Association of cellular apoptosis with anti-tumor effects of the Chinese herbal complex in endocrine-resistant cancer cell line

The investigation of cytotoxic and apoptotic activity of Cl-amidine on the human U-87 MG glioma cell line

BACKGROUND

Peptidyl (protein) arginine deiminases (PADs) provide the transformation of peptidyl arginine to peptidyl citrulline in the presence of calcium with posttranslational modification. The dysregulated PAD activity plays an important role on too many diseases including also the cancer. In this study, it has been aimed to determine the potential cytotoxic and apoptotic activity of chlorine-amidine (Cl-amidine) which is a PAD inhibitor and whose effectiveness has been shown in vitro and in vivo studies recently on human glioblastoma cell line Uppsala 87 malignant glioma (U-87 MG) forming an in vitro model for the glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) which is the most aggressive and has the highest mortality among the brain tumors.

METHODS

In the study, the antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of Cl-amidine on GBM cancer model were investigated. The antiproliferative effects of Cl-amidine on U-87 MG cells were determined by 4-[3-(4-iodophenyl)-2-(4-nitrophenyl)-2H-5-tetrazolio]-1,3-benzene disulfonate method at the 24th and 48th hours. The apoptotic effects were analyzed by Annexin V and Propidium iodide staining, caspase-3 activation, and mitochondrial membrane polarization (5,5', 6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1', 3,3' tetraethyl benzimidazolyl carbocyanine iodide) methods in the flow cytometry.

RESULTS

It has been determined that Cl-amidine exhibits notable antiproliferative properties on U-87 MG cell line in a time and concentration-dependent manner, as determined through the 4-[3-(4-iodophenyl)-2-(4-nitrophenyl)-2H-5-tetrazolio]-1,3-benzene disulfonate assay. Assessment of apoptotic effects via Annexin V and Propidium iodide staining and 5,5', 6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1', 3,3' tetraethyl benzimidazolyl carbocyanine iodide methods has revealed significant efficacy, particularly following a 24-hour exposure period. It has been observed that Cl-amidine induces apoptosis in cells by enhancing mitochondrial depolarization, independently of caspase-3 activation. Furthermore, regarding its impact on healthy cells, it has been demonstrated that Cl-amidine shows lower cytotoxic effects when compared to carmustine, an important therapeutic agent for glioblastoma.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study have shown that Cl-amidine exhibits significant potential as an anticancer agent in the treatment of GBM. This conclusion is based on its noteworthy antiproliferative and apoptotic effects observed in U-87 MG cells, as well as its reduced cytotoxicity toward healthy cells in comparison to existing treatments. We propose that the antineoplastic properties of Cl-amidine should be further investigated through a broader spectrum of cancer cell types. Moreover, we believe that investigating the synergistic interactions of Cl-amidine with single or combination therapies holds promise for the discovery of novel anticancer agents.

Chemopreventive effects of Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang on paclitaxel-induced leucopenia and neuropathy in animals

Paclitaxel frequently induces peripheral neuropathy and myelosuppression during cancer treatment. According to the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan, traditional Chinese medicine doctors widely use Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang (XSLJZT) to treat breast cancer patients who have received paclitaxel. We explored the combined therapeutic effects of XSLZJT with paclitaxel. XSLJZT did not exhibit significant cytotoxic effects on P388-D1 cells; however, the combination of XSLJZT (100 and 500 mg/kg) with paclitaxel prolonged the survival rate in P388–D1 tumor-bearing mice compared to paclitaxel-only. In addition, XSLJZT was found to enhance white blood cells (WBC) counts and promote leukocyte rebound in paclitaxel-induced leukopenia in mice. XSLJZT also reduced paclitaxel-induced mechanical pain and inhibited c-Fos protein expression in the L4-6 spinal cords of Wistar rats. Moreover, paclitaxel-induced shortening of the nerve fibers of dorsal root ganglion cells was ameliorated by pre-treatment with XSLJZT. Therefore, we suggest that XSLJZT could be used as an adjunct for cancer patients, as the formula could decrease paclitaxel-induced neuropathy and myelosuppression.

