The effects of genistein as antiinflammatory and antiangiogenesis in primary endometriosis cell culture

Genistein: A Review on its Anti-Inflammatory Properties

Nowadays, non-resolving inflammation is becoming a major trigger in various diseases as it plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, asthma, cancer, obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, neurodegenerative disease, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. However, prolonged use of anti-inflammatory drugs is usually accompanied with undesirable effects and hence more patients tend to seek for natural compounds as alternative medicine. Considering the fact above, there is an urgency to discover and develop potential novel, safe and efficacious natural compounds as drug candidates for future anti-inflammatory therapy. Genistein belongs to the flavonoid family, in the subgroup of isoflavones. It is a phytoestrogen that is mainly derived from legumes. It is a naturally occurring chemical constituent with a similar chemical structure to mammalian estrogens. It is claimed to exert many beneficial effects on health, such as protection against osteoporosis, reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease, alleviation of postmenopausal symptoms and anticancer properties. In the past, numerous in vitro and in vivo studies have been conducted to investigate the anti-inflammatory potential of genistein. Henceforth, this review aims to summarize the anti-inflammatory properties of genistein linking with the signaling pathways and mediators that are involved in the inflammatory response as well as its toxicity profile. The current outcomes are analysed to highlight the prospect as a lead compound for drug discovery. Data was collected using PubMed, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink and Scopus databases. Results showed that genistein possessed strong anti-inflammatory activities through inhibition of various signaling pathways such as nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), prostaglandins (PGs), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), proinflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species (ROS). A comprehensive assessment of the mechanism of action in anti-inflammatory effects of genistein is included. However, evidence for the pharmacological effects is still lacking. Further studies using various animal models to assess pharmacological effects such as toxicity, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and bioavailability studies are required before clinical studies can be conducted. This review will highlight the potential use of genistein as a lead compound for future drug development as an anti-inflammatory agent.

Synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of BDDE crosslinked chitosan-TGA hydrogel encapsulated with genistein for vaginal atrophy

Vagina atrophy is a common symptom in women after menopause owing to decreasing estrogen levels. The most conventional treatment for this condition is estrogen cream. The shortcoming is its weak adhesion to the vagina mucus, thus requiring frequent daily application. In this study, BDDE was selected to crosslink and graft chitosan with thioglycolic acid, to form thiolated chitosan (CT) and improve the mucoadhesive properties of chitosan. Genistein was selected as the bioactive molecule that could exhibit estrogen-like properties for long-term treatment of vaginal atrophy. The efficacies of the materials were characterized and evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. Results showed that the mucoadhesive property of CT was approximately two-fold stronger against the constant flow than unmodified chitosan. CT with genistein (CT-G) was administered intravaginally every three days in vivo. It showed that the developed CT-G recover 54 % of the epithelium thickness of an atrophic vagina and ease vaginal atrophy.

Pyrvinium pamoate induces in-vitro suppression of IL-6 and IL-8 produced by human endometriotic stromal cells

Endometriosis, a chronic inflammatory disease, is identified by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus. The prevalence of this disease among reproductive-age women is almost 10-15%. High levels of IL-6 and IL-8 have been found in the peritoneal fluid (PF) of women with endometriosis and are involved in its pathogenesis. Isolated stromal cells from 12 ectopic and eutopic endometrial biopsies of women with ovarian endometrioma and also 12 endometrial biopsies of nonendometriotic controls were treated with 1.1 µM pyrvinium pamoate, a Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway inhibitor, for 72 hrs. Before treatment, mRNA gene expression and secretion of IL-6 and IL-8 were significantly higher in ectopic (EESCs) than eutopic (EuESCs) and control (CESCs) endometrial stromal cells. After treatment, mRNA gene expression and also secretion of IL-6 and IL-8 were significantly reduced. Our Findings showed that pyrvinium pamoate suppresses the mRNA gene expression and secretion of IL-6 and IL-8 in human endometriotic stromal cells. Additional investigations on this compound are required before clinical application.

Cancer chemoprevention revisited: Cytochrome P450 family 1B1 as a target in the tumor and the microenvironment

Cancer chemoprevention is the use of synthetic, natural or biological agents to prevent or delay the development or progression of malignancies. Intriguingly, many phytochemicals with anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenic effects, recently proposed as chemoprevention strategies, are inhibitors of Cytochrome P450 family 1B1 (CYP1B1), an enzyme overexpressed in a wide variety of tumors and associated with angiogenesis. In turn, pro-inflammatory cytokines were reported to boost CYP1B1 expression, suggesting a key role of CYP1B1 in a positive loop of inflammatory angiogenesis. Other well-known pro-tumorigenic activities of CYP1B1 rely on metabolic bioactivation of xenobiotics and steroid hormones into their carcinogenic derivatives. In contrast to initial in vitro observations, in vivo studies demonstrated a protecting role against cancer for the other CYP1 family members (CYP1A1 and CYP1A2), suggesting that the specificity of CYP1 family inhibitors should be carefully taken into account for developing potential chemoprevention strategies. Recent studies also proposed a role of CYP1B1 in multiple cell types found within the tumor microenvironment, including fibroblasts, endothelial and immune cells. Overall, our review of the current literature suggests a positive loop between inflammatory cytokines and CYP1B1, which in turn may play a key role in cancer angiogenesis, acting on both cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment. Strategies aiming at specific CYP1B1 inhibition in multiple cell types may translate into clinical chemoprevention and angioprevention approaches.