and changes in the cell cycle distribution that indicated blockage at G1 phase. Rottlerin treatment also enhanced the activation of autophagy, with increased expression of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3)-II and the appearance of autophagosomes. The increased level of LC3-II and autophagosomes suggests that autophagy may contribute to apoptosis in these cells. In addition, no apparent alterations in the levels of pro-caspase-3, cleaved caspase-3, total poly (ADP ribose) polymerase (PARP) and cleaved-PARP were observed in cells treated with rottlerin, which indicates that caspases may not serve a key role during the process of apoptosis induced by rottlerin. Therefore, the results of the present study indicate that rottlerin promotes apoptosis and arrests the cell cycle in EJ cells, which may be caused by autophagy activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Qi
- Institute of Urology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu 730030, P.R. China; Department of Clinical Laboratory, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu 730030, P.R. China
| | - Zhenhua He
- Institute of Urology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu 730030, P.R. China; Neurosurgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu 730030, P.R. China
| | - Lixiu Zhang
- Institute of Urology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu 730030, P.R. China
| | - Yuan Fan
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730030, P.R. China
| | - Zhiping Wang
- Institute of Urology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu 730030, P.R. China; Key Laboratory of Urological Diseases in Gansu Province, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730030, P.R. China
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Lee YR, Kim KM, Jeon BH, Choi S. Extracellularly secreted APE1/Ref-1 triggers apoptosis in triple-negative breast cancer cells via RAGE binding, which is mediated through acetylation. Oncotarget 2016; 6:23383-98. [PMID: 26125438 PMCID: PMC4695125 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.4345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2015] [Accepted: 06/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study evaluated the mechanism of apoptosis caused by post-translational modification, hyperacetylation in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. We previously showed that trichostatin A (TSA) induced secretion of acetylated apurinic apyrimidinic endonuclease 1/redox factor-1 (Ac-APE1/Ref-1). This is the first report showing that Ac-APE1/Ref-1 initiates apoptosis in TNBC cells by binding to the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE). The functional significance of secreted Ac-APE1/Ref-1 was studied by induction of intracellular hyperacetylation through co-treatment with acetylsalicylic acid and TSA in MDA-MB-231 cells. In response to hyperacetylation, secretion of Ac-APE1/Ref-1 in vesicles was observed, resulting in significantly decreased cell viability and induction of apoptosis with increased expression of RAGE. The hyperacetylation-induced apoptosis was similar in two other TNBC cell lines: BT-459 and MDA-MB-468. Therefore, hyperacetylation may be a therapeutic target for treatment of TNBCs. This study introduces a novel paradigm whereby post-translational modification induces apoptotic cell death in breast cancer cells resistant to standard chemotherapeutic agents through secretion of auto- or paracrine molecules such as Ac-APE1/Ref-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Ran Lee
- Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 301747, Korea
| | - Ki Mo Kim
- Cancer Research Team, Korean Medicine Based Herbal Drug Research Group, Herbal Medicine Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, (KIOM), Daejeon, 305811, Korea
| | - Byeong Hwa Jeon
- Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 301747, Korea
| | - Sunga Choi
- Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 301747, Korea
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Draft Genome Sequence of Paecilomyces hepiali, Isolated from Cordyceps sinensis. GENOME ANNOUNCEMENTS 2016; 4:4/4/e00606-16. [PMID: 27389266 PMCID: PMC4939783 DOI: 10.1128/genomea.00606-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Paecilomyces hepiali is an endoparasitic fungus that commonly exists in the natural Cordyceps sinensis. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of P. hepiali, which will facilitate the exploitation of medicinal compounds produced by the fungus.