Investigation of the neuroprotective and neuritogenic effects of halotolerant Penicillium flavigenum-derived sorbicillin-like compounds on PC-12 Adh cells

Parkinson's disease (PD) is an adult-onset neurodegenerative condition caused by oxidative stress and mitochondrial malfunction. In this study, the neuroprotective and neuritogenic activity of water fraction (Sw-fr) containing sorbicillin-like active metabolites of halotolerant P. flavigenum isolated from Salt Lake in Konya, Turkey were investigated on a 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced PD in vitro PC-12 Adh cell model. Firstly, Sw-fr containing sorbicillin-like active metabolites were extracted from P. flavigenum and was compared with a sorbicillin standard by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Then, the effects of non-cytotoxic concentrations of Sw-fr on the 6-OHDA-induced PD cell model were investigated via real-time cell proliferation analysis using the RTCA DP instrument. The effects of these concentrations on mitochondrial membrane integrity, caspase-3 were investigated by flow cytometry. Neurite outgrowth analysis and immunofluorescence staining were used to explore the neuritogenic effects of neuroprotective doses. By improving PC-12 Adh cell viability, decreasing reactive oxygen species production, and reducing apoptotic cell death, 1 and 10 μg/mL Sw-fr and sorbicillin standard proved neuroprotective against 6-OHDA-induced neurotoxicity. Furthermore, 1 and 10 µg/mL Sw-fr significantly induced neurite outgrowth. As a result, sorbicillin-like active metabolites containing Sw-fr were found to have neuroprotective and neuritogenic effects. Sorbicillin-like metabolites obtained from fungi may be novel natural medicines for neurodegenerative diseases.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10616-021-00498-9.

Covalent Design of Cell Membrane Stationary Phase with Enhanced Stability for Fast Screening P-Glycoprotein Inhibitors

Cell membrane chromatography (CMC) has been widely used for characterizing the interaction between drugs and membrane receptors to screen target components from herbal medicines. However, the column life, stability, and the efficiency cannot meet the needs of high-throughput screening purpose. In this study, a P-glycoprotein immobilized cell membrane stationary phase (P-gp/CMSP) was prepared with a simple and mild two-step aldehyde modification, realizing the covalent bonding between cell membrane and stationary phase. The column life and stability were significantly enhanced compared with the unmodified columns. The P-gp/CMC column was equipped into a comprehensive 2D P-gp/CMC/Capcell-C18/TOFMS system, which actualizes the automated and high-throughput analytical process and rapid identification of complex chemical samples with no data loss. Five compounds with significant retention were screened out and unambiguously identified by the comprehensive 2D analytical system. Baicalin was confirmed as a P-gp inhibitor with ATP depletion inhibition ratio of 83.4%. Moreover, the reversal index of baicalin on DOX significantly increased to 11.13 when its concentration reached 25 μM, revealing that baicalin could effectively reverse the MDR cell model induced by DOX. The integrated system is a practical drug discovery platform and could be applied to other transmembrane protein models.

Silk fibroin peptide suppresses proliferation and induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in human lung cancer cells

Silkworm cocoon was recorded to cure carbuncle in the Compendium of Materia Medica. Previous studies have demonstrated that the supplemental silk protein sericin exhibits anticancer activity. In the present study, we investigated the effects of silk fibroin peptide (SFP) extracted from silkworm cocoons against human lung cancer cells in vitro and in vivo and its possible anticancer mechanisms. SFP that we prepared had high content of glycine (~ 30%) and showed a molecular weight of ~ 10 kDa. Intragastric administration of SFP (30 g/kg/d) for 14 days did not affect the weights, vital signs, routine blood indices, and blood biochemical parameters in mice. MTT assay showed that SFP dose-dependently inhibited the growth of human lung cancer A549 and H460 cells in vitro with IC₅₀ values of 9.921 and 9.083 mg/mL, respectively. SFP also dose-dependently suppressed the clonogenic activity of the two cell lines. In lung cancer H460 xenograft mice, intraperitoneal injection of SFP (200 or 500 mg/kg/d) for 40 days significantly suppressed the tumor growth, but did not induce significant changes in the body weight. We further examined the effects of SFP on cell cycle and apoptosis in H460 cells using flow cytometry, which revealed that SFP-induced cell cycle arrest at the S phase, and then promoted cell apoptosis. We demonstrated that SFP (20-50 mg/mL) dose-dependently downregulates Bcl-2 protein expression and upregulates Bax protein in H460 cells during cell apoptosis. The results suggest that SFP should be studied further as a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of lung cancer.

