Investigation of molecular mechanisms underlying the antiproliferative effects of colchicine against PC3 prostate cancer cells

PLGA-based nanocarriers for combined delivery of colchicine and purpurin 18 in cancer therapy: Multimodal approach employing cancer cell spheroids

Improving the anticancer efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs and photosensitizers requires innovative multifunctional nanoplatforms. This study introduces a chemo- and phototherapeutic drug delivery system (DDS) based on poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs), both PEGylated and non-PEGylated, with a mean size of 200 ± 75 nm. Colchicine (Colch) and purpurin18 (P18) were co-encapsulated into these NPs, and their in vitro drug release profiles were investigated. The anticancer potential of these systems was evaluated across various cell lines (i.e., CaCo-2, PC-3, MCF-7, and MRC-5 cells), demonstrating enhanced NP uptake by cancer cells compared to free drugs. Co-administration of Colch and P18 in 2D and 3D cell line models exhibited a synergistic effect, harnessing both chemotherapeutic and photodynamic effects, leading to higher cancer cell elimination efficacy. This newly developed multifunctional DDS presents a promising platform for combined chemo- and photodynamic therapy in cancer treatment.

Efficient synthesis of novel colchicine-magnolol hybrids and evaluation of their inhibitory activity on key proteases of 2019-nCoV replication and acute lung injury

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 or 2019-nCoV), is a life-threatening infectious condition. Acute lung injury is a common complication in patients with COVID-19. 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro) of 2019-nCoV and neutrophil elastase are critical targets of COVID-19 and acute lung injury, respectively. Colchicine and magnolol are reported to exert inhibitory effects on inflammatory response, the severe comorbidity in both COVID-19 and acute lung injury. We thus designed and synthesized a series of novel colchicine-magnolol hybrids based on a two-step synthetic sequence. It was found that these novel hybrids provided unexpected inhibition on 3CLpro and neutrophil elastase, a bioactivity that colchicine and magnolol did not possess. These findings not only provide perquisites for further in vitro and in vivo investigation to confirm the therapeutic potentiality of novel colchicine-magnolol hybrids, but also suggest that the concurrent inhibition of 3CLpro and neutrophil elastase may enable novel colchicine-magnolol hybrids as effective multi-target drug compounds.

Bunium persicum Seeds Extract in Combination with Vincristine Mediates Apoptosis in MCF-7 Cells through Regulation of Involved Genes and Proteins Expression

BACKGROUND

Bunium persicum seeds, a member of the Apiaceae family, have historically been consumed as part of the Iranian diet.

OBJECTIVE

While many of this herb's biological properties have been fully investigated, there is currently no reliable information about its anticancer/cytotoxic properties.

METHODS

Herein, we first determined the major bioactive compounds of B. persicum seed extract (BPSE) via GC-Mass analysis. We evaluated the cytotoxicity of the extract alone as well as in combination with vincristine (VCR), a commonly used chemotherapy drug, using MTT assays on two breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, as well as a normal breast cancer cell line, MCF-10A. Moreover, these compounds were evaluated in vitro for their anticancer activity using ROS assays, Real-Time PCR, Western blots, flow cytometry, and cell cycle assays.

RESULTS

As a result of our investigation, it was determined that the extract significantly reduced the viability of cancerous cells while remaining harmless to normal cells. The combination of BPSE and VCR also resulted in synergistic effects. BPSE and/or BPSE-VCR treatment increased the intracellular ROS of MCF-7 cells by over twofold. Moreover, the IC30 of BPSE (100 μg/ml) significantly increased the BAX/BCL-2 and P53 gene expression while reducing the expression of the MYC gene. Moreover, treated cells were arrested in the G2 phase of the cell cycle. The BPSE-VCR combination synergistically reduced the NF-κB and increased the Caspase-7 proteins' expression. The percent of apoptosis in the cells treated with the extract, VCR, and their combination was 27, 11, and 50, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study demonstrated the anticancer activity of the BPSE and its potential for application in combination therapy with VCR.

Anticancer activity of lycopene in HT-29 colon cancer cell line

An inverse association between serum lycopene levels and the risk of cancers has been pointed out by many prospective and retrospective epidemiological studies which prompted more studies to be performed on animal models and cell cultures in order to test this hypothesis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic effect of lycopene on colon cancer HT-29 cell line. The effect of lycopene on the viability of HT-29 cell line was investigated using XTT assay. The levels of Bcl-2, cleaved caspase 3, BAX, cleaved PARP, and 8-oxo-dG in lycopene-treated HT-29 cells were measured using ELISA. Gamma-H2AX and cytochrome c expression was assessed semi-quantitatively using immunofluorescence staining. Lycopene at doses of 10 and 20 μM produced a significant antiproliferative effect on HT-29 cells compared to the control (p < 0.05). The IC₅₀ value of lycopene in HT-29 cells was found to be 7.89 μM for 24 h. Lycopene (7.89 μM) significantly elevated cleaved caspase 3 (p < 0.01), BAX, and cleaved PARP, 8-oxo-dG levels (p < 0.05). The levels of γ-H2AX foci are significantly higher while the levels of cytochrome-c are lower (p < 0.05) in lycopene-treated HT-29 cells. These results indicate that lycopene has an antiproliferative apoptotic and genotoxic effect on HT-29 colon cancer cell line.