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Tao X, Ning Y, Zhao X, Pan T. The effects of cordycepin on the cell proliferation, migration and apoptosis in human lung cancer cell lines A549 and NCI-H460. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 68:901-11. [PMID: 27138740 DOI: 10.1111/jphp.12544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2015] [Accepted: 02/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Our study aimed to evaluate the effect of cordycepin on human lung cancer cell lines A549 and NCI-H460. METHODS Human lung cancer A549 cells and NCI-H460 cells were treated with different concentrations of cordycepin for different times. Cells incubated without cordycepin were defined as a control. The cell proliferation, migration and apoptosis were, respectively, determined by MTT assay, transwell migration assay and flow cytometry. Additionally, the expression levels of related proteins associated with cell cycle, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and apoptosis were examined. KEY FINDINGS The survival rate of A549 cells and NCI-H460 cells treated with cordycepin significantly decreased compared with untreated cells in a concentration-dependent manner, while the apoptosis rate increased. The migration number of cells treated with cordycepin significantly decreased as the increase in concentration. qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis showed that the aberrant expression of related molecules associated with cell cycle, migration and apoptosis was observed in the lung cancer cells, such as cyclin B, cyclin E, MMP-9, caspase-3 and Bcl-2. CONCLUSIONS Cordycepin may exert inhibitory effects on the development of human lung cancer via inhibiting cell proliferation, suppressing migration and inducing apoptosis, suggesting that cordycepin may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiandong Tao
- Thoracic Department, Changzheng Hospital of Shanghai affiliated to The Secondary Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ye Ning
- Thoracic Department, Changzheng Hospital of Shanghai affiliated to The Secondary Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuewei Zhao
- Thoracic Department, Changzheng Hospital of Shanghai affiliated to The Secondary Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tiewen Pan
- Thoracic Department, Changzheng Hospital of Shanghai affiliated to The Secondary Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
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Lee SH, Ko IG, Kim SE, Hwang L, Jin JJ, Choi HH, Kim CJ. Aqueous extract of Cordyceps alleviates cerebral ischemia-induced short-term memory impairment in gerbils. J Exerc Rehabil 2016; 12:69-78. [PMID: 27162767 PMCID: PMC4849494 DOI: 10.12965/jer.1632586.293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Cerebral ischemia is caused by reduced cerebral blood flow due to a transient or permanent cerebral artery occlusion. Ischemic injury in the brain leads to neuronal cell death, and eventually causes neurological impairments. Cordyceps, the name given to the fungi on insects, has abundant useful natural products with various biological activities. Cordyceps is known to have nephroprotective, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and antiapoptotic effects. We investigated the effects of Cordyceps on short-term memory, neuronal apoptosis, and cell proliferation in the hippocampal dentate gyrus following transient global ischemia in gerbils. For this study, a step-down avoidance test, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay, immunohistochemistry for caspase-3 and 5-bromo-2′-de-oxyuridine, and western blot for Bax, Bcl-2, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and tyrosin kinase B were performed. In the present study, Cordyceps alleviated cerebral ischemia-induced short-term memory impairment. Cordyceps showed therapeutic effects through inhibiting cerebral ischemia-induced apoptosis in the hippocampus. Cordyceps suppressed cerebral ischemia-induced cell proliferation in the hippocampal dentate gyrus due to the reduced apoptotic neuronal cell death. Cordyceps treatment also enhanced BDNF and TrkB expressions in the hippocampus of ischemic gerbils. It can be suggested that Cordyceps overcomes cerebral ischemia-induced neuronal apoptosis, thus facilitates recovery following cerebral ischemia injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang-Hak Lee
- Department of Life Science, College of Science & Engineering, Cheongju University, Cheongju, Korea
| | - Il-Gyu Ko
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sung-Eun Kim
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Lakkyong Hwang
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jun-Jang Jin
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hyun-Hee Choi
- Division of Leisure & Sports Science, Department of Exercise Prescription, Dongseo University, Busan, Korea
| | - Chang-Ju Kim
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea
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Zhang P, Huang C, Fu C, Tian Y, Hu Y, Wang B, Strasner A, Song Y, Song E. Cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine) suppressed HMGA2, Twist1 and ZEB1-dependent melanoma invasion and metastasis by targeting miR-33b. Oncotarget 2016; 6:9834-53. [PMID: 25868853 PMCID: PMC4496401 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.3383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2015] [Accepted: 02/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Malignant melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, has a high propensity for metastatic spread and is notoriously chemotherapy-resistant. Cordycepin, the active component of Cordyceps spp., has been identified to have anti-metastatic effect on tumor progression and thus possesses pharmacological and therapeutic potentials. However, the mechanisms of anti-metastatic effects of cordycepin at cellular levels remain elusive. We analyzed the effect of cordycepin on human melanoma miRNA expression profiles by miRNAarray and found that miR-33b was upregulated in highly-metastatic melanoma cell