Effect of Achillea wilhelmsii extract on expression of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase mRNA in the PC3 prostate cancer cell line

Evidence has indicated that human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) was overexpressed in prostate cancer (PCa). Achillea wilhelmsii (AW) is a plant that has been traditionally used for its medicinal properties. The aim of current study was to evaluate the effects of AW extract on a PCa cell line. The cytotoxic activity of the hydroalcoholic extract of AW was studied on the PCa PC3 cell line using MTT assay. Flow cytometry was used to evaluate the effects of the extract on the apoptosis. The expression of hTERT mRNA was analyzed by the reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction method. The ELISA method was used to measure the levels of telomerase enzyme. The hydroalcoholic AW extract demonstrated the appropriate inhibitory effect in 150 µg/ml concentration (IC₅₀) on PC3 cell line following 48 h treatment. Treatment of the PC3 cells with AW resulted in a significant increase in early and late apoptotic cells and a decrease in live cells (P<0.001), in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, the early apoptotic cells were significantly higher than late apoptotic cells. The hTERT mRNA expression was decreased following 24 h treatment of AW extract, although it was not different between 2, 4, 8 and 12 h treatments or 24, 48 and 72 h treatments. In addition, the hTERT concentration was significantly decreased following 24 h treatment of AW extract with the marginal P-value. There was no significant difference regarding hTERT concentration between 2, 4, 8 and 12 h treatments or 24, 48 and 72 h treatments. The hydroalcoholic extract of AW induced potent antiproliferative and apoptotic effects in PC3 cell line, which could be explainable by its high potency to inhibit expression of the prominent oncogene hTERT in PCa. Therefore, targeting telomerase represents a promising strategy for PCa therapy, and AW may have considerable potential for development as a novel natural anticancer agent.

In vitro cytotoxic screening of 31 crude extracts of Thai herbs on a chondrosarcoma cell line and primary chondrocytes and apoptotic effects of selected extracts

Thirty-one dichloromethane and methanol crude extracts of 16 herb species used in Thai traditional folk medicine were studied for their cytotoxic activities on the SW 1353 chondrosarcoma cell line and primary chondrocytes. Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) cell viability assay and flow cytometric method were used as screening tools for cytotoxicity testing. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) was measured and reported for each crude extract. Apoptosis, necrosis, and cell viability were measured by flow cytometry at IC50. Two out of 31 herbal extracts, methanol extracts of Paris polyphylla var. chinensis and Ficus thailandica C.C. Berg & S. Gardner, showed potent anticancer activity. They demonstrated high apoptosis induction activity in SW 1353 cells but had less effect on percentage of viability and necrosis of normal chondrocyte cells. Cytotoxic screening and apoptosis assays suggest the potential anticancer activity of some plants used in Thai traditional medicine and provide information concerning their direct effects.

Hydroxysafflor yellow A induces apoptosis in MCF-7 cells by blocking NFκB/p65 pathway and disrupting mitochondrial transmembrane potential

The molecular mechanisms and the possible effects of hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) on the induction of apoptosis in the human breast cancer MCF-7 cells were investigated.

Reversing resistance of multidrug-resistant hepatic carcinoma cells with parthenolide

Aim: To investigate the mechanism of reversing resistance of a hepatic carcinoma multidrug-resistant cell BEL-7402/5-FU with parthenolide (PTL). Materials & methods: BEL-7402/5-FU cells were treated with different concentrations of PTL and/or 5-fluorouracil. The proliferation inhibition rates, NF-κB, P-glycoprotein, MRP, Bcl-2, WNT1 and p53 levels were determined. Results: The results showed that PTL did not only have proliferation inhibition influence on BEL-7402/5-FU in a concentration-dependent manner, but also significantly increased the proliferation inhibition role of 5-fluorouracil on BEL-7402/5-FU, to reverse the resistance of hepatic carcinoma-resistant cells. PTL could also inhibit the NF-κB activity and the expression of P-glycoprotein, MRP, Bcl-2 and WNT1, and increase the expression of p53. Conclusion: Our research suggests that clinical administration of PTL may be useful for hepatic carcinoma patients.