Photolysis and cytotoxicity of the potentially toxic composition of daylily flower: colchicine

The photolysis of colchicine under ultraviolet and visible light irradiation was studied by ultraviolet (UV) scanning and HPLC-MS. The photoproduct was proposed and the cytotoxicity change before and after irradiation was investigated. Results showed that both ultraviolet and visible light irradiation could effectively degrade colchicine into deacetamido-lumicolchicine. The process conformed to first-order kinetics, in which a high degradation rate (K = 0.5862 h^− 1) was observed when colchicine was dissolved in ethanol and irradiated by UV light. Cell viability and cell cycle studies proved that a photolysis treatment of colchicine could weaken the cytotoxicity effectively. Colchicine inhibited the division of BRL 3 A cells in G2/M phase with an IC₅₀ value of 0.48 µg/mL, while the toxic effect could be reduced significantly with IC₅₀ 2.1 µg/mL when colchicine was exposed to UV irradiation. Results are beneficial to the toxicity elimination of colchicine in the processing of daylily flower in food industry, and can also provide photochemistry reference for colchicine-related studies.

Colchicine as a novel drug for the treatment of osteosarcoma through drug repositioning based on an FDA drug library

Background

Colchicine is a traditional medication that is currently approved to treat gout and familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). However, colchicine has a wide range of anti-inflammatory activities, and several studies have indicated that it may be useful in a variety of other conditions, such as rheumatic disease, cardiac disease, and cancer. Osteosarcoma, the most common type of bone sarcoma, is derived from primitive bone-forming mesenchymal cells. In this study, we investigated whether colchicine could be used to treat osteosarcoma through the regulation of cell cycle signaling.

Methods

Two human osteosarcoma cell lines, U2OS and Saos-2, were used. A clonogenic assay was used to determine the antiproliferative effects of colchicine on osteosarcoma cells. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and apoptosis were measured by flow cytometry. Migration and invasion assays were performed to investigate the inhibitory effects of colchicine. The signaling pathways related to colchicine treatment were verified by GO biological process (GOBP) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses.

Results

Colchicine was selected as the lead compound based on the results of initial screening and cell viability assays conducted in Saos-2 and U2Os cells. Colchicine reduced the viability of Saos-2 and U2OS cells in a concentration-dependent manner. It also significantly inhibited colony-forming ability and induced ROS production and apoptosis. It also inhibited the migration and invasion of both Saos-2 and U2OS cells. GOBP and KEGG enrichment analyses indicated the involvement of microtubule-based processes and cancer-related pathways.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that colchicine has therapeutic potential in osteosarcoma.

Genome-wide CRISPR screen identifies MTA3 as an inducer of gemcitabine resistance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Gemcitabine (GEM) resistance is one of the major causes of treatment failure in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) in clinic. Here, through CRISPR/Cas9 activation library screen, we found that MTA3 mediates the GEM resistance of PDAC and thus might be a potential therapeutic target for combination chemotherapy. The CRISPR library screening showed that MTA3 is the most enriched gene in the surviving GEM-treated cells, and bioinformatic and histology analysis implied its high correlation with GEM resistance. MTA3 promoted GEM resistance of PDAC cells in in vitro and in vivo experiments. Mechanistically, as a component of the Mi-2/nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase transcriptional repression complex, MTA3 transcriptionally represses CRIP2, a transcriptional repressor of NF-Κb/p65, activating NF-κB signaling and consequently leading to GEM resistance. Furthermore, the treatment of GEM increases MTA3 expression in PDAC cells via activating STAT3 signaling, thereby inducing the acquired chemoresistance of PDAC to GEM. In patients derived xenografts (PDX) mouse model, Colchicine suppresses the expression of MTA3 and increases the sensitivity of tumor cells to GEM. Based on these findings, MTA3 plays a key role in GEM resistance in pancreatic cancer and is a promising therapeutic target for reversing GEM chemotherapy resistance.

Investigation of genotoxicity, mutagenicity, and cytotoxicity in erythrocytes of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) after fluoxetine exposure

Fluoxetine (FLX) is an antidepressant that is increasingly being detected in aquatic environments. However, this contaminated FLX can affect aquatic organisms. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the genotoxic, mutagenic, and cytotoxic potential of FLX on erythrocytes in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) after acute exposure. Fish were exposed to different concentrations of FLX (10, 100 and 1000 µg/L) for 96 h. Then, the condition factor (K value) was used to assess the general fish condition. The genotoxicity was investigated using a comet assay, and the mutagenicity was examined using micronucleus (MN) and erythrocytic nuclear abnormalities (ENAs) assays. In addition, the cytotoxicity was analyzed by erythrocyte morphometry and erythrocyte maturity index (EMI). The results showed that FLX did not affect the fish’s health. Nevertheless, 100 and 1000 µg/L FLX significantly increased DNA damage. Furthermore, a higher concentration of FLX presented a significantly increased frequency of MNs and ENAs, also leading to changes in some erythrocyte morphometric indices and significantly decreased mature erythrocytes. In conclusion, our results indicate that FLX induces genotoxic, mutagenic, and cytotoxic effects in erythrocytes of O. niloticus.