lines following cordycepin exposure. Cordycepin-mediated miR-33b expression was dependent on LXR-RXR heterodimer activation. miR-33b directly binds to HMGA2, Twist1 and ZEB1 3'-UTR to suppress their expression. The negative correlations between miR-33b levels and HMGA2, Twist1 or ZEB1 expression were detected in 72 patient melanoma tissue samples. By targeting HMGA2 and Twist1, miR-33b attenuated melanoma migration and invasiveness upon cordycepin exposure. miR-33b knockdown or ZEB1 overexpression reverted cordycepin-mediated mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET), triggering the expression of N-cadherin. In spontaneous metastasis models, cordycepin suppressed tumor metastasis without altering primary tumor growth. We showed for the first time that targeting miRNA by cordycepin indicates a new mechanism of cordycepin-induced suppression of tumor metastasis and miR-33b/HMGA2/Twist1/ZEB1 axis plays critical roles in regulating melanoma dissemination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence and Real-Time Analytical Chemistry (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.,Department of Bioengineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16801, USA
| | - Changjin Huang
- Institute of Pathology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Changliang Fu
- Department of Bioengineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16801, USA
| | - Yang Tian
- Institute of Pathology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.,Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Yijuan Hu
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Bochu Wang
- College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, China
| | - Amy Strasner
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Yang Song
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence and Real-Time Analytical Chemistry (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Erqun Song
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence and Real-Time Analytical Chemistry (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
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41
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Wang D, Zhang Y, Lu J, Wang Y, Wang J, Meng Q, Lee RJ, Wang D, Teng L. Cordycepin, a Natural Antineoplastic Agent, Induces Apoptosis of Breast Cancer Cells via Caspase-dependent Pathways. Nat Prod Commun 2016. [DOI: 10.1177/1934578x1601100119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cordycepin, a major compound separated from Cordyceps sinensis, is known as a potential novel candidate for cancer therapy. Breast cancer, the most typical cancer diagnosed among women, remains a global health problem. In this study, the anti-breast cancer property of cordycepin and its underlying mechanisms was investigated. The direct effects of cordycepin on breast cancer cells both in in vitro and in vivo experiments were evaluated. Cordycepin exerted cytotoxicity in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells confirmed by reduced cell viability, inhibition of cell proliferation, enhanced lactate dehydrogenase release and reactive oxygen species accumulation, induced mitochondrial dysfunction and nuclear apoptosis in human breast cancer cells. Cordycepin increased the activation of pro-apoptotic proteins, including caspase-8, caspase-9, caspase-3 and Bax, and suppressed the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein, B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2). The inhibition on MCF-7-xenografted tumor growth in nude mice further confirmed cordycepin's anti-breast cancer effect. These aforementioned results reveal that cordycepin induces apoptosis in human breast cancer cells via caspase-dependent pathways. The data shed light on the possibility of cordycepin being a safe agent for breast cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Yongfeng Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Jiahui Lu
- School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Yang Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Junyue Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Qingfan Meng
- School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Robert J. Lee
- School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
- Division of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Di Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Lesheng Teng
- School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
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42
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Tian X, Li Y, Shen Y, Li Q, Wang Q, Feng L. Apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation of cancer cells induced by cordycepin. Oncol Lett 2015; 10:595-599. [PMID: 26622539 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2015.3273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cordycepin, a 3-deoxyadenosine, is the predominant functional component of the fungus Cordyceps militaris, a traditional Chinese medicine. Previous studies investigating the inhibition of cancer cells by cordycepin identified that it not only promotes cell apoptosis, but also controls cell proliferation. Furthermore, studies have elucidated the molecular mechanisms of inhibiting cell proliferation by cordycepin binding the A3 adenosine receptor, activating G protein, inhibiting cAMP formation, decreasing glycogen synthase kinase-3β/β-catenin activation and suppressing cyclin D1 and c-myc expression. The most significant signaling pathway in which cell apoptosis is induced by cordycepin is the caspase pathway. Cordycepin induces cell apoptosis via binding the DR3 receptor and consequently activating caspase-8/-3. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that cordycepin may be used as a natural medicine, as it can not only control tumor cell proliferation, but also induce cancer cell apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuewen Tian
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, P.R. China ; Sports Science Research Center of Shandong, Jinan, Shandong 250102, P.R. China
| | - Yujian Li