One-step immunochromatographic separation and ELISA quantification of glycyrrhizin from traditional Chinese medicines

The bioactive constituent, glycyrrhizin or glycyrrhizic acid (GA), was purified from two traditional Chinese medicines (TCM), Shaoyao gancao tang and Dahuang gancao tang, and from crude extracts from licorice roots by means of immunoaffinity chromatography using anti-GA monoclonal antibody (MAb) and was quantified with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Laboratory preparations included the synthesis of conjugate GA-human serum albumin (GA-HSA), the production of anti-GA-MAb, the optimization of the immunoaffinity column packed with the anti-GA-MAb coupled to hydrazide gel and the determination of the GA content in TCM and crude drugs from five different sources by ELISA and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The experimental results reveal that the anti-GA-MAb coupled to Affi-Gel Hz gel results in a coupling efficiency of 95.2%, and the immunoaffinity chromatography gives a mean recovery of 97.6% of GA with a capacity of 33.5+/-2.40 microg/mL of immunoaffinity gel under the given conditions. The GA content of the crude extracts (ranging 74.8-114.6 microg/mg) from different sources by the ELISA method is much greater than that of the TCM (16.4-25.1 microg/mg) which is, in good agreement with the results of the HPLC method. Our report provides a rapid, reliable and sensitive approach for one-step separation and quantification of GA.

The effect of SHJKS on cytokines production and NF-kappaB activation in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with cerebral infarction

The Korean genuine medicine "Seonghyangjeongkisan" (SHJKS) has long been used for various cerebrovascular diseases. However, very little scientific investigation has been carried out. Cytokines involved in the regulation of inflammatory reactions and immune responses may play a role in the pathogenesis of cerebral infarction (CI). The aim of the present study is to elucidate how SHJKS modulates the inflammatory reaction in lipopolysaccaride (LPS) plus phytohaemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated peripheral mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from CI patients. The amount of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6, and IL-8 in PBMC culture supernatant was significantly increased in the LPS plus PHA treated cells compared to unstimulated cells. SHJKS inhibited the TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, and IL-8 production in dose dependent manner. Maximal inhibition rate of the TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, and IL-8 by SHJGS (1.0 mg/ml) was 68.01 +/- 0.28% (P < 0.01), 52.11 +/- 0.56 % (P < 0.01), 53.42 +/- 0.46 % (P < 0.01), and 46.70 +/- 0.37% (P < 0.05), respectively. In addition, we show that SHJKS suppressed nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB activation induced by LPS plus PHA, leading to suppression of IkappaB-alpha phosphorylation and degradation. These results suggest that SHJKS might have regulatory effects on LPS plus PHA-induced cytokine production and NF-kappaB activation, which might explain its beneficial effect in the treatment of CI.

The inhibitory effect of a herbal formula comprising ginseng and carthamus tinctorius on breast cancer

A compound (Zhu-xiang) from herbal extracts containing ginseng and carthamus tinctorius was used to treat the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell and normal human mammary gland cell lines. The inhibition of cell proliferation by Zhu-xiang, epirubicin, 5-fluorouracil and cyclophosphamide was determined by WST-1 assays. The apoptotic effect was studied by flow cytometry analysis of DNA strand breaks and ApopTag Peroxidase In Situ Apoptosis kit by the TUNEL assay. The proliferation index as well as cell cycle progression were also evaluated by flow cytometry using Ki-67 and propidium iodide respectively as markers. The Zhu-xiang showed significantly inhibition in cell proliferation and the inhibition was dose dependent. The inhibitory effect of Zhu-xiang was significantly greater than commonly used cytotoxic drugs. The inhibitory effect is a result of the induction of apoptosis, which is concentration- and time-dependent. DNA histograms indicate that the compound causes accumulation of cells mainly in the S phase. The viability of cells in breast solid tumours was measured by ATP bioluminescence assay to determine the drug-induced cytotoxicity of Zhu-xiang. The three different concentrations of Zhu-xiang all exhibited the ability to inhibit proliferation in solid tumour. Zhu-xiang could be a useful anti-cancer compound against breast cancer.