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering and Technology of Shandong High School, Shandong Wanjie Medical College, Zibo, Shandong 255213, P.R. China
| | - Yinyu Shen
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering and Technology of Shandong High School, Shandong Wanjie Medical College, Zibo, Shandong 255213, P.R. China
| | - Qiaoqiao Li
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering and Technology of Shandong High School, Shandong Wanjie Medical College, Zibo, Shandong 255213, P.R. China
| | - Qinglu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering and Technology of Shandong High School, Shandong Wanjie Medical College, Zibo, Shandong 255213, P.R. China
| | - Lianshi Feng
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, P.R. China ; Biology Center, China Institute of Sport Science, Beijing 100061, P.R. China
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Zheng N, Zhang P, Huang H, Liu W, Hayashi T, Zang L, Zhang Y, Liu L, Xia M, Tashiro SI, Onodera S, Ikejima T. ERα down-regulation plays a key role in silibinin-induced autophagy and apoptosis in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. J Pharmacol Sci 2015; 128:97-107. [PMID: 26117209 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphs.2015.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2014] [Revised: 03/10/2015] [Accepted: 05/01/2015] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) has been proven to be one of the most important therapeutic targets in breast cancer over the last 30 years. Previous studies pointed out that a natural flavonoid, silibinin, induced apoptosis in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. In the present study we report that exposure of MCF-7 cells to silibinin led to cell death through the down-regulation of ERα expression. Silibinin-induced apoptosis of MCF-7 cells through up-regulation of caspase 6 due to ERα signalling repression was further boosted by ERα antagonist. Moreover, up-regulation of autophagy induced by silibinin accounted for apoptotic exacerbation, being further enhanced by ERα inhibition. Upon ERα activation, series of downstream signalling pathways can be activated. We found that silibinin reduced the expressions of Akt/mTOR and extracellular-signal-related kinase (ERK), which respectively accounted for the induction of autophagy and apoptosis. These effects were further augmented by co-treatment with ERα inhibitor. We conclude that the treatment with silibinin of ERα-positive MCF-7 cells down-regulates the expression of ERα, and subsequently mTOR and ERK signaling pathways, ERα downstream, finally resulting in induction of autophagy and apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Zheng
- China-Japan Research Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Ping Zhang
- China-Japan Research Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Huai Huang
- China-Japan Research Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Weiwei Liu
- China-Japan Research Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Toshihiko Hayashi
- China-Japan Research Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Linghe Zang
- China-Japan Research Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Ye Zhang
- China-Japan Research Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Lu Liu
- China-Japan Research Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Mingyu Xia
- China-Japan Research Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Shin-ichi Tashiro
- Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, Kyoto 603-8072, Japan
| | - Satoshi Onodera
- Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, Showa Pharmaceutical University, Tokyo 194-8543, Japan
| | - Takashi Ikejima
- China-Japan Research Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China.
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Tissue invasion and metastasis: Molecular, biological and clinical perspectives. Semin Cancer Biol 2015; 35 Suppl:S244-S275. [PMID: 25865774 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2015.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 336] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2014] [Revised: 03/17/2015] [Accepted: 03/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is a key health issue across the world, causing substantial patient morbidity and mortality. Patient prognosis is tightly linked with metastatic dissemination of the disease to distant sites, with metastatic diseases accounting for a vast percentage of cancer patient mortality. While advances in this area have been made, the process of cancer metastasis and the factors governing cancer spread and establishment at secondary locations is still poorly understood. The current article summarizes recent progress in this area of research, both in the understanding of the underlying biological processes and in the therapeutic strategies for the management of metastasis. This review lists the disruption of E-cadherin and tight junctions, key signaling pathways, including urokinase type plasminogen activator (uPA), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/v-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene (PI3K/AKT), focal adhesion kinase (FAK), β-catenin/zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB-1) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), together with inactivation of activator protein-1 (AP-1) and suppression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) activity as key targets and the use of phytochemicals, or natural products, such as those from Agaricus blazei, Albatrellus confluens, Cordyceps militaris, Ganoderma lucidum, Poria cocos and Silybum marianum, together with diet derived fatty acids gamma linolenic acid (GLA) and eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and inhibitory compounds as useful approaches to target tissue invasion and metastasis as well as other hallmark areas of cancer. Together, these strategies could represent new, inexpensive, low toxicity strategies to aid in the management of cancer metastasis as well as having holistic effects against other cancer hallmarks.
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45
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Meng Z, Kang J, Wen T, Lei B, Hyde KD. Cordycepin and N6-(2-hydroxyethyl)-adenosine from Cordyceps pruinosa and their interaction with human serum albumin. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0121669. [PMID: 25811172 PMCID: PMC4374796 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0121669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2014] [Accepted: 02/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Cordyceps pruinosa (CP) is often used as Traditional Chinese Medicine, but the substance basis of its medicinal properties is unclear. In this study, two compounds were isolated from CP cultures by column chromatography, and identified as cordycepin and N6-(2-hydroxyethyl)-adenosine (HEA) by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. In order to understand the efficacy of these two substances as potential therapeutic agents, it is necessary to explore their binding with proteins. The molecular mechanisms of interaction between cordycepin, HEA and human serum albumin (HSA) were studied using UV and fluorescence spectroscopy. The bingding constants between HSA and cordycepin were 4.227, 3.573 and 3.076 × 10(3)·at 17, 27 and 37°C respectively, and that of HSA and HEA were 27.102, 19.409 and 13.002 × 10(3)·at the three tempretures respectively. Both cordycepin and HEA can quench the intrinsic fluorescence of HSA via static quenching, and they can bind with HSA to form complexes with a single binding site. The interaction forces between cordycepin and HSA were determined as electrostatic and hydrophobic, and those of HEA and HSA were hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces. Using Foster's equation, the distance between fluorophores of cordycepin and HSA, and HEA and HSA are estimated to be 5.31 nm and 4.98 nm, respectively. In this study, cordycepin was isolated for the first time from CP, and will provide a new source of cordycepin and expand the use of this taxon. The interaction mechanisms between cordycepin and HSA was studied for the first time, which will provide a useful guide for the clinical application of cordycepin. The pharmacological importance of this study is to understand the interaction of HSA with cordycepin and HEA, which will be essential for the future designing of drugs based on the two compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zebin Meng
- The Engineering and Research Center for Southwest Bio-Pharmaceutical Resources of National Education Ministry of China, Guizhou University, Huaxi, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, PR China
- Guizhou Bioresource Development and Utilization Key Laboratory, Guizhou Normal College, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China
| | - Jichuan Kang
- The Engineering and Research Center for Southwest Bio-Pharmaceutical Resources of National Education Ministry of China, Guizhou University, Huaxi, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, PR China
| | - Tingchi Wen
- The Engineering and Research Center for Southwest Bio-Pharmaceutical Resources of National Education Ministry of China, Guizhou University, Huaxi, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, PR China
| | - Bangxing Lei
- The Engineering and Research Center for Southwest Bio-Pharmaceutical Resources of National Education Ministry of China, Guizhou University, Huaxi, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, PR China
| | - Kevin David Hyde
- Institute of Excellence in Fungal Research, School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand
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Li Y, Li R, Zhu S, Zhou R, Wang L, DU J, Wang Y, Zhou B, Mai L. Cordycepin induces apoptosis and autophagy in human neuroblastoma SK-N-SH and BE(2)-M17 cells. Oncol Lett 2015; 9:2541-2547. [PMID: 26137103 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2015.3066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2014] [Accepted: 02/11/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cordycepin, also termed 3'-deoxyadenosine, is a derivative of the nucleoside adenosine that represents a potential novel class of anticancer drugs targeting the 3' untranslated region of RNAs. Cordycepin has been reported to induce apoptosis in certain cancer cell lines, but the effects of cordycepin on human neuroblastoma cells have not been studied. In the present study, an MTT assay revealed that cordycepin inhibits the viability of neuroblastoma SK-N-SH and BE(2)-M17 cells in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, cordycepin increases the early-apoptotic cell population of SK-N-SH cells, as determined by fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis. The induction of apoptosis in neuroblastoma cells by cordycepin was further confirmed by western blotting, which revealed cleavage of caspase-3 and poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase 1 in the SK-N-SH and BE(2)-M17 cells. Cordycepin also induced the formation of a punctate pattern of light-chain 3 (LC3)-associated green fluorescence in the SK-N-SH cells transfected with a pEGFP-LC3 vector. Furthermore, western blotting revealed cleavage of LC3 A/B in cordycepin-treated neuroblastoma SK-N-SH cells. Taken together, the results indicate that cordycepin significantly increases apoptosis and autophagy in neuroblastoma cells, and may therefore be a drug candidate for neuroblastoma therapy, but requires additional evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Li
- Central Laboratory, Affiliated Nanshan Hospital, Guangdong Medical College, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518052, P.R. China ; Shenzhen Key Lab of Endogenous Infection, Affiliated Nanshan Hospital, Guangdong Medical College, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518052, P.R. China
| | - Rong Li
- Central Laboratory, Affiliated Nanshan Hospital, Guangdong Medical College, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518052, P.R. China
| | - Shenglang Zhu
- Department of Nephrology, Affiliated Nanshan Hospital, Guangdong Medical College, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518052, P.R. China
| | - Ruyun Zhou
- Department of Chinese Traditional Medicine Rheumatology, Affiliated Nanshan Hospital, Guangdong Medical College, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518052, P.R. China
| | - Lei Wang
- Central Laboratory, Affiliated Nanshan Hospital, Guangdong Medical College, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518052, P.R. China
| | - Jihui DU
- Central Laboratory, Affiliated Nanshan Hospital, Guangdong Medical College, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518052, P.R. China
| | - Yong Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Nanshan Hospital, Guangdong Medical College, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518052, P.R. China
| | - Bei Zhou
- Central Laboratory, Affiliated Nanshan Hospital, Guangdong Medical College, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518052, P.R. China
| | - Liwen Mai
- Central Laboratory, Affiliated Nanshan Hospital, Guangdong Medical College, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518052, P.R. China
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47
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Jang KJ, Kwon GS, Jeong JW, Kim CH, Yoon HM, Kim GY, Shim JH, Moon SK, Kim WJ, Choi YH. Cordyceptin induces apoptosis through repressing hTERT expression and inducing extranuclear export of hTERT. J Biosci Bioeng 2015; 119:351-7. [PMID: 25282637 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2014.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2014] [Revised: 08/03/2014] [Accepted: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Cordycepin is an adenosine analog originally extracted from Cordyceps militaris that possesses many pharmacological effects including immune activation and antioxidant and antitumor effects. However, the underlying relationship between apoptosis and telomerase activity in response to cordycepin exposure has not been investigated. In this study, we found that cordycepin-induced apoptosis of human leukemia cells (H937 and THP-1 cells) was associated with inactivation of telomerase and downregulation of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) as well as the transcription factors c-Myc and Sp1, which are required for basal transcription from the hTERT gene promoter. Cordycepin also attenuated the activation of phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling, thereby reducing phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of hTERT. We further showed that the PI3K inhibitor LY29004 significantly decreased telomerase activity in cordycepin-treated cells and increased cordycepin-induced cell death. These findings demonstrate that cordycepin is cytotoxic to human leukemia cells and suppresses telomerase activity through transcriptional and post-translational suppression of hTERT by inactivating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung-Jun Jang
- Department of Acupuncture & Moxibustion, Dongeui University College of Korean Medicine, Busan 614-052, Republic of Korea
| | - Gi-Sun Kwon
- Department of Acupuncture & Moxibustion, Dongeui University College of Korean Medicine, Busan 614-052, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Woo Jeong
- Department of Biochemistry, Dongeui University College of Korean Medicine, Busan 614-052, Republic of Korea
| | - Cheol-Hong Kim
- Department of Acupuncture & Moxibustion, Dongeui University College of Korean Medicine, Busan 614-052, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Min Yoon
- Department of Acupuncture & Moxibustion, Dongeui University College of Korean Medicine, Busan 614-052, Republic of Korea
| | - Gi-Young Kim
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Department of Marine Life Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju 690-756, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Hyun Shim
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Mokpo National University, Jeonnam 534-729, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Kwon Moon
- School of Food Science and Technology, Chung-Ang University, Ansung 456-756, Republic of Korea
| | - Wun-Jae Kim
- Department of Urology, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, Cheongju 361-804, Republic of Korea
| | - Yung Hyun Choi
- Department of Biochemistry, Dongeui University College of Korean Medicine, Busan 614-052, Republic of Korea; Anti-Aging Research Center & Blue-Bio Industry RIC, Dongeui University, Busan 614-714, Republic of Korea.
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48
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Amin A, Bajbouj K, Koch A, Gandesiri M, Schneider-Stock R. Defective autophagosome formation in p53-null colorectal cancer reinforces crocin-induced apoptosis. Int J Mol Sci 2015; 16:1544-61. [PMID: 25584615 PMCID: PMC4307319 DOI: 10.3390/ijms16011544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2014] [Accepted: 12/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Crocin, a bioactive molecule of saffron, inhibited proliferation of both HCT116 wild-type and HCT116 p53(-/-) cell lines at a concentration of 10 mM. Flow cytometric analysis of cell cycle distribution revealed that there was an accumulation of HCT116 wild-type cells in G1 (55.9%, 56.1%) compared to the control (30.4%) after 24 and 48 h of crocin treatment, respectively. However, crocin induced only mild G2 arrest in HCT116 p53(-/-) after 24 h. Crocin induced inefficient autophagy in HCT116 p53(-/-) cells, where crocin induced the formation of LC3-II, which was combined with a decrease in the protein levels of Beclin 1 and Atg7 and no clear p62 degradation. Autophagosome formation was not detected in HCT116 p53(-/-) after crocin treatment predicting a nonfunctional autophagosome formation. There was a significant increase of p62 after treating the cells with Bafilomycin A1 (Baf) and crocin compared to crocin exposure alone. Annexin V staining showed that Baf-pretreatment enhanced the induction of apoptosis in HCT116 wild-type cells. Baf-exposed HCT116 p53(-/-) cells did not, however, show any enhancement of apoptosis induction despite an increase in the DNA damage-sensor accumulation, γH2AX indicating that crocin induced an autophagy-independent classical programmed cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amr Amin
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain 15551, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Khuloud Bajbouj
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain 15551, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Adrian Koch
- Experimental Tumor Pathology, Institute of Pathology, University of Erlangen, Erlangen 91054, Germany.
| | - Muktheshwar Gandesiri
- Experimental Tumor Pathology, Institute of Pathology, University of Erlangen, Erlangen 91054, Germany.
| | - Regine Schneider-Stock
- Experimental Tumor Pathology, Institute of Pathology, University of Erlangen, Erlangen 91054, Germany.
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49
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Chou SM, Lai WJ, Hong TW, Lai JY, Tsai SH, Chen YH, Yu SH, Kao CH, Chu R, Ding ST, Li TK, Shen TL. Synergistic property of cordycepin in cultivated Cordyceps militaris-mediated apoptosis in human leukemia cells. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2014; 21:1516-24. [PMID: 25442260 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2014.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2014] [Revised: 06/10/2014] [Accepted: 07/27/2014] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Cordyceps militaris is a well-known Chinese traditional medicinal mushroom frequently used for tonics and recently of a potential interest for cancer intervention. Here, we explored the cancer cell killing activity of the hot water extracts of C. militaris cultured mycelia (CM(MY)) and cultivated fruiting bodies (CM(FB)). We found that CM(FB) exhibited a greater cytotoxic effect against various cancer cells over CM(MY). Apoptotic phenotypes including apoptotic body formation, DNA laddering, caspase 3 activation and cleavage of PARP proteins were induced by CM(FB) treatment but only slightly induced by same concentration of CM(MY) treatment in human HL-60 leukemia cells. Cordycepin in CM(FB) (10.47 mg/g) is significantly higher (∼ 15.2 times) than that of CM(MY) (0.69 mg/g). Using isobolographic analysis, the synergy of cytotoxicity was observed across different combined concentrations of CM(MY) and cordycepin. By complementing cordycepin into CM(MY) to the level comparable with CM(FB), we observed that CM(MY) (500 μg/ml) with cordycepin (4.8 μg/ml) induced apoptosis to a level similar to that induced by CM(FB) (500 μg/ml). Together, our results suggest that cordycepin possesses a synergistic cytotoxic effect with Cordyceps militaris-mediated apoptosis in human leukemia cells and therefore explaining a better anti-proliferating activity of CM(FB) over CM(MY).
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Affiliation(s)
- Shang-Min Chou
- Department and Graduate Institute of Microbiology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan
| | | | - Tzu-Wen Hong
- Mucho Biotechnology Inc., Taipei 106, Taiwan; Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | - Jui-Ya Lai
- Mucho Biotechnology Inc., Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | | | | | - Sz-Hsien Yu
- Mucho Biotechnology Inc., Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | | | - Richard Chu
- Mucho Biotechnology Inc., Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Torng Ding
- Department of Animal Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan; Center for Biotechnology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | - Tsai-Kun Li
- Department and Graduate Institute of Microbiology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan; Center for Biotechnology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan.
| | - Tang-Long Shen
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan; Center for Biotechnology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan.
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50
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Lee HH, Kim SO, Kim GY, Moon SK, Kim WJ, Jeong YK, Yoo YH, Choi YH. Involvement of autophagy in cordycepin-induced apoptosis in human prostate carcinoma LNCaP cells. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2014; 38:239-250. [PMID: 24973666 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2014.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2014] [Revised: 06/05/2014] [Accepted: 06/06/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Cordycepin, an active ingredient of the insect fungus Cordyceps spp., shows strong antioxidant and anticancer activities. Several molecular mechanisms have been attributed to its inhibitory effects on a wide range of tumor cells; however, the mechanism causing cancer cell death is still obscure. For the current study, we further investigated the mechanism responsible for targeting cordycepin-induced cell death and its association with autophagy in human prostate carcinoma LNCaP cells. Our results show that cordycepin resulted in significant reduction in LNCaP cell survival by inducing apoptotic cell death. Cordycepin treatment caused a dose-dependent increase of pro-apoptotic Bax and decrease of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, triggering collapse of the mitochondrial membrane potential and activation of caspase-9 and -3. Cordycepin-induced cell death was also associated with induction of Fas and death receptor 5, activation of caspase-8, and truncation of Bid (tBid), suggesting that tBid might serve to connect activation of both the mitochondrial-mediated intrinsic and death receptor-mediated extrinsic apoptotic pathways. The general caspase inhibitor, z-VAD-fmk, completely abolished cordycepin-induced cell death, demonstrating that cordycepin-induced apoptosis was dependent on the activation of caspases. Cordycepin also stimulated autophagy, which was evidenced by an increase in microtubule-associated protein light chain-3 (LC3) puncta, accumulation of LC3-II, and elevation of autophagic flux; however, blockage of autophagic flux by the autophagic inhibitor bafilomycin A1 promoted cell-switching to apoptotic cell death. These findings suggest that cordycepin-induced autophagy functions as a survival mechanism and that autophagy is a potential strategy for treating prostate cancer that is resistant to pro-apoptotic therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye Hyeon Lee
- Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology, Daegu 711-873, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Ok Kim
- Team for Scientification of Korean Medical Intervention (BK21 Plus) & Department of Herbal Pharmacology, College of Korean Medicine, Daegu Haany University, Daegu 706-828, Republic of Korea
| | - Gi-Young Kim
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Department of Marine Life Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju 690-756, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Kwon Moon
- School of Food Science and Technology, Chung-Ang University, Ansung 456-756, Republic of Korea
| | - Wun-Jae Kim
- Department of Urology, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, Cheongju 361-763, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong Kee Jeong
- Department of Biotechnology, Dong-A University, Busan 604-714, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Hyun Yoo
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Dong-A University College of Medicine and Mitochondria Hub Regulation Center, Busan 602-714, Republic of Korea.
| | - Yung Hyun Choi
- Department of Biochemistry, Dongeui University College of Korean Medicine, Busan 614-714, Republic of Korea; Anti-Aging Research Center & Blue-Bio Industry RIC, Dongeui University, Busan 614-714, Republic of Korea.
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